Oddblotter: How an Entire Newspaper Gets on a Blotter

Boston Magazine had an exclusive in which they busted Boston Herald employees stealing dailies The Metro and Boston NOW from newspaper stands.

While the Herald thinks its being all sneaky and undermining (though they are denying Boston Magazine's report), they obviously haven't realized that the free dailies have a fertile quality. They multiply, breeding all day long, piling up on the MBTA train seats, stuffing the canvas bags of commuters, and, by the end of the day, papering the sidewalks. Everywhere you go in Boston, you cannot miss the logos of Boston NOW and The Metro staring back at you.

Stealing the free dailies also won't help the Herald because it doesn't have much of a street team. Few individuals are more aggressive and determined than a person who is handing out either The Metro or Boston NOW. Some of the people handing out the dailies are among the best salespeople in this city. So what if a Herald staffer is out swiping papers? Given how quickly the papers move, they will get from one neighborhood to another, whether its on the T or through the hands of a distributor.

If the charges are true, the Herald is just wasting its time and smearing itself.

All charges alleged until proven under law.