You Can't Write This Stuff

The fine line between reality and parody is so thin it needs medical attention.

He has berated reporters and clashed with editors over stories that were damaging to his public relations clients.

His friends call him intense, a perfectionist who demands the best from everyone around him. He famously railed at The Philadelphia Inquirer's editors to kill an article critical of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's spending on a summer house while it was closing churches and schools.

Now, Brian Tierney, the 49-year-old incoming chief executive of the Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News, will be calling the shots for his one-time adversary.

And that's just fine with him. Tierney said he should be judged on the totality of his work in PR and advertising, not just on a "handful" of controversial issues. What's more, he said he can channel his passion and zeal into improving the two flagging newspapers.

"I'm going to make sure that every person in this region would buy The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News," Tierney said in an interview. "I'm going to put that passion into helping my advertising clients grow their business. We can grow our business and they can grow their business."

Rah rah sis boom bah! Hope I spelled all that right.

No need for quality reporting. We'll sell the sizzle, not the steak

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