Media

Reporter Robert Snell's Tweets Enliven Tedium at Detroit Bankruptcy Trial

October 01, 2014, 6:25 PM by  Alan Stamm

Day 14 of Detroit's bankruptcy trial was flashier than usual, with testimony Wednesday from Dan Gilbert, Kevyn Orr, a state Treasury Department representative and a trust attorney. Even with two star witnesses, a nine-hour workday at U.S. Bankruptcy Court can test a live-tweeting writer's creativity.

Robert Snell of The Detroit News found occasional bright spots to reward faithful followers -- and perhaps himself -- with grin-worthy posts.

The samples below reflect a tiny portion of his factual, straightforward social media coverage. They're gathered in admiration of a newsman who has covered one of Detroit's most important -- and potentially brain-numbing -- beats since early 2013. They show how journalism differs from transcript typing, and how to sift the surreal from the serious.     

Snell, a 1996 journalism graduate of Oakland University, joined The News in 2006 after four years at The Flint Journal and 3 1/2 years at the Lansing State Journal.

Another journalist in court Wednesday, Sandra Svoboda of WDET, also posted a humorous aside in a running summary of testimony at Next Chapter Detroit:

City attorney Greg Shumaker . . . is asking Orr about the city’s Plan of Adjustment, the blueprint for restructuring debt and operating post-bankruptcy.

The plan reflect settlements, restructuring and reinvestment initiatives that “we worked on,” Orr said.

Shumaker asked him who the “we” was.

“I suppose it’s the ‘royal we’,” Orr replied, getting us our first Big Lebowski reference I’m aware of in the bankruptcy trial. 


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