Forbes.com Needs A Map

By Joe Baur

Forbes delivers yet another (most likely unknowingly) backhand to Cleveland.

I need not recount in detail the publication’s once-upon-a-ranking of Cleveland as the most miserable city in the country. There are plenty of irate blogs voicing their grievances (mine included) that you can find with a simple Google Search. More importantly, I would hardly be the first to criticize Forbes’ nothing-but-harmful Most Miserable Cities, which seems to take pride in reaffirming why people shouldn’t return to cities like Cleveland, Detroit and Buffalo on a yearly basis.

Suffice it to say, the backlash was enough to warrant a response from Forbes senior editor and author of the piece, Kurt Badenhausen, who admitted none of the cities on the list were visited prior to filing the story. Journalism!

Now it seems journalism has struck again over at Forbes.com, caught originally by Cool Cleveland editor Sarah Valek. Check out the description given to Cleveland, OH, on the city’s profile page on the site.

“Cleveland is home to several industries, including household cooking equipment, textiles, furniture, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and automotive parts. Cleveland State Community College and Lee University are also based in Cleveland. Cleveland is the location for the corporate headquarters of Life Care Centers of America, the largest privately-held nursing facility company in the U.S. Its location provides numerous tourist attractions including whitewater rafting, mountain climbing and shopping within the urban parts of town.”

Ya hear that, Cleveland!? We have mountains!

Turns out, Forbes.com pulled the description right off the Wikipedia page for Cleveland, Tennessee, pinpointed by Cool Cleveland head-honcho, Thomas Mulready.

I’m not going to pretend Forbes.com did this on purpose, or that this indiscretion is along the same lines of mistaking Brooklyn, NY, for Brooklyn, OH. We are, after all, the ever shrinking “Mistake By The Lake,” and insert your own trite description frequently utilized by Forbes. (Hey! Did ya know Cleveland’s sports teams blow!?).

But for a publication that calls itself “The Capitalist Tool,” implying they are the king of financial and economic information, methinks they would make it a point to mention innovation and employer powerhouse, Cleveland Clinic, on a profile page that’s supposed to serve as a snapshot of a city’s economic health. Not to mention Cleveland (our Cleveland) is a regular on Forbes.com, admittedly for worse. Quite frankly, I’m surprised this city switch-a-roo wasn’t caught sooner.

Most likely the mistake was the work of some unpaid intern who was promised an “in” to New York City’s publishing world if they agreed to push boring copy and fetch coffees for editors and senior writers. Regardless of the culprit, someone is in dire need of a map. I am quite frequently blown away by the average New Yorkers’ flimsy grasp of basic geography. How in the name of all things topographical does “mountain climbing” not raise an eyebrow?

If we’re expected to know the boroughs and the Hudson River, then New Yorkers should know Cleveland sits on a Great Lake, sans mountains. Instead, I’ve met New Yorkers (well educated New Yorkers) who have mistaken Cleveland for Cincinnati. One even put us in southern Illinois.

Painting with a broad brush, I know. Sucks, doesn’t it?

In any event, feel free to send your comments to readers@forbes.com. I suggest including an actual profile of Cleveland and perhaps a map.

 

 

Joe Baur is a freelance writer, filmmaker and satirist with a diverse array of interests including travel, adventure, craft beer, health, urban issues, culture and politics. He ranks his allegiances in the order of Cleveland, the state of Ohio and the Rust Belt, and enjoys a fried egg on a variety of meats. Joe has a B.A. in Mass Communication with a focus on production from Miami University. Follow him at MildlyRelevant.com and on Twitter @MildlyRelevant.

 

 

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2 Responses to “Forbes.com Needs A Map”

  1. Thanks for the post, Joe. This is so annoying. Off to write a little “love note” to Forbes. They’re a daily entertainment paper right? Oy.

  2. celeste o.

    “bob” often has interesting points buried within his bizaro spewing. I wish there was some translation guide, though.

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