Saturday, April 4, 2009

Lois! I've Got to Save the Newspaper Industry!

David Horsey of SeattlePI.com Sphere: Related Content

NY Times Co. Threatens to Shut Down Boston Globe

The New York Times Co. has threatened to shut the Boston Globe unless the newspaper's unions swiftly agree to $20 million in concessions, union leaders said.

Executives from the Times Co. and Globe made the demands Thursday morning in an approximately 90- minute meeting with leaders of the newspaper's 13 unions, union officials said. The possible concessions include pay cuts, the end of pension contributions by the company and the elimination of lifetime job guarantees now enjoyed by some veteran employees, said Daniel Totten, president of the Boston Newspaper Guild, the Globe's biggest union, which represents more than 700 editorial, advertising and business office employees. [Click for MORE]

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Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Two Newspapers Drop Print, Go All Twitter!

From E&P:

April Fool's madness reigned this morning, and it wasn't just because of the fears over the latest computer worm. Both the venerable Guardian in London and the alt-weekly Mountain Express in Asheville, N.C. announced they were dropping print and going all Twitter.

The Guardian said it had finally listened to experts who claimed every story today can be told "in 140 characters."

The Asheville paper even produced a video, calling itself "the nation's first Twaper."

Meanwhile, the stodgy Economist announced it was opening a scary financial theme park, Econoland.

For reports, links and the video, to the E&P Pub.

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Monday, March 30, 2009

Detroit Papers: First Monday Without New Edition





Missing from the doorsteps and driveways of many Michigan homes Monday morning: newspapers.

In a bold but risky move aimed at ensuring their survival in the digital age, The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press are reducing home delivery to the three days a week most popular with advertisers — Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Slimmed-down newspapers, sold at regular prices, will be available in news racks and convenience stores the other four days.

The Detroit publishers hope to cut costs significantly, without sacrificing newsroom staff, to survive a recession that has exacerbated losses from ads shifting to the Internet. Millions of dollars in advertising have eroded over the past year in a city and state being hammered by foreclosures, high unemployment and the near-collapse of the auto industry. [Click for MORE]

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Sunday, March 29, 2009

Huffington Post
Launches Investigative Journalism Venture

The Huffington Post said Sunday that it will bankroll a group of investigative journalists, directing them at first to look at stories about the nation's economy.

The popular blog is collaborating with The Atlantic Philanthropies and other donors to launch the Huffington Post Investigative Fund with an initial budget of $1.75 million. That should be enough for 10 staff journalists who will primarily coordinate stories with freelancers, said Arianna Huffington, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post.

Work that the journalists produce will be available for any publication or Web site to use at the same time it is posted on The Huffington Post, she said. [Click for MORE] Sphere: Related Content

Can Save-Our-Paper Bake Sales Be Far Behind?



Jonathan Mann
of Berkeley, Calif., posts a song daily on Rock Cookie Bottom blog. His week-old Saving Newspapers has been viewed more than 2,600 times, ranking it No. 9 among his 75 videos. Most-viewed: Hey Paul Krugman (A song, A plea), seen more than 144,000 times.

Hat tip / GannettBlog.com Sphere: Related Content

Papers as We Know Them May Cease to Exist ...
But What Will Become of the News Itself?


CBS Sunday Morning Sphere: Related Content