Craig's List is a great example of the unforeseen forces that are wiping out the newspaper industry. Classified ads used to be a cash cow for the newspaper. There was simply no alternative venue if you wanted to sell an old desk, hire an employee or advertise your yard sale.
Classified ads were once a multi billion dollar market. Who would have thought that one guy--Craig Newmark--would create a free service that is so superior that it wipes out the entire segment of the industry and perhaps tips the balance in the collapse of the industry itself.
Craig's list is free, searchable and easy to access on line. More importantly, Craig's List has the audience that used to read the paper. If you are choosing between Craig's list or paying for a help wanted ad, there's really no choice.
But what if you OWN the help wanted ads? What if you are the Arizona Republic and you are advertising for interns. Well, you have to resort to Craig's List.
The Arizona Republic is looking for a designer to work an 8-week internship through parts of January and February of 2008. As we ramp up our design projects for the upcoming Super Bowl, we need a person who can step in and do quality print work for us. We will train the candidate in CCI (our pagination system), and they would be working in the sports department of our downtown office.
My gosh, think about that. The Arizona Republic is looking for interns and has to advertise the position on Craig's List. That will give you some insight about the future of the industry.
They also had an non-writer intern write the ad. It refers to hiring a single person, then proceeds to refer to the person as "they."
Posted by: Timothy | November 20, 2007 at 01:05 PM
And they seem to have had a change of heart, too. The ad's been pulled down but its author.
Posted by: ExUrbanKevin | November 20, 2007 at 10:19 PM
Hi, Greg!
I think you'd get a much better insight into craigslist if you wait a little until The Arizona Republic is going to have to PAY Craig for that ad... and an even better idea when the initial "reasonable fee" will start creeping up (the number of places where craigslist charges for posting jobs has increased dramaticaly and gives no sign of easing up...)
Delia
P.S. take care! D.
Posted by: Delia | November 20, 2007 at 11:10 PM
Ha! Jesus, that's crazy. What's really funny is the bastards took it down sometime before I wrote this this morning.
Posted by: Michael Marizco | November 21, 2007 at 09:39 AM