Will the Last One Out Please Turn Out the Lights.

Gannett is offering another buyout. Jim Hopkins over at Gannett Watch has full coverage.    I thought this comment was especially interesting.

At The Arizona Republic, the buyout offer for 70 employees companywide turns out to be targeting 44 in the newsroom. Jim, how about a survey to find out what's happening at other properties? How many reporters and editors is Gannett going to lose? The 2008 buyouts took 800 years of experience out of the Republic newsroom. No count for this buyout as yet.

These stories make blogging easier.  First, I point out ways in which the newspapers offend readers.  Then I publish stories about circulation falling.   Then I publish stories about collapsing revenue followed by stories of cost cutting through furloughs, buyouts and layoffs. 

It's important that I start the cycle by printing stories about the newspaper offending it's readership. I don't want you to think that newspapers are simply victims of the internet age.  People cancel because the quality of the product is poor and offensive.  (I've archived hundreds of examples, but think of Benson portraying Brewer as Quadaffi on the same day the the newspaper announced an essay contest about the need for civility.)

The paper will continue cutting costs to stay ahead of losses and will eventualy lose its critical mass and will no longer function as a newspaper.

 

Comments

[Its a Dry Heat]

Benson's latest on the Catholic church would be enough for me to cancel. But we subscribe primarily to get coupons, so until those go away, I'll skip over the offensive nonsense and enjoy my savings at the grocery store.

If Groupon was ever was able to replicate the Sunday circular section, The Republic would collapse so fast it would take your breath away!

[westsider]

Greg, You write, "These stories make blogging easier." Yeah, because you don't have to do any original research. How is the Coyote count goint in Arcadia?

[westsider]

Oops. going....

[westsider]

Once the AZ Republic is gone you can count on the Washington Post (http://www.espressopundit.com/2012/02/ed-pastor-in-the-washington-post.html
to do your research.

[BlueSky]

I'm thinking ( westsider ) works the Republic copy desk! Must be the first day of your furlough :)

[westsider]

Nope, never worked in the press room of any newspaper - well, I did a short stint in a college newspaper. I didn't like the job.

[truther]

The bad newspaper man touched Greggy and now he needs to make the bad man go away. One word Greg...therapy

[Matt]

What is better therapy than writing a blog?

[janfan]

I know Greg and most of his clones just like to bag on the Republic for its alleged bias. I just think it has become a crappier and crappier newspaper since Gannett took it over and started kicking anyone with experience (too expensive) to the curb in their never-ending attempts to keep its stock price from hitting rock bottom. Meanwhile its honchos keep taking huge bonuses, because the only people they have to make happy are the stockholders. Screw the readers they should be serving, and the employees who have given years and years of hard work.

[ChrisM]

Janfan - I don't think the shareholders are very happy:

http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=GCI+Interactive#symbol=gci;range=my

Gannett is back to 1990's prices.

[GmaninAZ]

@ Matt - alleged bias?? Are you kidding me. Name one positive story that the Republic has done about the Legislature? I am talking about all 90 members both R and D.

Who wants to by news that does not print anything positive. If they wrtie about Arizona's economy getting better becasue of the decision made at the Capitol they may start with a line about revenues being up but end with don't expect more funding for fill in the blank. If I want to get a daily does of hate I will watch CNN.