The GateHouse model in Columbia, MO

Of course, in the old days they never paid overtime either.

#neverletthatgrudgego

 

“We understand that you may be unhappy that we pruned some limbs, but we hope you will be glad that we are still here with deep roots,” Burton wrote. Six months later, Burton was “pruned” when he was replaced as publisher.

Most clever use of the word pruned ever. I was almost cheering when I read it. Classic.

 

The Gatehouse model is inarguably bad for journalism. That said, it's more than optimistic to think that Columbia, Mo., could support two daily newspapers under any circumstances.

 

The Missourian makes this a different situation. Students earn nothing while working there, and the editors are already employees of the university. It’s a special situation.

 

When I was at Mizzou years and years ago, the Tribune had its own pipeline to the J-School and made extensive use of students as part-timers. It was a great source of cheap, temporary reporters and editors for them. I don't see that mentioned in the article, so maybe students' role on the staff has diminished.

 

Also, the Missourian has a paid subscription of about 1,000. It's taken by the hardcore journalism junkies and professors around town.

 

Diminished, as in nonexistent. When I was there more than a decade ago, news and sports might have had an intern, but I don't think there were any part-timers from the J-school ranks.

One summer very long ago, I did agate and covered the local sports for the Tribune between semesters at Mizzou.

 

That's weird. In the early 1990s, the weekend reporter on Friday and Saturdays was always a j-student. Or at least I was, as well as the two guys before me, and the two after. The agate guys in sports were always students as well.