Gannett, Gatehouse talking merger

The sheer panic doesn't come from TV news, it comes from the social media bullshit that the majority on both sides wants to subscribe to, because it's free, easy to access and gives some of the worst fucking people on the planet an outlet to spout their bullshit.

Think these fucking shit-stains care in the least about "saving local journalism" or "subscribing to your local newspaper?" No. They are too busy saying, "You can't put links on Facebook if we can't read it for free! That's false advertising! Sell more ads!" As if they have a clue about the business model, given they are too cheap to pay $1 a month for a digital subscription to stay informed.

 

There should be a special place in Hell for people who only get their news from Facebook and Instagram.

 

The amount of links being shared with bias or links where in my head I am thinking "who the fuck would think this is a reliable source?" is wild.

On a side note, I get it, reporters want to help but why are they begging for people to get a $5 subscription for 3 months? Not going to save papers with - you know minimal sign-ups from these Tweets - and ads are needed to make money which no companies have $$$ for and Gannett etc. have maybe 1 salesperson in house...nice. It's just a sad state what is going on. The reporters are treated like they aren't appreciated at all while the big wigs drive the papers into the ground quicker and quicker.

 

Something that I find both frustrating and humorous is how these digital subscription drives have reporters and editors talking out both sides of their mouths.

When people want access for free, one of the common messages is, "The work we have has value, so it's worth paying for." Then the specials are for $1 for 3 months of access, which doesn't put a whole lot of value on that work.

 

They need that support!!

 

Great post. It's all so bleeped up. Just kill the damn industry. At least the publishers of the 1990s (yes the cowards who later gave up and sold) and 80s had an idea about what a newspaper is and how they made money. Of course it all ended when they were convinced to go all in on their websites.

 

The subscription model is a wonderful thing. You forget you’ve signed up for it, then you realize it’s now $15 a month and, hey, I’m too lazy to cancel and I can swing that if I skip coffee for a couple mornings.

That’s what the thought is. But once the bubble fully bursts, I’m convinced people are going to find any way to save cash. Even $10 a month. I suppose it’s more of an issue for cable/streaming TV and mobile plans. Why spend $80 a month on mobile when you can get a prepaid line for $45? A lot of people will deem $150 cable/streaming bills as extravagant.

 

Subs and rack sales don’t pay the freight. They probably don’t cover the newsprint, never mind salaries of those that produced it. All that really matters is ads, when will they come back and will they come back at all?

thats why the sb nation cuts puzzle me. Is vox that bad? You take away the overhead of print and what revenue has an online media company lost due to corona? Just no traffic bc no sports?

 

The advertising markets have contracted massively - I imagine that's what is going on. You can see it on TV, too - You used to only see like the Humane Society and Shriners Children Hospital ads on weekends, or late at night, on the fringe channels like Ion. Now I see them during the week on the big network (ABC, CBS, NBC) channels.

 

What blows my mind is people willing to spend $10-20 for subscriptions to Netflix, Hulu, Spotify yet scoff at supporting news for usually the same price.

 

I subscribe to Netflix and wouldn't spend 10 cents on a subscription to my local newspaper. (The one that currently employs me). Sorry if that hurts feelings.

Would I subscribe to a non-profit or locally owned paper that was committed to good writing, reporting and editing? Absolutely.

Would I "support" the hollowed-out shell of my current newspaper so that the GannettHouse CEOs might survive to receive one more year-end bonus? Not interested.

 

A former newsroom co-worker has gone on to sell online and cable TV advertising for a local company, and has found it relatively prosperous. He has a region that was previously pretty underserved, so has found it to be fairly easy to build a solid book. Talked to him last week and he said it was like the spigot got turned off overnight. No one is buying anything, except for a few restaurants that have their eye on coming out strong and fast when all this is over.

The problem remains, in that he said the majority of the businesses he sells to won't be able to survive if this lasts past the summer - it is a very tourist-centered area - so if the world reopens in September or in 2021, the landscape could be something no one has ever seen before.