How Digital First Media hopes to transform workflow, culture of ‘newspaper facto

I got news for you: those two lists are identical. The only question is when: Soon, or sooner.

 

Digital First addresses the most important issue on this matter:

 

Trentonian has a new EIC: John Berry. Leaving Torrington/Middletown dual-editor role.

http://connecticutnewsroom.wordpress.com/2014/06/25/john-berry-leaving-connecticut-to-be-editor-of-the-trentonian/

Matt Osborne was the EIC for about a year and a half after moving over from sports. Worked with him for 3-4 years. Very strong daily sports sections, but he was in a no-win situation at the helm.

 

For a company called Digital First, they sure don't seem to have the concept of it.

 

As part of his buyout, Jim Brady was allowed to keep intellectual rights to Brother.ly. He's launching the TBD'esque entity on his own dime. He'll also teach at Temple.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/rieder/2014/06/30/jim-bradys-new-digital-news-adventure/11778925/

 

Billy Penn.

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2014/08/8550318/bradys-new-philly-site-will-be-called-billy-penn

 

Sounds almost as catchy as the Ben Franklin Project.

 

Digital First Media, we hardly knew ya.

Paton has been awfully quiet.

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/264435/digital-first-puts-51-newspaper-buildings-on-the-market/

 

Romenesko hears Digital First papers are going on the auction block today. That's bad.

http://jimromenesko.com/2014/09/12/morning-report-for-september-12-2014/

Last week, union members at the San Jose Mercury News union issued a plea: Billionaire, please buy us!

http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=4e1ec6315554b5879f2591c96&id=d39ed04ddc

 

http://jxpaton.wordpress.com/2014/09/12/looking-at-whats-best-for-the-future/

Folks,

We announced this morning our company, Digital First Media, is working with the investment bank UBS to review the strategic alternatives for our business.

Strategic alternatives – what does that mean exactly?

Well, it could mean we decide to sell the company. Or sell parts of it. Or expand it. Or stay the course.

DFM is a company with a successful strategy that drives results. And that means we now have options – options that we should now review to determine what is best for our future.

After a rocky five years, the newspaper industry is firmly back on its feet again.

Many of the largest companies in the media business have spun off their publishing assets and they have been well received by the public markets with healthy balance sheets and plans to drive their digital future and the capacity to grow.

Other than the usual die-hard skeptics, it is now a given that newspapers, as multi-platform news organizations, will thrive in the future as the best and biggest providers of local news and advertising in their markets.

But scale is the key to that future. Scale to build the products our customers want. The products we will need in the future for news or sales will look nothing like they do now. Any newspaper company’s future will rely upon its ability to build those products fast and as cost-effectively as possible.

So, we are now reviewing all of those options – those strategic alternatives – that best position our company for the future.

I am not sure of the outcome of that review or how long it will take.

But I do know this: As employees, the best thing we can do while this review is underway is to keep doing what we have been doing best these past years – producing unsurpassed local journalism; serving our customers’ needs and continuing to boldly experiment with our digital future.

I will do my best to keep you informed as this review progresses.

Until next time,

John.

 

Looks like many properties could be on the verge of being put up for sale: http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-business/ci_26518203/daily-camera-longmont-times-call-other-digital-first