1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Denver Post offers buyouts

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by SEeditor, Jun 4, 2015.

  1. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    Let's see how much smaller things are on Mondays come September. Though with Klis gone, perhaps they'll knock down that separate NFL section, which wasn't exactly stacked with money-making ads, just lots of blanks.
     
  2. LanceyHoward

    LanceyHoward Well-Known Member

    If there is not enough interest in a Monday section on the Broncos in Denver the Post should stop printing a sports section. Because no other team in Denver draws 1/10th the interest, especially of the Broncos are playoff contenders.

    In fact, I know the Post recently reduced the number of beat reporters on the Broncos to two. But I think that if necessary they should stop covering preps and assign an additional reporter to the Broncos. It has been a long time since I lived in Denver but I am pretty sure there is still more interest in who the Broncos deep snapper is than who the number one ranked high school team in the state is.
     
  3. Roscablo

    Roscablo Well-Known Member

    Well, the Post has been about a one-man show in preps for a long time. I can't even remember the last time they used stringers. There has also been an online preps guy, too, although I think that role has changed as well. But that's it. The Broncos will still be very well covered. I don't think there's anything to worry about there. Well, other than the people who do it being even more overworked. Which just means current Broncos reporters will bolt at the first chance they get just like the last handful of them have.
     
  4. LanceyHoward

    LanceyHoward Well-Known Member

    I know the Broncos will be well covered even if they do not add another reporter. And I think the Post in the last couple years fired a couple long time prep staffers. But I do wonder how much readers in a major market like Denver with lots of pro and college teams care about preps. I was not really being tongue in cheek when I said more people care about the Broncos deep snapper than preps in Denver.

    I know the argument for covering preps is that it is a topic where a local paper can offer unique product. But another way to differentiate is to offer voluminus coverage of local pro teams. ESPN has Legwold on the Broncos full-time and Channel 9 will have Klis. So to differentiate your coverage from those two entities you had better offer up lots of stories.
     
  5. SEeditor

    SEeditor Member

    The Post had two primary prep reporters and a handful of stringers for years. About 2 years ago, they let go of one of those long-time prep reporters and they cut out the stringer/part-time budget for prep folks. Those stringers were brought on as part-timers, in a sense, in 2010-11. Basically, it was a financial deal. They got paid hourly with taxes taken out for working inside the office, taking calls, updating stats and got freelance money for stories. Now, they have the one prep editor -- Neil Devlin -- and one online prep reporter, who was a recent hire from 9News. The previous online reporter moved over to another position online. They've used other staffers to cover some bigger state events, like football championships and state track, but the prep coverage has gone downhill drastically.
     
  6. Fredrick

    Fredrick Well-Known Member

    Good luck running sports stories without jumps.
     
  7. BDC99

    BDC99 Well-Known Member

    So many places have tried it. Thanks Gannett! Always ends up going this way: "Oh, this story really needs to be longer. We should jump it." Then they allow ONE story to jump, then ... experiment over. But the writers LOVE it! :)
     
  8. Fredrick

    Fredrick Well-Known Member

    Could one of you newspaper higher-ups answer this question for me truthfully? How does getting rid of a Tom Kensler and other veteran writers who are well known by the readers help your product? Kensler and reporters like him are what separate newspapers from fanrag.com. You may not believe that statement, but it's true. The day is coming soon when all reporters will be part-timers, most 21-25 years old UNLESS the oldies are also willing to work for minimum wage.
     
  9. BTExpress

    BTExpress Well-Known Member

    That's never really been the intention. The business model is broken beyond repair, so there is nothing you can do to improve the "product" that will cover the cost of improving the product.

    With that as a given, newspapers are just throwing ballast off the sinking ship, prolonging the inevitable end as long as possible. It's the only "strategy" they have, and frankly, after eight years of this strategy, I don't know of another one that would work, either. OCR tried the "improve the product" gambit and took a mighty fall. That was the last gasp of hope for those who thought there ever was going to be hope for the business.
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2015
  10. Fredrick

    Fredrick Well-Known Member

    I appreciate the kind response. I understand what you are saying. What you say does indeed make sense. What I'd like to hear from you is your opinion of what newspapers should do RIGHT NOW to begin the next era of newspapers. Rather than just prolong the inevitable end, shouldn't they begin implementing the new era right now? Give me your solution.

    My suggestion is to begin the new "model" now. I NEVER hear newspapers are planning on simply closing shop. I keep hearing there will always be newspapers and they will be online only.

    It's pretty apparent that with the "throwing ballast off the sinking ship (i.e. getting rid of any reporter with a name who makes more than $30,000 a year)" being the strategy, it's time to take the final step. Get rid of the print product which still, and always will, require a handful of full time employees to write headlines, lay out pages and people to work the presses and organize delivery of the newspapers. Going online only will mean all part time reporters, no pressmen, no circulation directors, only a couple salespeople. Newspapers will be able to sell valuable downtown properties and simply move the online operation into a small office somewhere next to a Subway restaurant.

    I would guess some of the "name" reporters will stay on as a minimum wage parttimer earner, just so they can get credentialed into MLB, NFL, NASCAR, etc., and have the Post as one of their many part-time gigs. At that point, very little will separate the Denver Post from say, fanrag.com in the Denver area. But why not take that step now?

    Some say it's because the actual print product STILL is the biggest source of revenue for a newspaper company. But rather than beef up the sales staff and think of ways to entice advertisers, newspapers have the worst/smallest sales staffs of any businesses in America. Since managing editors and publishers are convinced NO ONE will buy print ads, well pull the plug completely on it and lets go online only! Think of all the money we'll save with virtually all part-time employees on the payroll!!
     
  11. BDC99

    BDC99 Well-Known Member

    So how do you propose the online-only operation pay its bills?
     
  12. Fredrick

    Fredrick Well-Known Member

    The costs will go down dramatically. Remember all copy editors, design people, pressmen and women will be fired immediately.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page