Tariffs on paper will hurt us

Tariffs on paper will hurt us, and our readers

These tariffs will also hurt our employees, because payroll is the only expense that is bigger than newsprint. To help offset the extra expense of paper, publishers will eliminate jobs. Make no mistake: These tariffs will cause layoffs across American newspapers, including this one.
- Paul Tash

 

Now they've got a real excuse.

 

I suspect this is exactly what's going to happen. Now that there's no competition in town, this is the right cover story ... er, opportunity.

They're already working on improving the website. Somehow, they scavenged enough money to buy a CMS created by the Washington Post, and some of their blog pages and special reports have had a new look for a month or two.

 

http://wvpress.org/breaking-news/pr...ch-national-coalition-stop-newsprint-tariffs/

 

I've long thought the Times should abandon the M-F daily, lean on the free, breezy TBT* for that and just focus on an enterprising, enhanced weekend product and projects. Obvious obstacle is that TBT* is free. But as deadlines shrink and pressure to reduce payroll increases, the two products are similar enough that you obviously don't need both M-F.
Heard today they are reducing TBT* to one day a week. If true, that will save money on newsprint and likely absorb some of the pending layoffs.
And, yes, that website is an absolute disaster.

 

The paper that fired me 2-plus years ago just lost more than 50 subscribers in a two-week span because the news editor wrote a snarky, poorly timed article in which he said he couldn't sympathize with public school teachers having their pensions cut because he was "too busy working." Editor was OFF four days in a six-day span.

Two weeks later, paper says its Sunday color comics will go from 6 pages to 4 because of the tariffs.

 

Times' movie critic announced his layoff on Twitter.

 

I know the suits see no value in critics and their pieces. I've always enjoyed reading good movie reviews. Definitely extinct. The suits say those stories get very few hits. I personally think it's more misguided behavior of suits.

 

Times announced today that TBT* is shrinking to 1 day a week, starting June 7.
But they are "excited about the changes," so there is that.