AJC and Hartford Courant not covering Super Bowl

Our paper is sending no writers to the Super Bowl for the first time in history.
We sent nobody to the BCS national championship game, either.

The days of newspapers covering major national events that don't involve their hometown teams are O-V-E-R. Hell, the days of us covering events that DO involve the hometown teams are being threatened.

 

I think the BCS game is a tossup. If you're a southern paper and it had been Oklahoma-Utah this year, I think you could justifiably skip it. But the Super Bowl is a different animal. I guess it depends on how big of a paper we are talking about and what your audience is.

 

Readers have noticed. However, there are more important things to worry about than who is at the Super Bowl.

 

So, the fact that the readers have noticed doesn't matter? OK, well just let 'em cancel their subscriptions, then.

 

Unfortunately, that's happening anyway.

 

Would a reader be offended to read a wire story on a major development in Iraq?

Or a shuttle disaster?

Or the latest developments on Wall Street?

Or an earthquake in India?

Then why would he be offended to read a wire story about a G-A-M-E?

 

OTD, yes they get to go for free. Can't beat that price, can you? 8)

 

No, your staff is not always the best option. Even if money grew on trees, why would my last SE send our local football writer to staff the event when AP can do a far better job in the first place?

You hire your own staff to cover the stuff (preps, local colleges, local events, etc.) that you can't get anywhere else. Not to duplicate what you can pluck off the wire.

To be completely honest, I am not at all sure the people owning and running newspapers give a damn about who wrote what or even what was written. It's all about advertising, circulation and making a buck. Is there any publisher in the country that wouldn't hesitate to pull a full page or half page to give to a last-minute advertiser, regardless of how it affects newshole or coverage needs? The news is just something to fill the inches that haven't been sold to advertisers.

 

If you honestly think as many as half a dozen people --- excluding immediate family members ---- actually buy the paper for the sole purpose of reading what YOU had to say about some event or topic, then YOU have a serious ego problem, my friend.

 

The Super Bowl is a highly publicized live event that nearly everyone will know the score of when the paper hits the streets. People don't read the paper, let alone care about bylines. If there isn't a big backlash about this with the public not buying the paper Monday morning, expect many other papers to follow what the AJC and Hartford is doing.