Big Doings in Dallas

Again, bull hockey. Readers want the game story told in the local paper's voice, not just from charts or ESPN dispatches. That's like cutting a leg off, then saying "we're cutting fat"

 

Or they could take advantage of the situation, tighten the pursestrings and increase the bottom line.

 

We'll see.

 

That bit of misinformation is going to kill newspapers as fast as anything, if decision-makers listen to it.

 

Look, I enjoy putting out good newspapers. But the times aren't just changing, they've changed. Amid all the hand-wringing that goes on here and throughout the business about the future, all I see are people who are desperately clinging to the past. I certainly don't have all the answers, but I'm not afraid to try new things, even if it means failing. Isn't that better than refusing to try and adapt and failing anyway?

 

Naaa, I don't think so. McClatchy may just swoop in for the kill and greatly increase the resources for some things at Fort Worth. If FW senses it can choke DMN, it'll do so.

I will say this: If DMN goes through with all these rumored trimmings, it just lost its status as a great newspaper.

 

I mentioned that, so I'm aware of the bad things being done in the name of change. But I just get the sense that, as an industry, we'd rather just continue along the path we're on and keep our fingers crossed that it all works out. Might as well try to get ahead of the curve now.

 

Ahead of the curve or not, you don't gut your college coverage. And I agree with above, the UT and A&M people will be PISSED!

 

I will be interested to see how Belo spins this for its readers in September.

 

The guy that was in Lubbock left to cover OU, but he doesn't live in Norman, just makes frequent trips north.

 

It's a discouraging sign for print journalists that the DMN is considering such drastic steps.

As a freelance reporter, I occasionally receive query replies from print editors who make it sound absurd that I'd inquire about covering a major sporting event for them. Some of these editors have been downright nasty in pointing out that they have staffers who cover such things as tonight's Pepsi 400.

But the reality is that more and more newspapers must rely upon wire and freelancers to fill their pages. Of course, wire doesn't always have the local angle that a paper needs. So I get a fair amount of work these days from papers that might have staffed the same events in past years.

And, frankly, I can't blame the cost-cutters in all instances. How can you justify the expense of flying a staffer to Hawaii to cover a college gamer? Exactly what will be the return on this investment? Sure, you want to show that you're serious about covering the team and all. But the people who truly care about the game are going to watch, pull up the stats via the Web, read live-blogs, watch Sportscenter and lord knows what else. How many guys wake up on Sunday morning with a slate of pro football on their plates and spend time looking back at a game that ended nearly an entire day earlier?

While this sort of stuff creates opportunities for freelancers, it's also giving the entire pool of reporters and editors the finger. As well, it's going to saturate the market with people trying to string games because they've been sent packing or aren't being welcomed with open arms by papers that are increasingly forced to cut spending.

What's worse, of course, is what it means for enterprise journalism. That's where newspapers can show their value, and it's thbat reporting that will take the biggest hit when papers start cutting staff as the DMN apparently is considering.