DFM bloodletting continues

I think we'll see more and more local digital operations coming on. Local interests who figure a compelling and well-read news site could operate as a 5013c - a non-profit. Have a board who hires a publisher and editor. One reporter for city hall, one GA, one schools, one local business, one other to float or handle breaking stories or other government. Have a couple of interns. And a couple of tech people. Various people in the community who do opinion pieces for a small per piece amount.

 

I think it's already happening, Dan. With so many veteran reporters getting laid off, but still 10-15 years away from retirement, I think you are hearing more and more about some of these people starting their own Websites. While Fredrick does NOT think they necessarily will make money or last more than 15 months, I do think these local Websites will hurt newspapers even more. I think readers of newspapers are wising up. They are not stupid and they don't like The Athletic hiring all their veteran reporters away and the big, bad newspaper hiring kids for pennies, kids who write nothing but stories about athletes' new haircuts and their ability to play video games. The kids who are replacing the superstar veteran sports writers are getting buried by the elder Athletic writers on these beats. I think more and more people will dump their newspaper subscriptions and go to either their favorite local Website in addition to The Athletic. Newspapers are getting what they deserve. The suits who by the way have NO CLUE, are letting all their established writers move on to The Athletic (or they are laying them off first) and readers aren't dumb. Only the oldest of the old baby boomers are still subscribing to read yesterday's news that's fit to print with today's 6 p.m. deadlines. The rest are either abandoning or will soon abandon the newspaper and its kiddie corp staff for The Athletic and the local star-studded Websites, like McCann's in Green Bay. I think the next 12 months are it for newspapers. I think we're going to see most of the big city metros cut to five days a week to start, then kill the print product altogether within 15 months. The Athletic and other Websites will definitely have the only writers worth reading. If a newspaper wants to survive (LOL) believe it or not it's going to have to make it on the basis of the news section, not sports.
And by the way, suits, you think the podcasts and videos you are forcing your sportswriters to do are riveting and working and are now crucial, expected parts of your coverage. The Athletic and the new Websites are laughing all the way to the bank, gladly stealing your reporters who can't turn down the opportunity to make a lot more money and doing a lot less work. Your videos and podcasts are sophomoric and stupid, not attracting views and not making any $$$. Keep burning out your reporters and losing them; the Athletic says THANK YOU suits.
p.s. Tell Fredrick he's wrong; you'd be wrong to say I'm wrong.

 

The operations will have a few advantages - they won't have the baggage of people remembering them as vibrant full-bodied news operations, like print pubs will, and they know what works and what doesn't. I think you're right about chains abandoning print. It isn't just newspapers not having the the audience the once had, those making advertising buys are less and less likely to think print is a good avenue for ad dollars.

 

Amen Dan. Just curious. Do you agree with Fredrick's take (albeit a repetitive annoying one I'm sure) that part of the problem of newspapers has been the fact the suits have totally given up on advertising? All the think-tankers are working on the newsroom and have ignored advertising so much so that the advertising employees are the dregs of the business. What sales person is going to apply for a job at a newspaper? You know the answer. The worst.

 

I think the advertising philosophy is bad. A full-page ad for hearing aids probably causes more damage than whatever money it may have brought in. Would be better to turn those ads into half- or quarter page ads and put some news hole on the page to give people a reason to look. And that all of the ads scream "only seniors read this paper" (see also network news) doesn't help the product either. I don't think the best sales people could turn newspapers around. The time to pivot from being dependent on classifieds to something else is long past. I've seen everything from "rewards programs" to pushing coupons to prize giveaways used to sell papers and they didn't work. I think execs understand that the last generation that grew up with a paper at the breakfast table are probably empty-nesters by now. They probably don't shop for groceries as much, follow high school sports or care about education - that is massive. Most newspapers I've worked at seemed written for the 30 or 40 something parents with kids in school. They vote regularly. Participate in churches or other volunteer groups and felt getting the newspaper was important to their family. They knew their paper carrier and were connected to the paper emotionally. I just don't see that now.

 

It's not the fault of the sales people. A sales person trying to sell Ford Crown Victorias in a Prius world is going to struggle, no matter how good he or she is at selling. It's not about "ignoring" advertising. It's that its value is declining. The news content by itself does not have enough monetary value to sustain the enterprise.