My Boss Screamed at Me Tonight

My local paper is pretty good, although not quite as good as it used to be. Not the editorial staff's fault, they just don't have the resources and space they used to have.

Here's what really bugs me, though. They miss a LOT of late things because of their deadlines.

But the other night, I was awakened at 4:30 a.m. -- by my paper being delivered.

If they're missing stuff to get me my paper at 4:30, something's wrong there.

 

Well, that's what I was alluding to. Rather than have a 13-year-old deliver the papers to his neighborhood at 6 a.m., they now have a guy and maybe his wife in a truck delivering to 15 neighborhoods. And they have to get started by 2:30.

 

I've got y'all beat with closes.

Mine's 6 p.m. On Tuesday.

Means that every time there's an election, our competition beats us to getting election results in the print edition. Makes me sick to my Goddamn stomach.

 

Well, I've been out of the print business for coming up on 11 years -- hard to believe -- but I certainly don't remember that being the case. Seems like something has changed over that time.

 

With the limited window I have into this end of it, I know our publisher is in a constant push-and-pull between circulation and editorial, and I'm sure that's the case most places. Circulation would love us to be "out of their hair" by 10 p.m., and they truly believe that the difference between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. delivery means more than getting more live news in the paper.

But again, if your drivers are telling you they can't be out there delivering at 6 a.m., that they need to be home by then, then that's another factor. No drivers, no delivery.

 

Yeah. We stopped making our committment to the reader first and we started making it bottom-line first.

And don't think the readers haven't noticed.

 

It's sad, but guys ... it's reality. If the 9-to-5 crowd doesn't have the paper in its hands for a few minutes before they hop in the car -- we're dead in the water. Gone. Finished.

 

But 5 a.m., shotty? My mom lives an hour from her job..she still leaves at 7.

 

And that brings it back to the drivers, IJAG. If they say they have to be finished delivering the papers by 5 a.m. or they won't work for you, you make sure they have the papers early enough that they can accomplish that.