Obama open to "Newspaper Revitalization Act"

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/59523-obama-open-to-newspaper-bailout-bill

 

This is a joke right?

 

I couldn't see chains like Gannett and such excited about the prospect of becoming non-profits.

Though, they are doing a pretty good job of making papers non-profits all by themselves.

 

True that ACE

 

And as always, the comments following the story are well thought out and constructive.

 

Readers aren't walking through that door!

 

Great line. I almost puked when I saw the word Gannett all over the local USA Today stand. I sometimes forget Gannett owns that paper and hated to be reminded of it.

I can't believe you guys say readers "aren't walking through that door." OK that means you think the actual print portion of the paper is dead. If you think that, many higher ups do as well. Then why haven't all papers scrapped the print edition? They can cut staffs 50 percent or more. What are they waiting for?? Seriously. If the print portion of the paper is dead, why are papers stalling?? Just waiting for any sign the online model will work?
Educate me.

(For the record, I feel the print edition could thrive again if newspapers became newspapers again; pursued interesting stories and stories that affect people and actually charged money for those stories; had no online site at all, except to help out the public in terms of IMPORTANT breaking news. But just putting the bare bones in those stories. Newspapers are not newspapers anymore; that is why they will be gone in 5 years)

 

Well, the answer is pretty simple. The newspaper is paying the bill, still.
In many cases, nearly 90% of the profit comes from print.

 

Our paper has more readers than it ever has.

Unfortunately, many of those readers are not paying to read the product.

 

yep, yep.
my paper's readership has never been higher. ever.
yet, we are stilling cutting back and we all walk on eggshells waiting for the next ax to fall.