Problems at Patch.com

I certainly don't hope for failure for Patch from the perspective of what such a failure would do to the livelihoods of the journalists who work for Patch, especially since some of them are friends and former colleagues of mine.

However, as I was going through the vetting process with Patch, I had my doubts about the business model. I wondered if Patch was going to have long term stability or if it was destined to end up like so many Internet start-ups. I had my doubts that hyperlocal news was a viable model, seeing it fail newspapers large and small.

My doubts were serious enough about Patch's future viability that I was wondering what I would do if they extended a formal job offer. I knew that rejecting a job offer was an extremely dicey prospect considering my then status on the unemployment rolls. I also knew that getting an editorship at Patch would be a way to get back fully into a business I still felt some pull toward. Plus, I considered it a potential middle finger toward my former employers.

The conversations I had with my father about Patch compared with the interview I had with my current company led to my dad suggesting that I'd be happier at Patch since I would be doing what I wanted to do from the first day I picked up a sport section. However, looking back on those days, I'm very glad I doing what I do now. I wouldn't trade my current gig for the responsibility and additional salary at Patch.

More than salary, more than additional benefits, I'm getting a form of fulfillment at my job that's different from what I got in the journalism business, but is no less valid. And more to the point, I'm being treated much better at my current gig than I ever was in the journalism world.

If I want to write, I still have options for doing so. If I want to paid, I can still freelance. But now, instead of being at the mercy of some city editor or her bean counters who want to slash the freelance budget, I can now do so on my terms. If there's a story that needs to be covered that's right up my alley and that I can do in my schedule, I'm willing to do so. And if the stars aren't aligned the way I feel they need to be, I can walk away.

 

Well, she's not shy about predicting continued growth for Patch:

 

Money quote.

 

Yeah, she wants to grow it by staffing it with people she doesn't have to pay.

 

Or she thinks she can supplement the staff with people she doesn't have to pay.

 

Well, that's what she's done at HuffPo, so it makes sense. Also makes sense to try and get them up and running in time to cash in on election ads.

 

If she thinks she can run Patch without paying for at least the staff they have, with the freelance budget, she's kidding herself. Let's just hope for the sake of the people who are depending on jobs there that she is smarter than that.

 

Covered a high school game last night. A Patch guy was there, with a press pass issued by our state high school association (it didn't cover this, but no matter). He took his daughters, who wore the same passes issued in the names of people who work for Patch, so he wouldn't have to pay for them to get in.

Stay classy, Patch.

 

Citizen interns.

 

E-mail the guy's local editor. I'd do the same if I saw / heard some freelancer pull that kind of crap for the local weeklies and dailies around here. Frankly, it makes the whole profession look bad.

 

There was a guy at my last stop who did that (brought the fiancee for some of the more menial tasks at games). Was a local publisher for a recruiting network and as such no one to complain to. Looked very bad doing it, and I'm honestly surprised the SID never said something.

 

I'm a little surprised the ticket takers would let them in with those passes.

The state would likely revoke those passes if they found out about it.