Mike Reed Sets Goals for New Gannett

[User 150927]

The death of corporate entities employing journalists is in no way the death of journalism. It existed before Gannett and it will exist long after the demise of GCI.

The gap between the end of corporate journalism and the start of something else, is enough to kill democracy.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

And the report cited a 31 percent increase in newsprint or some such. Is there any argument anymore for keeping print editions? For the life of me I can't see it. Even for the hotel/airport McPaper.

Is it even worth it for the delivery people, especially with gas prices being what they are? They use their own car, have to drive long routes, deliver papers, and (if a 7-day paper), can never really take a day off.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

I remember when I was at my local Gannett rag, and the question of why even keep print came up, the answer always was, "We don't have the digital revenue to support a digital-only operation, even without the print expenses."

That was a good 10 years ago, so not sure if that's still the case (or frankly, if that was the case then).

From talking to friends who are still there, they tell me these last couple of days have been as sobering as any in the age of layoffs and reductions. One told me, "In past messages and staff meetings, there always was a hint of a theme that we're going to be OK and get through this. This time, the messaging was, 'Sorry, we're forked and everybody is on the chopping block.' "

Everybody in the newspaper industry in the last 15+ years have been on the chopping block. Unless it's someone a few years from retirement or someone out of college just looking for a few years of experience, nobody should be looking at a newspaper career as anything more than a temp job.

 

[maumann]

Is it even worth it for the delivery people, especially with gas prices being what they are? They use their own car, have to drive long routes, deliver papers, and (if a 7-day paper), can never really take a day off.

It really wasn't worth it even in 1977, when gas was 52 cents a gallon. My Fort Lauderdale News route was all of northwest Broward, from Margate up 441 to Parkland and almost to Deerfield Beach. Mainly seven large mobile home parks (one way back on a dirt road) and a dozen papers on Holmberg Road, or about 280-290 papers every afternoon and a few more on the weekend. The entire route was 60 miles. I burned up the brake shoes twice in three months and the interior of the car was covered in ink. I'm certain I paid the carrier who replaced me more than I ever collected.

 

[LanceyHoward]

It really wasn't worth it even in 1977, when gas was 52 cents a gallon. My Fort Lauderdale News route was all of northwest Broward, from Margate up 441 to Parkland and almost to Deerfield Beach. Mainly seven large mobile home parks (one way back on a dirt road) and a dozen papers on Holmberg Road, or about 280-290 papers every afternoon and a few more on the weekend. The entire route was 60 miles. I burned up the brake shoes twice in three months and the interior of the car was covered in ink. I'm certain I paid the carrier who replaced me more than I ever collected.

I delivered two separate routes for the Denver Post from 1971-1973. About 70% of the homes subscribed. So I had to pass about 180 homes to get 120 subscribers.

Today the Post has a circulation of 57,000 and Denver Metro has a little more than a million homes. About five percent of the homes subscribe. So to deliver the paper to about 280 homes a carrier would have to pass about 5,600 homes. We also both delivered for afternoon papers, which are extinct. Today a carrier has to get up very early to do the route.

I think it would be a heck of a lot easier to deliver Door Dash. And since a Door Dash driver often sees the customer, which the morning paper guy usually does not, the tips would be a lot better with Door Dash.

I think the shortage of carriers is going to lead to USPS delivery. or print being abandoned.

 

[Readallover]

No buyouts this time, just layoffs? The cuts will be substantial given the quarterly loss and the ongoing economic slowdown or maybe deepening recession. I still see those "6 months for $1" offers on New Gannett web sites, guess these long-running discount offers did not convert many into regular price esubscribers and that's hardly a surprise. There are hyper local news sites with free access and the NY Post remains free access for now.

 

[LanceyHoward]

I just received a transcript of the earnings call in my feed.

A few dismal facts:

1. Despite all the efforts to increase digital circulation electronic revenues increased only 1.5%. Why? Because same store digital advertising revenues dropped 17.8%.

2. Print circulation revenues dropped 15.8%.

3. Digital is only 35% of company revenues.

 

[wicked]

No buyouts this time, just layoffs? The cuts will be substantial given the quarterly loss and the ongoing economic slowdown or maybe deepening recession. I still see those "6 months for $1" offers on New Gannett web sites, guess these long-running discount offers did not convert many into regular price esubscribers and that's hardly a surprise. There are hyper local news sites with free access and the NY Post remains free access for now.

The issue isn't free hyperlocal news sites and free NYPost.com access (they have started a "plus" product, like every other media business — show some creative with names, people). It's that for the $1 for six months, you're barely getting anything that you can't get for free — and imagine if you were a sucker and actually paid full price.

 

[Equalizer]

Why does the New York Times prosper while Gannett struggles? Here are four reasons - Poynter

 

[BurnsWhenIPee]

I read that as the sites need to reduce salary expenses by 10 percent across the board through job cuts, not salary reductions in addition to job cuts.

 

[Equalizer]

I read that as the sites need to reduce salary expenses by 10 percent across the board through job cuts, not salary reductions in addition to job cuts.

You're right. And corrected accordingly.

 

[BurnsWhenIPee]

Not that it would surprise me if they did both, Equalizer ...