Columbia Daily Tribune sold -- to GateHouse

After almost 115 years of local ownership, including 111 in the same (Waters) family, the Trib is being sold to GateHouse, which probably proves the death knell for the local institution in Columbia, Mo.

It has been the first real job for generations of Mizzou grads. Heck, I worked there twice.

I've reached out to former co-worker and SE Joe Walljasper to get his reaction.

Holy cow.

 

Joe didn't know it was coming until it was announced today.

"Not the ideal way to start my Friday," he said.

 

Why would GH close it?

 

Local journalism already was dying, thanks to the economics. GateHouse merely smothered its face with a pillow. They still suck, though.

 

Worked there briefly back in ancient times. Doesn't the place have a new building, with a gym and a basketball court?

 

Building will be sold in 18 months.

 

Is Gatehouse a trainwreck? All the veteran reporters, if there are any, will be gone soon.

 

Has that been officially announced?

 

One thing that I find ominous for the future of papers like Columbia is that it seems Gatehouse and Gannett are buyers. Berkshire seems to have stopped purchasing papers. For example, the newspaper in Jefferson City is owned by WEHCO. WEHCO owns some papers in Missouri along with properties in Arkansas and Tennessee. They also own some cable television assets. So this company has the money to buy the Columbia paper and the other Waters properties throughout the state.

You would think that there would be a lot of economies in WEHCO buying Columbia, combining operations with Jefferson City and essentially printing zoned editions. But these deals do not seem to happen. I guess it is because the small publishers are so frightened of the way the industry is going.

 

It has not, should've couched it a tad. GateHouse loves wringing any money out of a place that it can. The chairs and desks and the john would be for sale at the right price.

 

GateHouse being GateHouse: Seven jobs from Columbia, Mo., being moved to Austin:

Tribune management on Monday told seven employees who specialize in newspaper design and editing that their jobs will be moved in February to an Austin, Texas, center operated by GateHouse Media Inc., the Tribune’s owner.

Three full-time copy editors, one part-time copy editor and the feature page designer in the newsroom will be affected, plus one full-time and one part-time sports staffer. The employees are eligible for severance and transition packages.

Some Tribune jobs moving to Texas center

 

The assistant sports editor and writer of Cool Dry Place column Pete Bland was shown the door. He'd been at the Trib for at least 15 years -- probably more.

Fucking crying shame.