AJC section changes/staffing cuts - INTERESTING UPDATE 8/26

Re: AJC section changes/staffing cuts

Um, yeah, I got nothing on that. A fine job of feces-shoveling, though.

The AJC was the place to get ALL news on Tech and it did as good a job covering UGA as Macon or Athens. Now, with Winkeljohn out and the UGA beat down to one guy, the drop off is going to be significant. Chip Towers does a great job with the Bulldogs, but that is not a one-man beat, especially this year. Tech is already treated like the ugly stepchild there. It's only going to get worse.

How slippery of a slope is this?

 

Re: AJC section changes/staffing cuts

Yeah, you gotta love the timing of Barnhart's departure. Not like there's anything significant going on in Georgia as regards college football this year.

 

Re: AJC section changes/staffing cuts

This is ... simply remarkable.

It's funny that she essentially asks "do we ignore the Southside?" and the editor, whom she clearly expected to say, "Of course not!" in fact says, "Well...yeah, but, um, well, yeah."

Also, we just bought some land in Florida. It's in a swamp NOW, but it's totally worth it! Does anyone believe this? Anyone? Bueller?

Yes...God forbid the biggest paper in the Southeast actually try to do, you know, BOTH.

Well, they have the "less" covered.

 

Re: AJC section changes/staffing cuts

Well, they did ADD pages to the metro and sports sections. In this day and age of cutting our way to the bottom, it's a miracle.

Still, doesn't change the fact AJC just lost a ton of talent. I've never met Furman, but the analogy of him compared to The Varsity is dead on.

 

Re: AJC section changes/staffing cuts

Adequate? Perfect!

Adequate is what gets the job done, attracts readers, KEEPS them and makes them want more? Adequate is what makes newsroom managers happy with a staffer's work and productivity.?

Adequate is the equation of THROWING UP A WHITE FUCKING FLAG AND QUITTING because once you say "We're adequate. We're getting the job done. We're just good enough." then you're not as good as you could be.

Adequate? Fuck adequate. The AJC should expect more of itself.

 

Re: AJC section changes/staffing cuts

That point is well-taken, SixToe. But, to be fair, they are calling their coverage "adequate" only with respect to the southside of Atlanta and not to the entire metro area. In fact, I'd say "adequate" is probably an apt adjective for their coverage of the south, east <i>and</i> west 'burbs. As you can see, the only counties they mention are northwest (Cobb), north (Fulton), northeast (Gwinnett) and perimeter-oriented along the north/east/southeast (DeKalb). Only 3 years ago, they had community editions in the city, Cherokee, Rockdale, Fayette, Coweta and a couple of others, surrounding the city. No more.

His use of the word "adequate" says to me that they're basically punting on the less-populated 'burbs and concentrating on the ones that are growing the quickest. It definitely sounds like a strategy meant to hone in on the areas with the highest concentration of readers. I don't think it's a completely unreasonable way to go, but it does seem a bit short-sighted and defeatist for a paper of their size.

 

Re: AJC section changes/staffing cuts

Granted.

AJC's new motto: "Covers Dixie like the dew (except where the sun already has evaporated it in spots)."

 

Re: AJC section changes/staffing cuts

Met Barnhart and Knobler last year at the ACC football media days. Could not have been nicer.

The AJC, for me, has been a beat writer's paper. I go for O'Brien's Braves coverage, Barnhart's college football work and the rest. I've never been a huge fan of any of their columnists, so losing the nuts and bolts of the section, I think, is going to hurt the AJC more so than most.

 

Re: AJC section changes/staffing cuts

If there are any folks who know all, or most, of the 73 names, please PM me. I have an old co-worker at the AJC and am curious about his status.

 

Re: AJC section changes/staffing cuts

Like I said. Swampland.

If you actually believe they're going to add pages...

OK, they might for right now. But within three months, they'll be down from where they are now.

 

Re: AJC section changes/staffing cuts

They aren't adding new pages, just moving some pages over from sections they're eliminating.

 

Re: AJC section changes/staffing cuts

They ceased covering "Dixie" a long time ago.

Now it's more like "Covers Atlanta adequately."