Explaining to readers why there isn't anything in their paper about some events

The part where she said what to say.

 

Website.

 

That had been an option in the past, but no longer is.

Just about all the Web site is used for is posting complete copies of the paper as PDF files.

 

In that case, start sending out resumes ... and given the state of the business, plan on sending them to non-newspaper companies.

 

How do you explain to readers why there is hardly anything in their paper at all?

The paper I write for is a sad shadow of its former self from just five years ago. I usually can't even bring myself to read it. I imagine people in the community feel the same way.

Sometimes I tell people - when they ask - that the entire industry is in steep decline to at least explain that it's not just a failing of their local paper's staff. But why would they read it? I honestly don't know any more.

 

Two rules:

1. Never promise coverage. Never.

2. When explaining stuff like this to callers, remember your loyalty at that point is to who signs your checks. If in speaking to the reader, you side with them and basically say they are right and your bosses are stupid, then you won't work for me very long. That's being a weasel.

 

If you're also basically saying, "Hey my boss sucks, what can I do?", it doesn't really help you gain that reader back. I would normally just say that it had to be cut because of space limitations, that I'm sorry, and that I'll try my best (but not promise) that it'll be in the next issue.

 

Your editor laid out what to tell the reader, so all you really have to do about that is pretty much cut and paste her message. Like fossy, I'm curious: What was the design change?

 

Two rules:

1. Never promise coverage. Never. (/clutchcargo)

2. Tell the reader the truth.

 

We have this problem all the time at our papers.

One guy calls each week wondering why we don't cover a certain high school. Each week, we tell him the school doesn't fall in the coverage area of the paper, even though it is in the same ISD as three schools we cover. The problem is the school is in another city still part of the same ISD. No matter how many times we tell him this he just doesn't get it.