Gatehouse and the Super Bowl

It's not about journalism anymore, heavy sigh

 

I have subscribed to two papers in my life that are very similar, but in different parts of the country.

Both papers have about 50,000 circulation with about seven staffers total (five full and four part time or six full and two half, you get the picture). They both are about 50 miles from the pro teams they cover. I have worked inside the newsrooms for each and actually collected a paycheck from both of them as well for one thing or another.

Paper A has writers that bust their asses. Bylines and column inches per week are expected. They have beat writers at the local pro teams and the local DI colleges. They travel with football and baseball, and I think they use the AP for the road college. I think. I honestly cannot remember. A high school football weekend would have about 10-12 gamers. The baseball guy would do high school football if it was in season. It was just expected.

Paper B demands nothing from their writers. Some writers barely get out 1-2 bylines a week and maybe 30 column inches. They used to rely on almost all AP for the local pro teams with a sports editor running out to do a column. I think that was the only writer at the pro games and this was only for home games. Maybe five high school gamers would come on the weekends.

Needless to say, everyone I knew loved Paper A's section. People would subscribe just for the sports page, or subscribe just during their favorite sports season and end the subscription when the season was over.

I never heard a positive thing about Paper B. It's sports section just came with the paper if you know what I mean.

I think cutting out all writers, hedges towards Paper B. You have to send one local guy. You have to have one foot in the game giving you one local byline (probably two) per day.

Just my two cents.

 

Why would they cover the Super Bowl when they can focus on local coverage?

What a fucking joke...

 

I'm sorry but an 8,000 circulation paper doesn't need to be staffing the Super Bowl.

 

Especially a Super Bowl that has a local team.

 

Is Lawrence/Salem Gatehouse?

Besides, what does it cost to put a school paper on your site?

Not the cost of a trip to the Super Bowl.

(Oh, I think Lenny oughta be there, but I am just making a point)

 

Lawrence, Salem and Newburyport have it worse...they are CNHI. Think they are covering it, though...probably with Bill Burt.

 

freakin gatehouse...

I got a memo from them at my last job about this thanks a million campaign.

The basic point was if you come up with an idea that makes them 50 million or more, they will give you 1 million of it WOW.

1. If I had a 50 million dollar idea, I wouldn't be working for nine dollars an hour for a shitty newspaper.
2. Could we imagine a situation where an employee has a great idea and it only generates like 47.8 million?

GATEHOUSE MEDIA BOSS: We made 47.8 million on your idea.
EMPLOYEE: Where's my money?
GATEHOUSE BOSS: Umm that was only 47.8 million, so here is a commemorative PBS tote bag instead. By the way good luck paying your health insurance deductable on your next Doctor's visit. It's 25 percent of your weekly paycheck.

4. I think I just found the million dollar idea. Send the reporters to the Super Bowl.

 

I don't know if someone posted this, but I saw that GateHouse sent someone to cover the BCS title game ... looked around and found footage a reporter shot of practices during the week and whatnot.

Also, I heard about the million dollar idea thing too. Ridiculous. It means two things to me:
1. No one in corporate can come up with good ideas on their own
2. Perhaps they're looking for ambitious people for future positions (or waiting to see if any higher-ranking people don't give a damn).

 

Dam - that's a fair chunk of Pats country that will be without coverage for the Super Bowl. That would really suck if you lived in one of those towns.

I love all the stories in week leading up to game. It would drive me nuts to be in a news blackout during Super Bowl week.

 

Yet, there's talk the Gatehouse paper in Canton, Ohio, will send someone to the Super Bowl.

 

I just remember being so incredibly mad after getting that memo on the desk on Monday afternoon. Absolutely redic. I was really contemplating calling someone in corporate telling them what a slap in the face it was, but I figured It wouldn't be good to burn bridges.