Harrisburg Patriot-News to publish three times a week

Can you say self-fulfilling prophecy?

 

I think the people in newsrooms who have lost their jobs because of this dumbassery would disagree.

 

Self . . . fulfilling . . . prophecy!

What do I win?

Agreed. Plus, just because "the circulation and press people" might be affected more, doesn't make this OK on any level.

 

The 3-days-a-week thing is a choice, not a strategy to ward off future losses. There are so many different ways to leverage news sources so as not to choose the 3-day-a-week option. It's what they want to do.

It could be good business, it could be bad business. But to label it "smart" is far too premature. I don't think it will "work" in the classic sense. It'll work for the handful of people who made the decision, because they'll get out with their money either way. But self-service in business - for the sake of it - is about as ignoble as it gets.

 

Separate argument. Plenty of jobs have been lost at places that didn't reduce publication frequency, too.

I agree with BTE that it probably does affect copy desk more than reporters. Although, in my case, it can give me more time to go out and report because I'm not chained to the desk quite as often. Even if a place goes web-only, you are still going to need editors. Heaven forbid reporters be expected to edit and post their own stuff.

 

Again, one needs to compare further investment in the newspaper against other possible investments--knowing the company can make a "profit" if they continue to print the paper seven days per week is a meaningless metric. Presumably, those that "get out with their money either way"--whatever exactly that means--won't hide it underneath a mattress. They'll likely spend or invest it elsewhere. Maybe they'll start a new software company that hires engineers. Maybe they'll invest in municipal bonds that help build a new school. Maybe they'll invest in a distribution company that makes goods more available to low-income consumers. Why are those pursuits less noble than employing journalists?

 

Have you paid any attention to what's happened at The Denver Post?

 

Tonight, our network has completely died on us. We have no wire, no InDesign access, no photo access. We're sitting around waiting to see if we'll be able to get up in time to get the paper out.

Quite the week, eh?

 

Good wishes for safe passage.
Go treat yourself to a drink.

 

Oh, Shotty... we have had that happen as well on occasion. My sympathies to you... and to your colleagues.

 

Oh, shitfuck. Sorry to see this, for shotty and everyone else at the Patriot-News.

Besides this being another excuse to eliminate more jobs, my biggest problem with the 3-day-print/24-hour online strategy is how much fewer "meat and potatoes" news stories will be covered.

Can anyone provide a link to a newspaper web site that's gone digital yet still thoroughly covers city, schools, etc. online? I'm talking real reporting, not just unpaid bloggers or anonymous comments spouting off.

 

other than the fact that they are playing their own fucking death march?
come on, mizzou, christ. you just don't take what you do, slash it in half and expect good things to happen in the long run.