New Orleans returning to daily publication

Tell me quick if it's a DB. I didn't see anything elsewhere.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/business/media/in-new-orleans-times-picayunes-monopoly-crumbles.html?ref=media&pagewanted=all&_r=0

 

Sort of a DB... I mentioned the TP Street publication in a thread about Newhouse and the Advocate coming into New Orleans. But maybe it deserves its own thread?

I think NOLA is doing this because the Advocate is coming in with deep pockets and I don't think Newhouse expected this when they went with the plan.

 

Oh, of course they are.
With egg on face, too.

 

Interesting piece by CJR on "The Battle of New Orleans" in March.

http://www.cjr.org/feature/the_battle_of_new_orleans.php?page=all

The comments underneath it are particularly fun, including the T-P's editor chiding the writer for not visiting the newsroom to listen to their 'Hum', only to have the writer respond by saying he was in the city for several weeks, had made numerous requests for interviews, didn't hear from them until 7 weeks later after deadline had passed and the CJR editors didn't want to pay to fly him back to listen to the "Hum".

Then another commenter challenged the editor to point out the inaccuracies, which the editor has yet to respond.

 

My goodness, this has all the makings of a good ol' fashioned newspaper war.

 

If it doesn't mean any more hires, it's bullshit. They're just going to work the stiffs they have to death.

 

Sometimes I wonder if newspapers really know how to stave off a threat. NOLA.com really does have a good plan and the Advocate is not a serious threat. The Advocate is not only a bad piece of journalism but it is misleading the New Orleans community by making them think they are really covering the city. Most of the people hired for the N.O. edition are freelancers at best making about $50 per story is what I've heard. Those people aren't capable of breaking any news because most have to work other jobs to survive. The Advocate has not made a real commitment to New Orleans and the Times-Picayune/NOLA.com ought to let the community know not to be fooled. For some reason they haven't.

The digital first approach will save this business and ultimately our jobs. Doing things the old way means continued instability and shrinking newsrooms. Going back to a six or seven-day publication will be costly and oddly enough could result in job loss. Let's pray that it doesn't.

 

Thanks for checking in random suit from nola.com

 

OK, then if you have the real story, what is it?

 

It's one thing to have a digital strategy. It's another thing to destroy yourself unnecessarily to try to implement it.

 

Aren't most of them freelancers because they were let go from the Times-Picayune and NOLA.com?

 

Baron, you have to respect them for trying to be innovative whether we agree with the strategy or not. We all know the current model doesn't really work. What is interesting is while newspaper circulation continues to drop steadily in all markets, clearly communities and civic leaders are not ready to deal with the idea of not having a daily newspaper. It is a blow to the city and it's reputation to not have a daily newspaper. So there obviously needs to be another solution.

As for Batman's question, not real sure how to answer that one. This industry is turbulent right now and many of us have been bumped around in it unfortunately. But it sure seems messed up the Advocate is clearly taking advantage of these people. The displaced workers all seem to be great people who were dealt a tough blow. You can tell many still love it so they don't mind the insult of a pay and others don't know what else to do.