NYT reportedly sells off regional partners

The fact that the NYT sold them all together tells me it wasn't done with a lot of heavy thinking. The industry is taking the big suck for sure, but still I believe Halifax is going to make lots of money selling off the pieces.

I like a lot of those papers, but if I were to hit the Mega tonight, I would not mind taking Spartanburg off their hands. I don't really like the town, and no disrespect to the folks at the Greenville News, but with all the crazy shit Gannett is pulling with the design hubs, I wouldn't shy from trying to encroach a bit on the territory between the two cities. I think that today in newspapering, the only way to obtain new readers is to steal someone else's existing readers.

The NYT has at times made some very shortsighted decisions with the regional papers. Biggest mistake before now was killing the Gwinnett Daily News outside Atlanta in 1991. And I've never understood the thinking in dumping Santa Barbara.

 

Regarding Halifax/Daytona dress code: No jeans, no shirts with logos, from what I hear. Friends in the former NYT chain are horrified at the new picture.

 

Well, that's what I heard, but I heard it second-hand.

 

If necessary, you can wear your Superman shirt under your suit and change in a phone booth.

 

I know for a fact that shorts/jeans are out. I'm sure there is a similar policy on shirts.

 

Just because we're cutting your pay doesn't mean you should dress like it.

 

I don't know specifics, but the dress code thing is in no way surprising and is almost certainly accurate. Halifax also made all the DBNJ employees sign a noncompete agreement that applies to anything they perceive as competing media in any of their markets. If they do that here, anyone working for any of the Florida papers may well find that it affects virtually every other Florida media outlet. It's likely unenforceable, but it has a chilling effect on prospective employers.

Again, make no mistake. This is a disaster for the people and papers affected.

 

Oh, and when they started hacking DB, one of the primary things they did was target couples who both worked for the paper. One got fired out of most couples that were there.

 

Are you talking about married couples?

 

Anyone else hear a scream from west-central Alabama?

 

Yep, heard it here in NC, loud and clear. 8)