Stay classy Arizona Republic

Daily updates, photos, video from Spring Break?

Are you fucking serious?

Yes, we know exactly what the purpose of this series is.

 

"But these girls from Upper Iowa University don't know that. They talk things over in whispers and agree to accept a boat ride."

These poor girls are so out of their league right now.

Sheep meet the wolves.

 

It's 1A.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/

The ivory tower comment is exactly why newspapers are going to hell. Would you work for a supermarket tabloid because it's a job?

 

To be fair, the story that's actually on A1 is a legit news story - crowds are up at Havasu because college kids are now afraid they'll be killed if they go to Rocky Point. And the photos in the print edition aren't particularly salacious.

I don't think there's any legit defense for the chicks-in-bikinis slide show they're pushing on the web, though. If you want to go that route, just add Page 3 girls and drop the silly pretext. I suspect this is one of the results of laying off everyone with experience and handing the operation over to interns.

 

I'd just like to know how many photogs volunteered for the assignment.

 

hey, if you don't have a problem with journalists pimping out tits and ass, just say it, maury.

 

Did Murdoch take over the Arizona Republic? The split second before pics come up, a couple of words of text appear, and stuff like "Hot Bods" or "Cuties" is the standard fare.

And isn't Lake Havasu more or less like this all year?

 

Hey, they're just tits![/tompetty]

 

I guarantee you it's the most viewed item on the site.

Stuff like that gets linked off of Fark and various college humor/gossip/hot girl sites. And it pads the overall view count and unique views of the pages that host photo galleries - making them more appealing to the advertisers that would be interested in buying web ads.

As far as cost-benefit analysis goes, it's a no-brainer. It's going to bring in more advertising than sending out a reporter and photog to a college game and paying them mileage and (possibly) room and board. Sorry, but it's the truth.

 

Dooley -- that's DoubleClick/Dart traffic monitoring. That way, the paper or site can tell what keywords are bringing in the most views.

 

Lots of things make more money. It's about where you draw an ethical line as a journalist, a profession that spouts some pretty lofty ethics. For most of us, this crosses that line.

 

Oh, OK, Blair, didn't know that. And to the other point: Having an Untraceable type thing going would get a helluva lotta hits too. But that's not how a newspaper is supposed to get hits. I just wish the Republic would at least give their online product a different name, like arizonaTandA.com, so as not to make the newsgathering operation look like Zippo the Clown.