Would you own a paper?

Based on that hypothetical situation, I think it's something I would strongly considered. I'm a big proponent of heavy local coverage. Does that work at a big-time daily? Probably not. But I'm at a 16K daily where our population is shrinking, while our circulation is rising. Advertising is going up. I like to think that our sports department's complete change to a more local-intensive product (I'd estimate 80-90 percent of our sports front copy is local where before it was probably 50-50, if that) can be partly attributed to that. Along with our local coverage, we're making money off online photo galleries that are promoted in our paper. While it might be a pain, local coverage is what's working at community dailies and weeklies. You can't find a story on South Central High School on ESPN.com.

 

I'd do it in a second. As long as it's an independent paper and it's not part of one of those media chains.

I've often pondered what it'd be like if I became owner/publisher of my current paper. I'd try like hell to rehire the guy I had as a full-time reporter and promote him to editor. Then I'd go hands off and let him run the editorial side as he sees fit.

 

from what i've read, i think i'd do it if i were guaranteed health care and a salary with incentives. i'd also make sure i could go back to my old job if the whole thing tanked.

edit: i'd also want at least one full part-time person to work nights and weekends.

 

Always said if I ever win the lottery, I'm gonna piss it away buying a newspaper.

 

AFTER the hookers and the coke, right?

 

Well, duh, yeah. Without sex and drugs, how else am I going to convince myself to buy a newspaper?

 

Yes, I would buy a paper. I'd keep profits up by firing the staff and re-hiring them at 85 percent of their current pay. Fuck it, if somebody's gonna make money it may as well be me.

 

You've learned well.

 

I'd consider it, but only if I could have the amount of staff to do the job properly, both in print and online, and have near-total control over how the thing was run. If I couldn't have a capable and savvy online crew, I'd probably pass.

 

Yes. Done right, journalism at that level can be tremendously rewarding.

 

I said the same thing, BYH.

I'd love to own my hometown paper -- a grossly underachieving 40k daily with one of the most piss-poor ad and circulation departments in the annals of journalism. Hence the ridiculous penetration numbers.

That detracts from a decent (albeit, slipping) editorial staff. But the paper's making money. Not Gannett money, but very good money.

 

Hear about the longtime daily editor who decided to essentially retire as the owner of a weekly?

Great piece: http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=4493