15 Most Stupid Things I've Ever Heard A McPublisher Say

[IowaScribe]

Part 2 of "Newspapers Aren't Dying, They're Committing Suicide"

The 15 most stupid things I've ever heard a McPaper McPublisher say:

http://www.iowascribe.com/1/post/2013/06/newspapers-arent-dying-theyre-committing-suicide-part-2.html

 

[Uncle.Ruckus]

My favorite:

5. Why should we subscribe to the AP? Why don't you just copy those stories off the Internet?
Yeah. A publisher said that to me once. Actually, ordered me to copy AP stories off the Internet, rather than pay the expense of an AP subscription. I tried to explain copyright laws and plagiarism laws to him, but he wasn't hearing it. I believe someone else -- someone more patient than I am -- walked him through it, so he eventually dropped the idea.

 

[boundforboston]

My favorite:

5. Why should we subscribe to the AP? Why don't you just copy those stories off the Internet?
Yeah. A publisher said that to me once. Actually, ordered me to copy AP stories off the Internet, rather than pay the expense of an AP subscription. I tried to explain copyright laws and plagiarism laws to him, but he wasn't hearing it. I believe someone else -- someone more patient than I am -- walked him through it, so he eventually dropped the idea.

I'm leaning toward his making that one up, but I'm not sure what to think.

 

[IowaScribe]

Honest to God it happened, and a Managing Editor and Associate Editor are my witnesses. NOTHING in that article is made up!

 

[fossywriter8]

I feel like laughing and crying at the same time when reading those stories.
I'm lucky.
The weekly where I work full time is owned by a family who, though maybe not "newspaper" people, at least appreciate what we do and let us do it.
The daily where I work part time has a publisher who came up through the sports department and also worked in sales, so he knows both sides well and lets each side do its own thing.

 

[Riptide]

16. "Work smarter, not harder. Do more with less."

 

[Rhody31]

My last publisher told us as part as redoing the sports section - which was the only section that was run properly and followed basic rules of journalism - we were going to run more photos (OK) but not cropped as tight, because even if someone's 'skirt is in the picture, the parents will go out and buy it because that's their daughter's skirt.'

 

[HejiraHenry]

Let's don't ascribe magical powers of stupidity to Gannett managers. It ain't just them - and it ain't just newspapers, either.

 

[IowaScribe]

Nope. These guys weren't at Gannett, although I've heard some stories about Gannett, too.

 

[HejiraHenry]

Nope. These guys weren't at Gannett, although I've heard some stories about Gannett, too.

Well, that list is frakking awesome.

 

[Uncle.Ruckus]

Nope. These guys weren't at Gannett, although I've heard some stories about Gannett, too.

Lee?

 

[IowaScribe]

We take furloughs while retired public employees sing "Sweet Home Alabama."

 

[Uncle.Ruckus]

Yeah, **** CNHI, too.

 

[Ace]

My last publisher told us as part as redoing the sports section - which was the only section that was run properly and followed basic rules of journalism - we were going to run more photos (OK) but not cropped as tight, because even if someone's 'skirt is in the picture, the parents will go out and buy it because that's their daughter's skirt.'

Sounds like a slogan:

"Buy the paper. We may have your daughter's skirt!"

 

[Versatile]

My last publisher told us as part as redoing the sports section - which was the only section that was run properly and followed basic rules of journalism - we were going to run more photos (OK) but not cropped as tight, because even if someone's 'skirt is in the picture, the parents will go out and buy it because that's their daughter's skirt.'

Sounds like a slogan:

"Buy the paper. We may have your daughter's skirt!"

Well, I already have trademarked "I may have your daughter's skirt!" for other reasons, though our publisher in question sees nothing wrong with using it.

 

[fossywriter8]

My last publisher told us as part as redoing the sports section - which was the only section that was run properly and followed basic rules of journalism - we were going to run more photos (OK) but not cropped as tight, because even if someone's 'skirt is in the picture, the parents will go out and buy it because that's their daughter's skirt.'

Sounds like a slogan:

"Buy the paper. We may have your daughter's skirt!"

Well, I already have trademarked "I may have your daughter's skirt!" for other reasons, though our publisher in question sees nothing wrong with using it.

Maybe the guy from the Oklahoman should try working at that paper. He's apparently the kind of innovative, out-of-the-box (insert own joke here -- twice) thinker that paper's looking for.

 

[apeman33]

2. I don't give a frog's fat ass about the governor. I want pictures of little kids and puppies. I don't want news in my newspaper.

Yep. A publisher said that. I think the stupidity of it speaks for itself, not to mention the irresponsibility.

This describes my newspaper right now. The news staff has to take a couple of hundred pictures of everything because the publisher thinks people want to see a full page (or two) of photos from a given event. And he wants a photo page every day.

When I was on vacation a couple of weeks ago, he had the ME run three photos from a softball game that happened a month and a half ago. I guess he had this stringer shoot the photos based on per assignment instead of per photo and he was trying to get a few more pics in so he could justify paying her whatever amount it was.

Meanwhile, we have a stringer we've used for over a decade who's happy to shoot for $20 a photo. I try to use two most of the time but he understands if I have room for only one. And I bet his two photos cost less than whatever the publisher paid this other stringer.

So basically, my ME had to run a bunch of photos to make the publisher feel good about the way he purchases photos, not for any other reason that I can come up with.

 

[SockPuppet]

Iowa Scribe:
I really thought "McPaper McPublisher" was the sole trademark/copyright of Gannett.

 

[IowaScribe]

Don't know about any trademark, but I read the series of articles that coined the phrase "McPaper" about 10 years ago, and most of those articles were about my ex-employers from 'Bama!
Of course, my folks may have stolen the copyright from the Gannett folks -- copyright laws mean nothing to them, just like labor laws.

 

[Riptide]

Don't know about any trademark, but I read the series of articles that coined the phrase "McPaper" about 10 years ago, and most of those articles were about my ex-employers from 'Bama!
Of course, my folks may have stolen the copyright from the Gannett folks -- copyright laws mean nothing to them, just like labor laws.

"McPaper" was coined in the mid-’80s to describe USA Today.