Chicago Tribune, step forward. Again.

[steveu]

Another round of cuts coming at the flagship, according to a blurb in the Arlington Heights Daily Herald. No word on numbers or specific people, but worth throwing out there.

Blindfold and cigarette, please. :-[

 

[MGoBlue]

Join the Gannett mourning.
There's room at the copy desks.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I've been hearing for awhile that another round is coming at all of the Tribune papers.

Fun times.

 

[JBHawkEye]

Wow.

Is there going to be anyone left to put out a paper?

 

[steveu]

Update: Trib says 11 this time around, including both correspondents based out of New York. And yes, there could be more to come.

To quote another poster on this board, ****abunchaZelllovers.

 

[Fredrick]

Which major paper is going to go Internet only and start the parade? It's only going to take one to get it started.

 

[Joe Williams]

Which major paper is going to go Internet only and start the parade? It's only going to take one to get it started.

If an owner is going to turn off the cash flow of a print edition, he's either going to have to bulk up the ad revenues from online and already have in place a cheaper, streamlined staff that won't require near the care and feeding at current prices of most major newsrooms.

I think you'd have to do both moves -- Internet only, 50% staff reduction at least -- in close proximity to make this work.

 

[SF_Express]

It's an interesting race.

Obviously, you cut the print edition, you cut trucks, presses (and pressmen), gas, paper, distributors, composers, prepress people, etc.

But you also lose a lot of advertising, at least to start.

Why it's interesting to me (not funny or amusing interesting, just sign-of-the-times interesting).

I was reading a story about the Big 3 and how, if they do get bailed out, we shouldn't expect a big rebound in automobile advertising.

But one auto industry exec said while pulling back elsewhere, the focus would be on Internet advertising, which he used the words "most efficient" to describe.

It's one guy saying it one time; but I'm wondering if that kind of thinking could signal the possibility of a big upturn in 'Net advertising.

Don't know, just wondering.

 

[STLIrish]

It's an interesting race.

Obviously, you cut the print edition, you cut trucks, presses (and pressmen), gas, paper, distributors, composers, prepress people, etc.

But you also lose a lot of advertising, at least to start.

Why it's interesting to me (not funny or amusing interesting, just sign-of-the-times interesting).

I was reading a story about the Big 3 and how, if they do get bailed out, we shouldn't expect a big rebound in automobile advertising.

But one auto industry exec said while pulling back elsewhere, the focus would be on Internet advertising, which he used the words "most efficient" to describe.

It's one guy saying it one time; but I'm wondering if that kind of thinking could signal the possibility of a big upturn in 'Net advertising.

Don't know, just wondering.

Indeed. Online is where we're all heading. Just a question of how we survive the trip from 90 percent of our revenue coming from print, to all of it coming online.
And, then, how a fundamentally local news outlet attracts enough online advertising (a basically national and/or topical product) to afford to put out a quality news product.

 

[buckweaver]

Corporate not pushing for 25% profit margins is one way to afford it, I would think.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

Corporate not pushing for 25% profit margins is one way to afford it, I would think.

. . . but they justify it, based on their rationalization that they're caretakers of a wasting asset.

Counterarguments welcomed.

 

[NBAonNBC]

From The Daily Herald's blog about Northwestern-Florida State basketball game this week...

"Tribune sportswriter and true friend Neil Milbert, typifying the professionalism he displayed throughout his 40 years at the Trib, showed up to cover the final event of his illustrious career despite being laid off earlier in the day."

 

[Norman Stansfield]

From The Daily Herald's blog about Northwestern-Florida State basketball game this week...

"Tribune sportswriter and true friend Neil Milbert, typifying the professionalism he displayed throughout his 40 years at the Trib, showed up to cover the final event of his illustrious career despite being laid off earlier in the day."

Wow. That really hits home for me. I was seated next to Neil while covering one of my first road games years ago on my beat. Great guy, and extremely knowledgable.

Good luck, Neil.

 

[MMatt60]

Any other word on whom the Tribune cut?