Poynter link sets us straight on cuts AGAIN
- Thread starter DyePack
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SF_Express
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Well, you have to give it a little context, DP.
See, this guy is harkening back to the day when things WERE questionable financially at The Times. Reporters DID used to routinely fly first class over a certain distance. The Times always picked up the check. Money was freely spent. It was a great time to work there, but probably not that responsible to the bottom line.
And, in fact the place was a Velvet Coffin.
Mostly missing here is the fact that the free-spending days ended a long, long time ago, the staff has been cut a couple of times. Space is much tighter than ever, by all accounts I've read.
The problem is the Times is talking about expanding local coverage just a few years after GUTTING that local coverage in the Valley and Orange County. If they're going to do it, I'd like to know where they're going to find the staff -- especially if further cuts are made.
Best I can tell, this guy is writing both from the past, and from a distance, far removed from the way things really are now.
See, this guy is harkening back to the day when things WERE questionable financially at The Times. Reporters DID used to routinely fly first class over a certain distance. The Times always picked up the check. Money was freely spent. It was a great time to work there, but probably not that responsible to the bottom line.
And, in fact the place was a Velvet Coffin.
Mostly missing here is the fact that the free-spending days ended a long, long time ago, the staff has been cut a couple of times. Space is much tighter than ever, by all accounts I've read.
The problem is the Times is talking about expanding local coverage just a few years after GUTTING that local coverage in the Valley and Orange County. If they're going to do it, I'd like to know where they're going to find the staff -- especially if further cuts are made.
Best I can tell, this guy is writing both from the past, and from a distance, far removed from the way things really are now.
OTD
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- May 9, 2003
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- 4,152
SF, as he often is, is right. He doesn't go far enough, however.
Most of the information in Terzian's article was mined directly from his ass. When talking to friends who work at the Times, there's no sense of a velvet coffin, rather it's the thought of jumping off a sinking ship. Tim Brown is just the latest sports writer to leave. Others are leaving throughout the newsroom.
Terzian sounds like he's writing what he and his right-wing colleagues hope might happen at the Times.
Most of the information in Terzian's article was mined directly from his ass. When talking to friends who work at the Times, there's no sense of a velvet coffin, rather it's the thought of jumping off a sinking ship. Tim Brown is just the latest sports writer to leave. Others are leaving throughout the newsroom.
Terzian sounds like he's writing what he and his right-wing colleagues hope might happen at the Times.
LazyReporter
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"While the Times built its reputation on long, self-indulgent, prize-minded series and "stories behind the news," the Tribune prospered by emphasizing comprehensive local coverage. In effect, the Tribune Company has sought to instill some consumer-minded habits at the Times, which could never successfully penetrate the San Fernando Valley or neighboring Orange County. This was a frustration to Times management, but hardly a mystery. As with most giant metropolitan newspapers, the Times regarded the suburbs of Los Angeles as benighted appendages to the city--roughly the equivalent of flyover country--and its condescension, not to say contempt, did not go unnoticed."
All this crap about covering L.A. locally pisses me off. Anyone who lives in L.A. understands that it is impossible for one newspaper to give extensive local coverage. Impossible. It is a huge, huge area. It takes a 350,000 circulation daily paper to cover Orange County, a 200,000 circulation daily paper to cover the Valley, and another 200,000 circulation paper to cover Riverside. The Times is supposed to do all that, plus metropolitan Los Angeles area? With staff cuts and space cuts?
To put this in a sports perspective, there are close to 600 high schools that would be considered local for the L.A. Times. I would like to hear someone explain how one sports staff is supposed to cover 600 high schools, while also managing to get in a few words the Lakers, USC football, UCLA basketball, the Dodgers and the Clippers. Those things are local, too. Not to mention the other Division I colleges in the "local" L.A. area: Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount, Long Beach State, Cal State Fullerton, UC Irvine, Cal State Northridge, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara.
You'd face the same difficulties in covering all the different city council meetings and police blotters, etc. for every single community. Los Angeles can not be covered locally. There is a reason why the Los Angeles area has four newspapers in the top 69 circulations in the nation (source: http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0004420.html). Not to mention, the Ventura County Star, Santa Barbara News-Press, Long Beach Press-Telegram, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, San Bernardino Sun...you get the idea.
All this crap about covering L.A. locally pisses me off. Anyone who lives in L.A. understands that it is impossible for one newspaper to give extensive local coverage. Impossible. It is a huge, huge area. It takes a 350,000 circulation daily paper to cover Orange County, a 200,000 circulation daily paper to cover the Valley, and another 200,000 circulation paper to cover Riverside. The Times is supposed to do all that, plus metropolitan Los Angeles area? With staff cuts and space cuts?
To put this in a sports perspective, there are close to 600 high schools that would be considered local for the L.A. Times. I would like to hear someone explain how one sports staff is supposed to cover 600 high schools, while also managing to get in a few words the Lakers, USC football, UCLA basketball, the Dodgers and the Clippers. Those things are local, too. Not to mention the other Division I colleges in the "local" L.A. area: Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount, Long Beach State, Cal State Fullerton, UC Irvine, Cal State Northridge, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara.
You'd face the same difficulties in covering all the different city council meetings and police blotters, etc. for every single community. Los Angeles can not be covered locally. There is a reason why the Los Angeles area has four newspapers in the top 69 circulations in the nation (source: http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0004420.html). Not to mention, the Ventura County Star, Santa Barbara News-Press, Long Beach Press-Telegram, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, San Bernardino Sun...you get the idea.
