What newspaper corporations ARE doing well?

[slatter]

Every job posting I hear "avoid (Gannett, Media General, CNHI, etc.)," and I know the biz isn't doing well... but surely, not ALL of the big owners are in the tank right now, right? Are any corporations doing well? Or at least, not to the point where they should be avoided? ???

 

[pressmurphy]

The trouble with the chains is that trouble spreads quickly. A financial problem at one paper or group of papers within the corporation now translates into draconian measures throughout the chain to compensate.

So your paper can be coasting along just fine and generating an obscene profit margin when the word comes down that they need you to be a little more obscene next quarter, lest we upset the fund managers who own gobs and gobs of stock. And then, when the financial situation improves, someone invariable "forgets" to rescind the last round of cost-cutting.

It used to be that the individual operating units would be given a quarter or two (or three) to dig themselves out of trouble.

 

[PHINJ]

Other than the Wall Street Journal, there isn't any newspaper that can say it is doing well.

 

[txsportsscribe]

belo will be doing really well when the land they own downtown is bought up for a city-owned mega convention hotel.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

None of 'em.

 

[slatter]

Well, then which chains are doing the worst?

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Well, then which chains are doing the worst?

JRC. Closed at 16 cents a share Friday and was delisted by NYSE April 16.

MediaNews and CNHI are both closer to the cliff's edge than they care to admit.

 

[Write-brained]

No surprise this list is non-existent. With the close of Knight-Ridder, I would have put McClatchy at the top of the list, but they are now pushing people out left and right and cutting salaries.

This is why I'm perfectly content at my family-owned paper.

Edit to add: Of course, I won't be completely shocked if I'm laid off tomorrow.

 

[hondo]

Here's a better question: which newspapers are actually losing money?

Not many, if any at all.

 

[PHINJ]

The New York Post is losing enough for everyone.

 

[DemoChristian]

Here's a better question: which newspapers are actually losing money?

Not many, if any at all.

bingo

 

[Lollygaggers]

Here's a better question: which newspapers are actually losing money?

Not many, if any at all.

bingo

That's what I always hear and say a lot of the time, but do we have proof that everyone is still making money and that no one is losing money? I have to think with the economy as bad as it is, there are some people (maybe more than some) who are actually losing money. Then again, I may be wrong.

 

[sportschick]

Here's a better question: which newspapers are actually losing money?

Not many, if any at all.

bingo

That's what I always hear and say a lot of the time, but do we have proof that everyone is still making money and that no one is losing money? I have to think with the economy as bad as it is, there are some people (maybe more than some) who are actually losing money. Then again, I may be wrong.

We have a 9 percent profit margin, yet we've had layoffs and a paycut for hourly employees. Our profit margin is higher than Exxon's, but it's not enough for the ****ing stockholders, who can all **** off and die.

 

[Tom Petty]

Here's a better question: which newspapers are actually losing money?

Not many, if any at all.

bingo

That's what I always hear and say a lot of the time, but do we have proof that everyone is still making money and that no one is losing money? I have to think with the economy as bad as it is, there are some people (maybe more than some) who are actually losing money. Then again, I may be wrong.

my last place was pulling in more than 40 percent, and they bitched about money every chance they got.

 

[DemoChristian]

Here's a better question: which newspapers are actually losing money?

Not many, if any at all.

bingo

That's what I always hear and say a lot of the time, but do we have proof that everyone is still making money and that no one is losing money? I have to think with the economy as bad as it is, there are some people (maybe more than some) who are actually losing money. Then again, I may be wrong.

We have a 9 percent profit margin, yet we've had layoffs and a paycut for hourly employees. Our profit margin is higher than Exxon's, but it's not enough for the ****ing stockholders, who can all **** off and die.

I can't speak for any corporations, but my paper is part of one and our profit margin is well above 9 percent, yet we're still being cut to the bone.

 

[Gomer]

Ours is making money, and we've actually grown our newsroom in the past year. Not sure if that'll last, of course, but for now it's nice.

 

[Joe Williams]

Lots of newspapers are getting closer by the day to when their expenses and revenues lines cross into the red zone. That's why they're in their current panic, because stockholders or private-equity owners see where this is headed. Family places either are fighting the good fight or jumping on the panic wagon because, shucks, everybody else is dumping jobs, so why not?

With every journalist discarded, though, the paper suffers a little. And with each ding to the paper -- the product -- the black line dips a little more than the red line rallies. That is the profound mistake of buyouts/layoffs.

 

[AreaMan]

Ours is easily making a profit of 20 percent or more and we have a hiring freeze.

 

[BTExpress]

Nobody wants to hear this, but . . .

The profit margins you keep quoting are OPERATING profit margins.

They do not include taxes or interest.

Tribune, for example, has been fighting tooth and nail with the IRS over an $800 million tax liability.

And the company has about $8 billion in debt, which means monster interest payments.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Nobody wants to hear this, but . . .

The profit margins you keep quoting are OPERATING profit margins.

They do not include taxes or interest.

Tribune, for example, has been fighting tooth and nail with the IRS over an $800 million tax liability.

And the company has about $8 billion in debt, which means monster interest payments.

Don't other businesses have to deal with taxes and interest too? They seem quite happy with their 5 percent margins.

And if a company is $8 billion in debt, maybe they should have planned their business a little bit better.