Newspapers: Still knock-knock-knockin’ on Heaven’s door


Turn on the life support! The papers are still dying, no one knows what to do, the dinosaurs are still tying their bow ties too tight and having spasms because they might lose their executive bonuses!

Crack the whip, fire somebody and raise the subscription rates! Here’s a round-up of the latest news all about the onrushing death of newspapers:

• The McClatchy Co. is cutting 15% of its workforce — 1600 jobs — in an effort to survive.

“Newspapers are dead, ‘Wired’ editor says”

• The New York Times sold off 21 floors in its own building for a cash flow of $225 mill. They’re now renting those floors back because it’s ultimately cheaper.

• There’s still no buyer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. It’s being denied, but there are real hints that print operations will be closing, well, right around the corner.

• Tennessee’s four largest dailies, in an effort, probably, to cut jobs and still maintain a certain level of journalism, are now sharing content as of last week.

• Gannett’s Coloradoan is moving its printing to Denver and slashing 48 jobs.

• “Days of ignorance are descending rapidly. The newspaper in its current form is becoming extinct. The editor of Wired said as much last week. It will happen, but there will be this dead zone between the newspapers deaths and the development of online reporting where there is a huge demand for information. Lets just hope the void is filled somehow.”
Conor Gallagher SF News Media Examiner (full story here)

• Closer to home, Richmond’s Media General is shifting two of their North Carolina papers from a five-day a week schedule to only two days a week.

Time has listed their picks for the top 10 most endangered newspapers in the country:

1. The Philadelphia Daily News
2. The Minneapolis Star Tribune
3. The Miami Herald
4. The Detroit News
5. The Boston Globe
6. The San Francisco Chronicle
7. The Chicago Sun-Times
8. The New York Daily News
9. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
10. The Cleveland Plain Dealer

That’s all the news that’s fit to print . . . online . . . ’cause the suits certainly won’t print it in the Times-Dispatch . . .

3 thoughts on “Newspapers: Still knock-knock-knockin’ on Heaven’s door

  1. Glad we are not on the list yet. And listen if you come up with a revenue producing idea for the core product, we’ll pay you $100 (minus taxes and benefits of course). So put on your thinking cap because we need the cash.

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  2. HeyaNot only is my birth-state #1 paper #2 on the list, my home-state #2 paper is #8 (?) on the list. Thank goodness I only read Penny Shopper!Shecky from Chi-town

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  3. If there were any justice, the New York Post and the Washington Times would be on that list. Skanks like those and the tabloids might be survivors. Is it too early for a drink?

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