The newspaper that almost seized the future: The amazing true story of digital innovation and atrophy over more years than you’d expect at the San Jose Mercury News, from CJR.
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Archives
Dean Singleton on the plight of the major metro
Jun 1, ’09
6:35 AM
[UPDATE: Predictably, this was the wrong day to bring this up.]
I get the feeling people think of MediaNews* CEO (and AP chairman) Dean Singleton as some sort of billionaire boogeyman, the last guy in the world you’d want buying your news organization, but his take on why newspapers in major metro markets are failing is pretty interesting: with scant mention of the secular shift to online news reading consumption, he attributes some of their decline to the strength of smaller suburban papers with loyal readership and advertisers, especially in San Francisco and Boston.
I think it’s certainly more complicated than that, but he’s pointing out something that few pundits outside these markets perceive.
* Disclosure: I’ve worked for a newspaper or two that MediaNews owns.
RIP Mercury News – Michael Bazeley
Mar 6, ’08
9:07 AM
Mike’s thoughtful (and painful) take on the falling fortunes of the Merc go into some detail about the organizational challenges faced by those who would innovate there if they were free to.
Mercury News plans to cut one-quarter of newsroom positions this summer – Grade the News
Jun 1, ’07
9:11 AM
Yeah John, but which quarter? Do you really think they’re cutting city hall and cops reporters?
Mercury News plans to cut one-quarter of newsroom positions this summer – Grade the News
Like Chron, Merc to cut 1/4th of newsroom – Peninsula Press Club
Jun 1, ’07
9:09 AM
Take this story with a grain of salt. Lots of moving parts.
Like Chron, Merc to cut 1/4th of newsroom – Peninsula Press Club
Denver Post offers newsroom buyouts
Apr 24, ’07
9:29 AM
“The Post’s buyouts are available to full- time union-represented and management employees ages 50 and older. Workers with 20 or more years with the company will get a year’s pay; those with less than 20 years will receive two weeks’ pay per year of servi
The Crisis of Consolidation in Bay Area News Media – Grade the News
Apr 16, ’07
2:42 PM
Phil Trounstine on the Hearst/MediaNews dealings. I’ve seen no hint of any combination of journalistic forces, but here’s the warning about what if.. via Romenesko.
The Crisis of Consolidation in Bay Area News Media – Grade the News
Canadians politely begin invasion of Bay Area – SF Bay Guardian politics blog
Mar 29, ’07
9:24 AM
Notes on the Chronicle’s new outsourced press, musings on the future of Bay Area newspaper consolidation.
Canadians politely begin invasion of Bay Area – SF Bay Guardian politics blog
Q&A: Topix CEO Chris Tolles on adding user comments to 61 newspaper sites – OJR
Q&A: Topix CEO Chris Tolles on adding user comments to 61 newspaper sites – OJR