Comments on: Saving the Newspaper Industry http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/ The Catalyst Code Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:49:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.11 by: tom http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-47 Fri, 14 Sep 2007 14:31:43 +0000 http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-47 i think political bias has nothing to do with why the newspapers are not doing well. the daily paper in my city for instance leans right-wing. it really has to do with trying to protect their current revenue streams making them less likely to be aggressive and adapt to the changing marketplace. i think political bias has nothing to do with why the newspapers are not doing well. the daily paper in my city for instance leans right-wing. it really has to do with trying to protect their current revenue streams making them less likely to be aggressive and adapt to the changing marketplace.

]]> by: Ken http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-28 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 08:30:16 +0000 http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-28 I think you've all got it very correct. Left wing bias, blindly running AP stories that anyone knows are ridiculous propaganda even before hearing the information from any other source add up to a worthless paper. The key is having local content. We take a paper to get the high school sports coverage and other local happenings. Getting the same old left wing propaganda that everyone else is spewing just doesn't get it. A paradox: maybe big regional papers could have a chance with employment ads. There are so many web sites for employment that you can't hope to reach everyone with one or two sites. If the paper became known for a quality site, it would have a natural advantage as it is THE regional paper, so it is where people would go for employment issues. In the old days, you'd always buy an LA Times for employment ads in Southern California. I think you’ve all got it very correct. Left wing bias, blindly running AP stories that anyone knows are ridiculous propaganda even before hearing the information from any other source add up to a worthless paper.

The key is having local content. We take a paper to get the high school sports coverage and other local happenings. Getting the same old left wing propaganda that everyone else is spewing just doesn’t get it.

A paradox: maybe big regional papers could have a chance with employment ads. There are so many web sites for employment that you can’t hope to reach everyone with one or two sites. If the paper became known for a quality site, it would have a natural advantage as it is THE regional paper, so it is where people would go for employment issues. In the old days, you’d always buy an LA Times for employment ads in Southern California.

]]> by: Matteo http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-21 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 20:27:58 +0000 http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-21 It really is a question of content. I get almost all of my news and analysis form the internet and blogs. It's not that important to me that I read everything within moments of its being posted, and I would vastly prefer to have paper in my hands rather than sitting in front of a computer. If someone could provide a newspaper which highlights the very best writing and arguments made on the internet the day before, I would certainly read it. But I most certainly will not read the know-nothing sludge which fills newspapers today. It really is a question of content. I get almost all of my news and analysis form the internet and blogs. It’s not that important to me that I read everything within moments of its being posted, and I would vastly prefer to have paper in my hands rather than sitting in front of a computer. If someone could provide a newspaper which highlights the very best writing and arguments made on the internet the day before, I would certainly read it. But I most certainly will not read the know-nothing sludge which fills newspapers today.

]]> by: Matt http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-20 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 12:35:47 +0000 http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-20 Benjamin Franklin owned a newspaper in Philadelphia as did scores of others in his time. But Franklin's newspaper was the most popular and wide read paper of the day. Why? His paper did not pander to any side. Franklin realized publishing a one-sided view would drive off readership, so he was very careful not to posture either left or right. Doesn't sound like the business model of the York Times, does it? Franklin's simple integrity would certainly apply today for newspapers, the evening newscasts and talk radio. Too bad journalism of today chooses to influence rather than simply report. The left misinterprets Fox News as bias, when they by far, approach Franklin's thinking most closely. Remember years ago when CNN was really big and powerful? Look at the lost viewership they have experienced as a result of their bias. Many people just got tired of the continuous lefty message. Dont' look for any significant changes in journalism with the graduates the universities are pumping out today. Benjamin Franklin owned a newspaper in Philadelphia as did scores of others in his time. But Franklin’s newspaper was the most popular and wide read paper of the day. Why? His paper did not pander to any side. Franklin realized publishing a one-sided view would drive off readership, so he was very careful not to posture either left or right. Doesn’t sound like the business model of the York Times, does it? Franklin’s simple integrity would certainly apply today for newspapers, the evening newscasts and talk radio.

Too bad journalism of today chooses to influence rather than simply report.

The left misinterprets Fox News as bias, when they by far, approach Franklin’s thinking most closely. Remember years ago when CNN was really big and powerful? Look at the lost viewership they have experienced as a result of their bias. Many people just got tired of the continuous lefty message.

Dont’ look for any significant changes in journalism with the graduates the universities are pumping out today.

]]> by: Curtis http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-18 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 05:20:02 +0000 http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-18 As an afterthought... I truly believe that the integrity of journalism will be improved by the scrutiny the many people who dare to do so. Forget about sacred cows. If you aren't good, you'll be proven to be less than your self-opinion would suggest. As an afterthought…

I truly believe that the integrity of journalism will be improved by the scrutiny the many people who dare to do so. Forget about sacred cows.

If you aren’t good, you’ll be proven to be less than your self-opinion would suggest.

]]> by: Curtis http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-17 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 04:49:57 +0000 http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-17 I don't presume to know how newspapers can ever again rise to their former glory, nor do I know how to advise them in avoiding becoming so increasingly irrelevent. But I will say this. Political posturing should be canned and dumped, whether for one side or the other. The "opinion" and "editorial" pieces, so dear to so many editors, are usually useless, more often simplistic and damned near ALWAYS suspect regarding integrity. I say if a paper puts an editorial out there it had better be ready for a lot of intensive investigation on all fronts it may imagine, and some it's too lazy to. What's actually happening being newsworthy is what a lot of this amounts to, summing it up. Mickey Kaus, for example, gets somewhat perplexed about this stuff, seeming to be in some general alignment with my point. What the hell is wrong with just reporting the news? I don't give a whoop for anyone else's interpretation of it, but I do like to know what's going on. I don’t presume to know how newspapers can ever again rise to their former glory, nor do I know how to advise them in avoiding becoming so increasingly irrelevent.

But I will say this. Political posturing should be canned and dumped, whether for one side or the other. The “opinion” and “editorial” pieces, so dear to so many editors, are usually useless, more often simplistic and damned near ALWAYS suspect regarding integrity. I say if a paper puts an editorial out there it had better be ready for a lot of intensive investigation on all fronts it may imagine, and some it’s too lazy to.

What’s actually happening being newsworthy is what a lot of this amounts to, summing it up. Mickey Kaus, for example, gets somewhat perplexed about this stuff, seeming to be in some general alignment with my point. What the hell is wrong with just reporting the news?

I don’t give a whoop for anyone else’s interpretation of it, but I do like to know what’s going on.

]]> by: Bill http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-16 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 04:36:58 +0000 http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-16 There was a time in my life (20+ years ago) that I read the daily newspaper every single day. However I stopped reading them after they became totally leftist propaganda sheets. The same has happened to the major television networks and now cable television. So I now rent Netflix movies and keep the msm out of my life. There was a time in my life (20+ years ago) that I read the daily newspaper every single day. However I stopped reading them after they became totally leftist propaganda sheets. The same has happened to the major television networks and now cable television. So I now rent Netflix movies and keep the msm out of my life.

]]> by: sbw http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-15 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 04:28:57 +0000 http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-15 I don't think you understand what journalism is supposed to be, which makes it easier to call it a dinosaur... but not necessarily correct. Journalism has problems, but they are different than you suggest. See: <a href="http://blogs.rny.com/sbw/stories/storyReader$524" rel="nofollow">The fix for journalism</a> and, a little meatier, <a href="http://blogs.rny.com/sbw/stories/storyReader$524" rel="nofollow">Journalistic Indifference</a> for an introduction. Regards/Stephen I don’t think you understand what journalism is supposed to be, which makes it easier to call it a dinosaur… but not necessarily correct.

Journalism has problems, but they are different than you suggest. See: The fix for journalism and, a little meatier, Journalistic Indifference for an introduction.

Regards/Stephen

]]> by: Jim,MtnViewCA,USA http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-14 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 03:41:41 +0000 http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-14 Dang, everyone says that snarky left-wing coverage of issues is a problem. That was my experience, too. I dropped the SJ Mercury News at a time when they were spending their energy backing Tom Hayden initiatives. Hey, I grew up in Tom's home town and I knew he was an idiot. If the newsies didn't know, they were in no position to be preaching to me. It's like these guys are still living in the 70s or something. The world has moved on in a big way. Dang, everyone says that snarky left-wing coverage of issues is a problem.
That was my experience, too. I dropped the SJ Mercury News at a time when they were spending their energy backing Tom Hayden initiatives. Hey, I grew up in Tom’s home town and I knew he was an idiot. If the newsies didn’t know, they were in no position to be preaching to me.
It’s like these guys are still living in the 70s or something. The world has moved on in a big way.

]]> by: JorgXMcKie http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-13 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 23:43:28 +0000 http://www.thecatalystcode.com/theconversation/blog/2007/08/30/saving-the-newspaper-industry/#comment-13 "The newspapers also destroyed their credibility by pandering to the left-most 10% of of the population." There. Fixed. “The newspapers also destroyed their credibility by pandering to the left-most 10% of of the population.”

There. Fixed.

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