Another one bites the dust

[genlock]

SEATTLE (AP) -- Hearst Corp. put Seattle's oldest newspaper, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, up for sale on Friday and said that if it can't find a buyer in the next 60 days the paper would likely close or continue to exist only online.

If it does become an Internet-only operation, the P-I, as the paper is known locally, would have a "greatly reduced staff," Hearst said in a statement. Hearst is a major media company that also owns TV stations, other newspapers and magazines including Cosmopolitan.

[Hoosier Daddy]

The beginning of the end for daily newspapers everywhere.

[Force Commander]

The beginning of the end for daily newspapers everywhere.

The beginning of the end happened last month:

http://www.freep.com/article/20081216/B ... 6/81216036

Limiting newspaper home delivery to Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays while selling printed copies at newsstand seven days a week.

Providing subscribers daily access to electronic editions, exact copies of each day’s printed newspapers.

[Arp2]

Most here probably know that newspapers now offer direct-mail-like targeting of ads as a means of "allowing" advertisers "greater efficiencies" and "savings"....well, that's been something I've gone around and around with them about because it results not just in advertisers buying certain areas but also in not buying certain areas.

So I don't see all the ads (you don't, either, if your paper sells this way), and I want to see all the ads.

I knew it was coming, but I really didn't notice it too much until Sears ads disappeared from my Sunday paper. Now, frankly, I can't recall having bought a thing from Sears in over 20 years, but, at the time, I was needing tires and considering home exercise equipment and wanted to be aware of what Sears was offering. (Note: it's actually extremely rare Sears has any item like that on sale; always "on sale," the prices are almost always the same. I was looking for a real sale.)

Next went Circuit City when it was having one of its rough spots a few years back. That I noticed immediately, of course. And complained. Loudly. Well, "curiously," first...wanna be nice.

At first, the newspaper just lied. Flat out. "There wasn't one," I was told. "Sure, there was," I replied. "Friends have them in their hands, and I've already found it online."

"If you've already seen it, why do you want it?"



"Because it was missing. Sears, too, and who knows what else."

"Well, I'm checking, sir, and there weren't those ads in your paper Sunday, sooo...." (note the change to "your")

"But they did exist and weren't there. I need them."

"But, sir, they weren't in your paper."

"Yes, that's right...so....I need them."

(Pause) "Okay, it's possible a mistake was made. We'll bring them out to you."

"Thank you."

Next Sunday.....the same thing. And the same call on Monday, with another special trip being made to bring me the ads.

Next Sunday, the same thing. And the same Monday call.....this time getting to the second level, I think.

"Let me check, sir....no, those ads weren't in your paper."

"But they were in the paper, and I didn't get them. Coupons, too. So I need them."

(keyboard sounds) "I'm checking again...no, they weren't in your paper, so (happy-sounding) it sounds like you got everything."

Time to drop the games.

"Okay, look...I'm in the business, and I know what you're doing. I know you're now allowing advertisers to buy down to the zip code or census tract or whatever the smallest unit you're offering is...."

(Also dropping the game) "If you're in the business, then you know why you didn't get those ads; so why are you calling? You must know Circuit City and Sears and whoever else didn't buy your area, so why do you keep calling?"

"Because they're not in my paper...they're missing, and I need them."

"But you know they're not buying you."

"Ok, first, given where I live, that's gotta be some stupid mistake, so I'm going to bug you until you bring it to the AE's attention and your AE brings it to the buyer's attention. But, second, and more importantly, their supposedly not buying me is irrelevant. This idea of 'advertisers decide who gets ads' leaves me -- your consumer -- and what I want out of the equation. It appears not to occur to you that the consumer might want the ads. Whether or not some kid at some agency thinks I'm worth it, I want to see all the ads, and I mean all of them from every store in every part of town. I get around almost everywhere, so I want to see them from everywhere. All of them.

"See, here's the thing -- I don't need you, anymore. Your news coverage has been lacking all along...I mean, I can't tell you how many times I've witnessed something or been somewhere where something happened, read about it in the paper, and thought to myself, 'that isn't even close to what happened.' Seriously, you're awful. Your political bias is legendary and is extremely rarely kept out of your news writing. I can get local news in a dozen or more different ways and national and international news in more than a thousand different ways. So, although I do want it, your actual newspaper is not why I subscribe to the paper...it's the ads. It's the ads...it's the coupons....it's the ability to learn about the arrival of a new product or the timely opportunities to save money. Sure, every major retailer has its weekly ad available online -- again, another reason I don't need you, anymore -- but I like having them in printed form. That's how I begin my weekly shopping planning.

"So what I'm essentially doing is paying you to deliver me the ads! You seem to think that's something only the advertiser pays for. I'm telling you that's what I'm paying you for! Again, your newspaper is irrelevant...I'm paying you for the ads! Now, you're telling me the advertiser didn't pay for the ad to be delivered to me...I don't care! That's what I'm paying you for! And you're not doing it. You're failing. You're failing me, your consumer.

"If you keep failing me, the consumer, why would I continue using you? If I go out and buy the newspaper from a box or store, I probably get these ads and coupons. If I buy one of the out-of-town newspapers that are in stores all over town, I get a paper I like more and definitely get those ads and coupons. In a way, my life would get easier if I stopped subscribing to you, so, if you're not going to deliver me all the ads, why would or should I continue using you?"

This CSR gave that some thought. Or, at least, seemed to give it some thought. We came to an agreement that I would get all the ads. Or, at least, seemed to come to an agreement. I don't think they've kept up their end completely, though. On the other hand, I don't think I've missed anything I've really, really wanted to see in some time, so.......

Newspapers, like radio, need not die...they just need to be sure they realize that advertisers' desires come second.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Very interesting, Arp. I will only disagree with one thing: I loathe most of the ads that come with my newspaper. I consider them unwanted junk mail. They are immediately pulled from the bundled paper and thrown in the trash as soon as the paper arrives. Wifey likes some of them and usually grumbles as she pulls the Kroger stuff out of the wastebasket. I like my local paper for local news, including all the stupid small town stuff that wouldn't make any newspaper or news-oriented website. Our subscription to the Sunday edition of the Columbus Dispatch is all about skimming the Metro headlines, the sports section, and buzzing through the 'Help Wanted' section just to see if anything piques my interest.

All my national news and much of my regional news comes from either the internet or from television, and I visit a number of websites for a few minutes several times a day just to keep up. Local news -- and again, we're talking small town here -- is best experienced around here from the local newspaper. There's just something familiar and comforting about holding that paper in your hand, finding your favorite time and place to read it, or taking it with you to read and re-read at your leisure. There's still something about that newspaper being an old friend or your favorite, old, comfortable pair of shoes. The missing link for me is radio. I don't depend on radio for anything except maybe a brief weather forecast while on the go. Radio is a canned music medium around here with almost zero value as a source of timely information. So sad.

[Tom Taggart]

Notice how skinny the Dispatch classified section is lately. Another ominous sign for newspapers...the real estate folks and car dealers all have their websites, and ordinary folk are using e-bay to clean out their garages. Not the classified ads.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Notice how skinny the Dispatch classified section is lately. Another ominous sign for newspapers...the real estate folks and car dealers all have their websites, and ordinary folk are using e-bay to clean out their garages. Not the classified ads.

Yes! We were talking about that this morning.
"Help Wanted" in the Dispatch is about 30% of its normal Sunday paper size.

[genlock]

In some places it is required to post legal notices in two newspapers.
That's sort of an obsolete law now that we have the internets.
This sort of thing may be propping up the classifieds and
the weekly shopping papers. There was some talk that it was very important
in the last newspaper problem in Hamlin, WV.

[Lee]

Speaking of the "Help Wanted" section, perhaps one of you guys can answer this question:

Why so many "spam" want ads?

For example, "I need 30 E-bay workers to replace 29 1/2 lazy E-bay workers, earn $500,000 an hour!!"

Do people really believe some of those ads? I remember a "spam" ad awhile back that got nailed by the feds for advertising that almost anyone can be a mail carrier...or something to that extent.

There seems to be more and more popping up these days, especially with the economy sucking.

[genlock]

Even WSAZ has want-ads now.

[Arp2]

Very interesting, Arp. I will only disagree with one thing: I loathe most of the ads that come with my newspaper. I consider them unwanted junk mail.

Okay, fine, but that doesn't mean we really disagree...I don't think we do. I'm not necessarily saying physically deliver massive numbers of ads to all customers....I'm saying that, now more than ever, newspapers, down to the individual consumer if and when possible, must know and understand how they're being used and be sure to "pay off" on that. For you, that's what you said...for me, it's most of what you said and all the ads.

If you're in a supposedly declining industry but somebody is still willing and eager to be your customer, by golly, don't punish him or make it hard for him to do it!

[AmpedNow]

I got DrudgeReport. Why do I need a newspaper?

Local news? What local news? Charleston's corrupt and nothing's changin'. Another meth lab explosion. Same old, same old...

All the important stuff I get by word of mouth.

I do look at the Sunday ad inserts, if they're available to me. But I won't buy a paper just for them.