Will Donnie take credit for more Americans losing their jobs?
So it goes. There are a few ink-on-paper news publications that actually aren’t losing money, because they’re published and run by people with a vision that really serves the community and is valued. There might be—I don’t know—maybe three dozen of those across the country. All the others are dead but too dumb to lie down. It’s sad to see it go, when you grew up with it.
The reality in the print industry is it is a cannibalized industry. The New York Times is doing well in the current environment. People are not going to buy subscriptions to multi major city newspapers. Small regional papers are still in favor as they focus on local news. But there is only room for 1 major newspaper. New York Daily News ideological POV is not much different then the NY Times. So why would you read both papers? Personally I still read Newspapers and digital media. But of course I did not vote for Trump.
So how many is “half”?
Electronic news media may be more economic for national and international stuff but its just not the same for depth it seems like. And apparently, it is not real big on proof reading or editing, either. Not all progress is an improvement.
About 40.
I wouldn’t blame any lack of depth or sloppy editing on the electronic delivery per se. There’s nothing about it that prevents quality work, and I see very thoughtful, well-researched pieces that are edited anywhere from impeccably to acceptably. But the venue has to value that and pay for it. The thing about electronic delivery is it’s pennies on the dollar compared to print. Hell, back in the blogging days, people would get a million viewers on the kind of homemade website space you got with your ISP service back then.
I don’t think I’ve picked up a print newspaper in years, to be honest.
Ever since the 2016 election, I choose the sites that I frequent where I can be reasonably sure what is being printed is truthful and accurate and less sensationalized.
TPM is one of those sites, but the notes above about editing and depth and such are as much an issue here as anywhere. Not faulting anyone, but my guess is, of the 40 that were let go, more than one of them were previously responsible for at least checking and proofreading. Wouldn’t that be necessary in a digital publication as well?
TPM gets along without it 
In happier business news…
There are factors that militate against it. It does cost money to hire the editors. Also everything happens faster with digital, so there’s less time you can allot to the various editing functions. For instance, if you had no time in the print world for a last-minute final once-over, you’d at least check the headlines for typos, because those were extra embarrassing. Now, on digital, it’s a thing you see fairly often.
I have read the NY Daily News most days of my life. But times change and delivery systems change with it. I’m sure most of the employees knew this was coming. Young people without the newspaper habit get their news in other ways. Mort Zuckerman sold the Paper last year for just debt service. Surely the new owners didn’t buy it without a plan. Now if the NY Post would go out business that would be a public service.
“Since the year began, we’ve worked hard to transform the New York Daily News into a truly digitally-focused enterprise – one that creates meaningful journalism, delivers it more quickly and more frequently, and develops new approaches to engage our readers,” an email sent to staff said.
(emphasis mine)
And the best path to meaningful journalism is, of course, to get rid of all those damned pesky journalists in the newsroom.
Here there be bullshit.
OT, but help me out here @mattinpa: I’ve seen the word militate now twice today (I think both from you) and I was wondering if it’s a synonym of mitigate, which is how I’m reading it. Tell me about this word, militate.
Like this beauty that sat on the front page for half of yesterday.
EU Says Trade Differences Temain Despite G-20 Talks
There’s a tiny chance they cut the big fluffy people and kept the local reporters who generate stories that you can’t get anywhere else. But not holding my breath.
Often confused with mitigate but it means, usually with the word “against,” that the subject tends to prevent something from happening. Same derivation as military because they prevent you from doing things, like continuing to live and so forth.
New York Daily News Lays Off Half Of Its Staff
Archie Bunker is trapped in an elevator with several people, one of whom is about to give birth. They decide they need a newspaper.
ELEGANT MAN: “Bunker, you have a newspaper, haven’t you?”
ARCHIE: “Yeah, I got the Daily News.”
ELEGANT MAN: “It figures!”
Ooh … those poor corporate biggies …
the tax cuts just weren’t enough ----