In Fort Wayne, Indiana, (market # 104?) we are a rarity. We have two daily newspapers, a morning paper that lands in your driveway (or bushes) 7 days a week, and an afternoon paper that is published everyday except Sunday.
They have survived due to a joint operating agreement that has been in place for many, many years, and they also have expanded some of their offerings with local magazines that do a fine job of showcasing our town.
Oh, they also have the best named web domain for this city, FortWayne.com.
While I saw some recent circulation numbers which look dismal for the papers, it is the advertising department that will determine how long either one survives. In the midwest, we move a little slower than the left or right coasts, so many advertisers have remained loyal to the printed page.
And should you advertise in the paper? All depends on who you want to reach and how effective they are for the money you give them, just like any other media.
Meanwhile, we have this news coming from Seattle:
Layoffs, Other Cuts Rack Seattle Times
Editor & Publisher
The Seattle Times, battered by a continuing decline in advertising revenue, will slice nearly 200 staffers -- more than half of them via layoffs. It will also close two suburban bureaus and cease zoned editions in two neighboring counties in a plan designed to save about $15 million. Spokeswoman Jill Mackie declined to discuss more specifics, but says: "There will be some changes that will affect both readers and advertisers."
In an email to its employees, the newspaper says the reductions will include up to 131 layoffs, while 60 unfilled positions will stay that way. Right now, the company has 1,845 full-time and part-time employees. "We had hoped the expense reductions made at the beginning of the year would prevent the need for further downsizing, but that is not the case," say Publisher Frank Blethen and President Carolyn Kelly. - Read the whole story...
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment