Comments on: A sad goodbye http://www.historiann.com/2009/02/27/a-sad-goodbye/ History and sexual politics, 1492 to the present Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:09:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: cgeye http://www.historiann.com/2009/02/27/a-sad-goodbye/comment-page-1/#comment-246860 cgeye Mon, 02 Mar 2009 04:33:42 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=3714#comment-246860 I'm still suspicious about the timing. Scripps tries to sell the paper, when everyone who bought papers during the past five years are struggling or filing for bankruptcy? Rocky reporters asked why Scripps didn't ask for paycuts: "Questions from copy editors: Why didn't you just come to us and ask us to take a pay cut." http://twitter.com/RMN_Newsroom/status/1255955583 "Boehne says Scripps and Media News would have to cut both Rocky and Post newsrooms in half then get concessions." http://twitter.com/RMN_Newsroom/status/1255957754 And for those who wondered why the Rocky couldn't move to online only: "Contreras says for Rocky to continue as online-only product, the partner in the JOA - Dean Singleton's Denver Post - would have to agree." http://twitter.com/RMN_Newsroom/status/1256012733 And ain't it peculiar that union negotiations with the DNA ended in tentative agreement the day before the Rocky was pronounced dead? And that Post union negotiations are still in flux? Wanna bet Media News is the latest company to de-unionize a paper, by brute force? Even if the workers want to strike, Media News can shut the paper down and not look back. Who'd be left to protest? Who'd report on the protests, if they happened? Now I know why the Denver Post veered distinctively left after 2004. First, Singleton made a bet that a cyclical change would start from the governorship and extend through Congress, that would mean Democrats would need to be cultivated to gain support for changes in regulations concerning media ownership and monopolies (viz. Dem cultivation during the 1996 media regulation changes). Next, like Reagan and the USSR, Singleton knew enough about the Rocky's finances to pinpoint when it would falter, and the credit crisis and ad revenue drops were all that would be needed for him to win. I never forgot that this was a newspaper war. And a very powerful man in Colorado and the region has won. I’m still suspicious about the timing.

Scripps tries to sell the paper, when everyone who bought papers during the past five years are struggling or filing for bankruptcy? Rocky reporters asked why Scripps didn’t ask for paycuts:

“Questions from copy editors: Why didn’t you just come to us and ask us to take a pay cut.”
http://twitter.com/RMN_Newsroom/status/1255955583

“Boehne says Scripps and Media News would have to cut both Rocky and Post newsrooms in half then get concessions.”
http://twitter.com/RMN_Newsroom/status/1255957754

And for those who wondered why the Rocky couldn’t move to online only: “Contreras says for Rocky to continue as online-only product, the partner in the JOA – Dean Singleton’s Denver Post – would have to agree.”
http://twitter.com/RMN_Newsroom/status/1256012733

And ain’t it peculiar that union negotiations with the DNA ended in tentative agreement the day before the Rocky was pronounced dead? And that Post union negotiations are still in flux?

Wanna bet Media News is the latest company to de-unionize a paper, by brute force? Even if the workers want to strike, Media News can shut the paper down and not look back.

Who’d be left to protest?

Who’d report on the protests, if they happened?

Now I know why the Denver Post veered distinctively left after 2004. First, Singleton made a bet that a cyclical change would start from the governorship and extend through Congress, that would mean Democrats would need to be cultivated to gain support for changes in regulations concerning media ownership and monopolies (viz. Dem cultivation during the 1996 media regulation changes). Next, like Reagan and the USSR, Singleton knew enough about the Rocky’s finances to pinpoint when it would falter, and the credit crisis and ad revenue drops were all that would be needed for him to win.

I never forgot that this was a newspaper war. And a very powerful man in Colorado and the region has won.

]]> By: earl http://www.historiann.com/2009/02/27/a-sad-goodbye/comment-page-1/#comment-245088 earl Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:55:42 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=3714#comment-245088 The St Petersburg Times operates on this principle. It is owned by the Poynter Institute which provides educational and professional traiing for journalists. The St Petersburg Times operates on this principle. It is owned by the Poynter Institute which provides educational and professional traiing for journalists.

]]> By: Historiann http://www.historiann.com/2009/02/27/a-sad-goodbye/comment-page-1/#comment-244483 Historiann Sat, 28 Feb 2009 04:44:23 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=3714#comment-244483 The public payroll? Why not? Works for the BBC. I think that newspapers could work as non-profits. It works for public radio and universities--who says that absolutely every institution has to be for-profit? It seems like making payroll and putting out a decent product has a lot to be said for it these days. The public payroll? Why not? Works for the BBC.

I think that newspapers could work as non-profits. It works for public radio and universities–who says that absolutely every institution has to be for-profit? It seems like making payroll and putting out a decent product has a lot to be said for it these days.

]]> By: Indyanna http://www.historiann.com/2009/02/27/a-sad-goodbye/comment-page-1/#comment-244448 Indyanna Sat, 28 Feb 2009 04:03:10 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=3714#comment-244448 Except for the inevitable implications of having the media on the public payroll, I'd rather spend a few billions from the apparently bottomless till of "bailout" monies to keep physical newspapers on the street than to prop up "too big to fail" banks and financial institutions. The parent company for the _Philadelphia Inquirer_, which used to be a really distinguished "home newspaper," filed for Chapter 11 a week ago. They insist that this is really no more than a management tool for dealing with their debt load, and not an operational question, but we'll see. Except for the inevitable implications of having the media on the public payroll, I’d rather spend a few billions from the apparently bottomless till of “bailout” monies to keep physical newspapers on the street than to prop up “too big to fail” banks and financial institutions. The parent company for the _Philadelphia Inquirer_, which used to be a really distinguished “home newspaper,” filed for Chapter 11 a week ago. They insist that this is really no more than a management tool for dealing with their debt load, and not an operational question, but we’ll see.

]]> By: Historiann http://www.historiann.com/2009/02/27/a-sad-goodbye/comment-page-1/#comment-243922 Historiann Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:59:44 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=3714#comment-243922 Sorry about that misspelling, Cap'n--it was 5:30 a.m. here when I posted! Sorry about that misspelling, Cap’n–it was 5:30 a.m. here when I posted!

]]> By: Little Midwestern College http://www.historiann.com/2009/02/27/a-sad-goodbye/comment-page-1/#comment-243905 Little Midwestern College Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:28:25 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=3714#comment-243905 Yes, I was sad about this, too. Emily Sorin Meredith, One of the women in our first graduating class of 1859 contributed to the Rocky Mountain News when her husband Frederick took on its editorship--their daughter Ellis Meredith also worked on the paper. Well, at least Little Midwestern College is still here--for now! Yes, I was sad about this, too. Emily Sorin Meredith, One of the women in our first graduating class of 1859 contributed to the Rocky Mountain News when her husband Frederick took on its editorship–their daughter Ellis Meredith also worked on the paper. Well, at least Little Midwestern College is still here–for now!

]]> By: Captain Haddock http://www.historiann.com/2009/02/27/a-sad-goodbye/comment-page-1/#comment-243885 Captain Haddock Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:49:19 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=3714#comment-243885 Thundering typhoons !! Historiann has misspelled "knuckle" !!! Where's my blasted bottle of Loch Lomond whiskey? Ahhhhhhhh . . . there she is . . . . Thundering typhoons !! Historiann has misspelled “knuckle” !!! Where’s my blasted bottle of Loch Lomond whiskey? Ahhhhhhhh . . . there she is . . . .

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