Comments on: I read the news today…oh, boy?! http://www.metroi4news.com/2009/02/i-read-the-news-todayoh-boy/ Highlighting the News from Florida's Central Corridor Sat, 16 Oct 2010 16:47:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: AC http://www.metroi4news.com/2009/02/i-read-the-news-todayoh-boy/comment-page-1/#comment-304 AC Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:53:47 +0000 http://www.metroi4news.com/?p=2657#comment-304 Wire copy is necessary.  If there was none, readers wouldn't know what was happening in the nation and beyond.  It's silly to compare the local bylines with bylines pulled from the wire.  Of course, there isn't staff enough in these offices, the Ledger and News Chief, to be able to completely fill the paper with nothing but local news.  Frankly, there's not even that much news around here to fill an entire paper with community subjects.  There's a balance that needs to be achieved with how much to charge for advertisements, the daily paper itself, etc., in relation to how much staff there is, what to pay them, what printing costs are, distribution costs, overhead, etc. It's simply not financially feasible for newspapers to have more bylines than they do. Affiliate or owned by the NYT or not, as businesses, these papers have to look out for their bottom lines just as much as the next business.  I'm tempted to say that without wire copy, there is no profit, but I could probably be proven false.  But I will say it gets seriously close to being just that as I myself wouldn't pick up a paper knowing there wasn't any information in there beyond a 30-mile radius.  I'm guessing a lot of other people might think the same way and without readers, there are no advertisers, and hence, no profit. Wire copy is necessary.  If there was none, readers wouldn’t know what was happening in the nation and beyond.  It’s silly to compare the local bylines with bylines pulled from the wire.  Of course, there isn’t staff enough in these offices, the Ledger and News Chief, to be able to completely fill the paper with nothing but local news.  Frankly, there’s not even that much news around here to fill an entire paper with community subjects. 

There’s a balance that needs to be achieved with how much to charge for advertisements, the daily paper itself, etc., in relation to how much staff there is, what to pay them, what printing costs are, distribution costs, overhead, etc. It’s simply not financially feasible for newspapers to have more bylines than they do.

Affiliate or owned by the NYT or not, as businesses, these papers have to look out for their bottom lines just as much as the next business. 

I’m tempted to say that without wire copy, there is no profit, but I could probably be proven false.  But I will say it gets seriously close to being just that as I myself wouldn’t pick up a paper knowing there wasn’t any information in there beyond a 30-mile radius.  I’m guessing a lot of other people might think the same way and without readers, there are no advertisers, and hence, no profit.

]]> By: Chuck Welch http://www.metroi4news.com/2009/02/i-read-the-news-todayoh-boy/comment-page-1/#comment-302 Chuck Welch Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:20:34 +0000 http://www.metroi4news.com/?p=2657#comment-302 As I've said in many public forums, I believe the Ledger leads Central Florida newspaper operations in producing online content. I don't doubt that Ledger staff works hard on the online product. <div> </div> <div>In the post above, I don't believe I measured the staff by their bylines and credits. Those were just indicators of where the copy originated. Nor do I believe I even gave the barest of indication I had an opinion that the local staff didn't work hard. Each staff person I've met strikes me as hardworking and dedicated to his or her craft.  <div> </div> <div>The post above was not how the staff works, but what the paper chose to publish that day in the print edition. It was "Buy a Newspaper Day," and not "Visit Our Multimedia News Operation Day."</div> <div> </div> <div>The purpose of the event was to encourage readers to purchase the print product. I'm a reader. I wrote what I'd like to see in the print product.</div> <div> </div> </div> As I’ve said in many public forums, I believe the Ledger leads Central Florida newspaper operations in producing online content. I don’t doubt that Ledger staff works hard on the online product.

In the post above, I don’t believe I measured the staff by their bylines and credits. Those were just indicators of where the copy originated. Nor do I believe I even gave the barest of indication I had an opinion that the local staff didn’t work hard. Each staff person I’ve met strikes me as hardworking and dedicated to his or her craft. 

The post above was not how the staff works, but what the paper chose to publish that day in the print edition. It was “Buy a Newspaper Day,” and not “Visit Our Multimedia News Operation Day.”
The purpose of the event was to encourage readers to purchase the print product. I’m a reader. I wrote what I’d like to see in the print product.
]]> By: Barry Friedman http://www.metroi4news.com/2009/02/i-read-the-news-todayoh-boy/comment-page-1/#comment-298 Barry Friedman Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:10:51 +0000 http://www.metroi4news.com/?p=2657#comment-298 The newspaper of your youth is morphing into a multimedia publication as reader habits change. The newsroom staff output can no longer be measured just by bylines and photo credits. Nowadays, the newsroom is also producing videos, photo galleries, multimedia graphics, blog posts, breaking news online, gathering and producing databases, responding to user comments, sending news alerts, engaging in social media with readers and much more. I'm proud to work with a staff working hard to make news available on the devices our users want to receive it on. The newspaper of your youth is morphing into a multimedia publication as reader habits change. The newsroom staff output can no longer be measured just by bylines and photo credits. Nowadays, the newsroom is also producing videos, photo galleries, multimedia graphics, blog posts, breaking news online, gathering and producing databases, responding to user comments, sending news alerts, engaging in social media with readers and much more. I’m proud to work with a staff working hard to make news available on the devices our users want to receive it on.

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