(Newspaper) Bottom line? It's a business (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

Boston Glob ^ | May 7, 2009 | Kevin Cullen

[abb]

If you ask anybody why they got into this business and they say it was for the money, they are either certifiably insane or no longer in the business.

Funny. Few in journalism call it a business. We like to think we forfeited bigger paychecks to pursue something that is essential: speaking truth to power, comforting the afflicted, afflicting the comfortable.

And there is a lot of truth to that. Most people in newsrooms are idealistic. They think of their work more as a vocation than a job. But at the end of the day, we produce something - journalism and advertising opportunities - that people buy. Or don't.

I could go on about the importance of serious journalism to a democracy, and the importance of The Boston Globe to this region in particular, but that wouldn't mean a hill of beans to the bottom line. If it were only about journalism, we'd be all set. The Globe is still the region's dominant news organization, the biggest agenda-setter, whether it's pension and healthcare reform or holding sticky-fingered pols accountable. That will remain so even after the budget cuts, which are coming down the pike like a Papelbon fastball.

The Globe has never had more readers. The problem is, an increasing number are online, and that doesn't produce the kind of advertising money needed to pay for the journalism we've gotten used to over all these years.

And so hard decisions are being made. Some are wrong, if only in the way they are carried out. Many of us who have spent years reporting on how economic Darwinism has ravaged others are seeing and feeling the effects ourselves.

snip

[abb]

The cold, hard daylight of reality finally creeps into the debate...

[abb]

ping

[abb]

http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=131&aid=163235
Senate Hearing Spotlights Three Hard Truths About the Future of Journalism

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/05/07/with_cuts_globe_could_become_more_attractive_to_potential_suitors/
With cuts, Globe could become more attractive to potential suitors

[bill1952]

>Many of us who have spent years reporting on how economic Darwinism has ravaged others are seeing and feeling the effects ourselves.

Now that's rich. economic Darwinism? It just oozes stupidity.

The concept is free market capitalism, where people choose what do buy, and on what to spend money.

The MSM agenda for change intends to destroy all of that. but they are the first to die off. - interesting.

[SampleMan]

If you ask anybody why they got into this business and they say it was for the money, they are either certifiably insane or no longer in the business.

Or they started the WSJ or FOX News.

[bert]

“I want to make a difference” she said. “ I can’t decide whether to be a marine biologist or a reporter.”

[abb]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/05/john-kerry-journalism.html
Silly John Kerry worried about online journalism, 70,000,000 bloggers

http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/google/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217300540&subSection=All+Stories
Google Says It’s Here To Help As Newspaper Industry Bleeds Out

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/05/07/senators_consider_options_for_ailing_newspapers/
Senators consider options for ailing newspapers

http://www.news-press.com/article/20090507/OPINION/905070313/1015/opinion
Editorial: Congress need not help media

http://community2.myfoxdfw.com/_Bail-Out-Newspapers/BLOG/269956/78592.html
Bail Out Newspapers?!

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/050709dnbusnewspapers_.37e76de.html
Newspaper advocates address Senate on struggles industry faces

http://www.businessinsider.com/henry-blodget-dallas-morning-news-incensed-by-amazons-lucrative-kindle-terms-2009-5
Dallas Morning News Whines To Congress About Amazon’s Extortionate Kindle Terms (AMZN)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/06/AR2009050603969.html?hpid=news-col-blog
Some Senatorial Tears for the Ink-Stained Wretches

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=7521920&page=1
Blogger and Newspaperman Battle: What’s the Future of Journalism?

http://tarpon.wordpress.com/2009/05/07/watchdogs/
Watchdogs Or Lapdogs ?

http://newsosaur.blogspot.com/2009/05/why-feds-cant-and-shouldnt-rescue-press.html
Why feds can’t – and shouldn’t – rescue press

[Recon Dad]

Know what your customer wants and deliver, it's as simple as that.

[N. Theknow]

Tears on my keyboard
Pain in my cubicle
Caused by youuuuu, youuuuuu, you.

Let me get my magnifying glass and find that violin so I can play this guy a few notes.

Arrogance, hubris and rampant denial of causation coupled with a condescending attitude and prattle of his self-importance seem to be the hallmark of the elitist "you need me because I say so Media."

[SampleMan]

The voluntarily propagandist media can’t sell it’s Leftist tripe and is being killed by the very natural capitalist forces that it has been attacking all these years. How perfectly fitting, like a man attempting to poison the water supply drowning.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal and Fox News continue to increase market share. Amazing what a little balance can do for marketability.

[ALPAPilot]

We like to think we forfeited bigger paychecks to pursue something that is essential: speaking truth to power, comforting the afflicted, afflicting the comfortable.

When your a jounalist and you ditch reporting the facts for this feel-good wishy washy nonsense, the paying readers will ditch you.

[ALPAPilot]

I could go on about the importance of serious journalism to a democracy, and the importance of The Boston Globe to this region in particular, but that wouldn't mean a hill of beans to the bottom line. If it were only about journalism, we'd be all set

Therein lies the problem. Serious journalism is important and the Boston Globe has ditched it for "comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable.

[ALPAPilot]

The Globe is still the region's dominant news organization, the biggest agenda-setter, whether it's pension and healthcare reform or holding sticky-fingered pols accountable.

Is there a state with more sticky-fingered pols than MA? I don't think so.

[abb]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/business/media/07news.html?scp=1&sq=news%20media&st=cse
News Corp. Optimistic, Though Profit Falls

[N. Theknow]

Now that's rich. economic Darwinism? It just oozes stupidity. The concept is free market capitalism, where people choose what do buy, and on what to spend money.

Economic Darwinism?

Bwahahahahahahahaha.

Even funnier....Few in journalism call it a business.

Anyone with half a brain can sum it up for this dolt with the ultimate truism:

If there is NO demand for what you are supplying, you are dust.

[Crawdad]

And so hard decisions are being made.

This is not a sentence. No wonder they are going under.

[clee1]

But at the end of the day, we produce something - journalism...

WRONG!

You produce NOTHING; or at the very least, nothing of value

You (the MSM as a group) seem to have forgotten that your primary purpose is to REPORT the NEWS - not set agendas or "afflict the comfortable".

A pox on all your houses! That which you allegedly produce is not something we want to buy.

Buh bye, azzhats.

[dangerdoc]

First rule of any business including not for profit organizations, if you do not make money, you cannot fulfill your mission.

[joe fonebone]

I have said it before, and I will say it again....when your business model automatically aleinates 50% of your potential customers, you are commiting suicide....lib and left wing tilts accomplish this handily..

[OrioleFan]

But at the end of the day, we produce something - journalism

And the MSM's idea of journalism is to tear down conservatism and capitalism as an extension of the socialist wing of the Democrat party.