East Valley (Arizona) Tribune to shut down Dec. 31 (Official Dinosaur Media Wake®)

East Valley Tribune ^ | November 2, 2009 | Ed Taylor

[abb]

The Tribune Newspapers will cease operations on Dec. 31, the parent company Freedom Communications said Monday.

Read the company's news release (PDF)

Freedom officials made the announcement to Tribune employees Monday morning, citing the economic recession and changes in the newspaper industry that have cause many publications to close and others to file for bankruptcy protection.

Freedom, which itself is operating under Chapter 11 reorganization, had been attempting to sell the Tribune, but no acceptable offers have come forward, said Interim Chief Executive Burl Osborne.

“We have received a number of inquiries, but none at a level we would remotely consider,” he said, adding that “This is a terrible day for the company, a terrible day for the Tribune.”

Severance packages will be provided to employees and some jobs may be available in other parts of the company, said Publisher Julie Moreno.

Two other Freedom newspapers in the Valley, the Sun City Daily News-Sun and the Ahwatukee Foothills News, will continue to publish, as will Freedom Interactive in Chandler, which publishes the Clipper coupon book.

About 140 employees work at the Tribune. Most are located at the company’s main plant at 120 W. First Avenue in Mesa.

The Tribune publishes editions in Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler and Queen Creek. It distributes 100,000 free papers in driveways and racks three times weekly.

In addition to ceasing publication of the Tribune print edition, the company also will close its East Valley Tribune.com Web site at the end of this year, officials said.

During the transition time to the end of this year the Tribune will continue to publish its print and online products as usual and will continue to support customers, advertisers and the community, the company said. Employees and suppliers will be paid for the work they perform and goods they provide during the transition, officials said.

In addition to advertising cutbacks caused by the recession, the newspaper industry has been hard hit by technology changes, which have altered the way many people receive their news. Many readers are using the Internet as their primary news source, but news organizations have had difficulty operating Web site profitably.

Jon Segal, vice president of Freedom Newspapers, said the company made a major effort during the past year to try to adjust the Tribune to the changing media landscape including adopting a new business model that focused on free distribution of the print product and enhancing advertising revenue.

Also Freedom purchased a new press for the Tribune that allowed the company to publish separate editions in tabloid format for each of the four communities.

In a sound economy, the business model would have worked, Segal said, but in a sharp economic downturn the task was too great.

“Readership was up, we won awards, acceptance of the product by readers was good,” he said. “In a normal economy it would have been successful, but overlaying it was that perfect storm.”

According to Freedom’s filings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the Tribune has not been profitable in the past two years.

Osborne said Freedom will retain ownership of the press and other assets of the Tribune. The company’s building in downtown Mesa will be available for sale, he said.

[abb]

Monday afternoon good news.

[abb]

ping

[abb]

http://www.heatcity.org/2009/11/breaking-east-valley-tribune-t.html
East Valley Tribune, a recent Pulitzer winner, to close Dec. 31

http://www.murraychass.com/?p=1066
LATEST SIGNS OF A DYING INDUSTRY

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sun-fraudulentnov01,0,40661,full.story
Ruling bolsters dissidents in Tribune Co. bankruptcy case

http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/taxingdetroitblog/index.php
Political pundit Ed Rollins pummeled by debt

http://stanleybing.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/11/02/how-to-save-business-journalism/
How to save business journalism

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/business/media/02carr.html?ref=media
Business Is a Beat Deflated

http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=140101
Life After the Pay Wall: Ignorance Ain’t Bliss After All

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/01/wall-street-journal-robert-thomson-digital-content
Murdoch’s attack dog snarls at the ‘parasites’ threatening his master

[CedarDave]

I thought the Trib was not as liberal as the Republic had become. If I’m correct, it will leave that paper as the only voice, and a left-wing one at that, for the entire valley.

[abb]

http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=140136
It’s 10 O’Clock ... Do You Know What’s on TV?

http://www.buzzmachine.com/
The future of news is entrepreneurial

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/nov/02/digital-media-new-york-times
New York Times ‘within weeks of decision’ on charging for online

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004032293
Newspapers in Arkansas Start Layoffs a Joint Venture Begins

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/business/media/02nbc.html?ref=business
Comcast Said to Be Close to Gaining NBC Universal

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/business/media/02tnt.html?ref=business
Turner Entertainment Sees the Broadcast Networks as Its Fattest Target

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704746304574505800428175562.html
Comcast, GE Deal Closer

[bilhosty]

Freedom publishing is a libertarian publisihg company. If that paper is like the company this is probably a loss for our side.

[donna]

They had great local high school sports coverage.

[abb]

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/time-warners-new-albatross-time-inc-2009-10-30
Time Warner’s new albatross: Time Inc.
Commentary: Publishing unit is a big drag on the parent

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/367017-Buying_Into_Big_Media_s_Recovery.php
Buying Into Big Media’s Recovery
Whether or not Wall Street’s green shoots are real, optimism begins to creep in

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE59T3AW20091030
E-readers may not solve publisher woes yet

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118010644.html?categoryid=1066&cs=1
WGA issues dire outlook for news biz
Guild presses federal government for more support

[Columbia]

I have been reading that paper since 1963. At that time it was known as the Mesa Tribune, the city outside of Phoenix where it originated.

They were more pro-illegal immigration than con.

Good riddance.

[Jeff Chandler]

The Tribune publishes editions in Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler and Queen Creek. It distributes 100,000 free papers in driveways and racks three times weekly.

It is a liberal newspaper, but conservative in comparison to the Daily Worker Republic.

It was once a major player in the valley. I remember canceling my subscription to the Tribune almost 20 years ago when I opened my Easter Sunday edition to discover that the holy day was only mentioned once, in a small article deep within the paper. To them, it was just another day.

[abb]

Freedom Communications publishes the OCR (Orange County Register). At one time, that was a reasonably conservative newspaper. Today, not so much. I don’t know that I can put my finger on any daily paper that could be considered “conservative.”

http://www.freedom.com/newspapers/community.html

[azishot]

Doesn’t surprise me. I could never understand why they dropped PAYING customers about a year ago and went to free deliveries?

Used to be a great paper. Now all we have is the Republic...yuck.

[abb]

Used to be a great paper. Now all we have is the Republic...yuck.

You have blogs. And if there are none, you and fellow conservatives band together and start going to the County Commission and City Council meetings. And then write about it. You will be shocked how much impact you can have.

[abb]

http://www.eandppub.com/2009/11/former-ap-bureau-chief-johnson-now-at-aarp.html
Former AP Bureau Chief Johnson Now At AARP

http://www.splicetoday.com/politics-and-media/what-it-means-when-a-city-loses-its-paper
What it Means When a City Loses its Paper

http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2009/11/specialized_news_sites_could_b.html
Specialized news sites could become the next big thing

http://myregisterexperience.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/street-reporting-can-it-work-in-the-digital-newsroom/
Street Reporting: Can it work in the digital newsroom?

[Grampa Dave]

The wet dream pouring from the leaders of this dying fishwrap: “Readership was up, we won awards, acceptance of the product by readers was good,” he said. “In a normal economy it would have been successful, but overlaying it was that perfect storm.”

The reality in the real world: ‘According to Freedom’s filings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the Tribune has not been profitable in the past two years.’

[abb]

Indeed.

Off to cover the monthly city council meeting this evening. Then the school board tomorrow.

A frustrated (since about the age of 12) newsie has found a niche!

[abb]

LOL!! Look at this one!! He’s mad!

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/columnists/sfl-emcol01sbnov01,0,1868749.column

What is really news? Consider the source, including us

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

“We have received a number of inquiries, but none at a level we would remotely consider,” he said...

I sent him two cents.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

I don’t know that I can put my finger on any daily paper that could be considered “conservative.”

Don't bother looking with too much effort, lots of people will claim to be so, but when the rubber hits the road, they get weak in the knees...

[abb]

I sent him two cents.

Some things just ain't worth the money...

[Landru]

>I sent him two cents.
"Some things just ain't worth the money..."

Don't suppose a partially filled Sperry ^ Hutchinson book of green stamps would garner much interest, then.
Well so be it, but that's all I'm offering. LOL

Now...to *parse* the article*. HA!!

[wolficatZ]

The newspaper belongs in the trash (Arizona Republic and the East Valley Tribune) 

By Rachel Alexander
web posted November 10, 2008

Traditional media outlets are dying and savvy conservative politicians have taken to ignoring them -- or hastening their demise. Instead of subjecting themselves to heavy-handed interviews and biased coverage, Republicans are finding other ways to reach the public with their campaign messages. It's an approach the McCain-Palin ticket may have adopted too late. McCain's campaign manager Rick Davis asked, "Why would we want to throw Sarah Palin into a cycle of piranhas called the news media that have nothing better to ask questions about than her personal life and her children?"

In McCain's Arizona, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio recently took the right's campaign against the MSM to a new level by running an anti-media television ad. In the ad, which touts his record as Sheriff, Arpaio instructs voters to throw the local newspapers away. "You can never believe everything you read," Arpaio says, holding up copies of the Arizona Republic and the East Valley Tribune. "So when these are delivered to your house, they belong in the trash." He then throws the papers into a garbage bin. This year, knowing full well in advance the Arizona Republic was not going to endorse either of them for reelection given the paper's constant negative coverage of them, Arpaio and Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas told the paper "no thank you" to an interview. In a joint press release, the two said in part, "the Arizona Republic board has been one of the biggest voices against steps we have successfully taken to reduce Valley crime. Even the paper's own lawyer has been opposing us outside of its own pages…They will talk about our opponents in glowing terms while ignoring their own research which would alert the public to embarrassing, disgusting or way too soft on crime information about our opponents."

With newspaper circulation rates declining, it has finally become safe for conservative politicians to pick fights with people who buy ink by the barrel. According to numbers just released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the Arizona Republic's circulation has shrunk 5.5% since 2007. Over the six years prior to that, the Republic's circulation dropped nearly 11% -- even though Arizona's population grew by 20%. Circulation of major newspapers around the country had been declining about two percent each year, until last year when their decline increased; by 3.7 percent on weekdays and 4.6 percent on Sundays.

The Republic used to be a middle of the road newspaper until Keven Willey became editorial page editor in 1998. Under her lead, the paper took a hard turn to the left. Willey left in 2002 to become editorial page editor of the Dallas Morning News. That newspaper has had a steep decline in circulation throughout Willey's tenure, most recently decreasing 11.7% since 2007. Randy Lovely took over as managing editor and then executive editor of the Republic when Willey left, continuing its more liberal slant (though the paper did endorse John McCain for president).

At the same time the Republic began declining, a right-leaning blog called espressopundit.com emerged and devoted considerable coverage to the Republic's demise. Blog owner Greg Patterson had access to inside information, revealing in advance layoffs and other shakeups at the paper, accompanied by photographs of a sinking ship.

The other major newspaper in the Phoenix area, the East Valley Tribune, recently announced that it would no longer include Scottsdale and Tempe, two of the biggest cities in its coverage area, and was reducing publication of its print edition to four days a week.

Newspapers aren't having much success moving operations online. Graphs from alexa.com show that the Republic's azcentral.com site has been gradually losing visitors over the past year, and traffic to eastvalleytribune.com has also declined.

Refusing to interview with the liberal newspapers is catching on around the state. Republican legislative candidate Frank Antenori in southern Tucson announced that he would not be seeking the endorsement of both the Arizona Daily and the Tucson Citizen, saying his time would be more effectively spent knocking on doors. Antenori won on Tuesday.

The most popular political blog in the state, the conservative sonoranalliance.com, gets around 1,000 unique visitors each day. Considering only 4% of newspaper subscribers read editorial pages, and the Republic is down to only 361,333 subscribers, that means only 14,453 of subscribers are likely reading its editorial pages. Depending on how many of sonoranalliance.com's readers are repeat visitors each day, there may now be more people reading that blog than are reading the Republic's editorial pages. It is time to start giving reputable blogs the status historically given newspapers, because they are gradually becoming the newspapers of the future. Just like Fox News and talk radio destroyed the hegemony of the major TV news networks, blogs are now taking down the left's last media bastion, print media.

Rachel Alexander is co-editor of IntellectualConservative.com. This essay originally appeared in The American Spectator.

http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/1108/1108trash.htm

[Landru]

"Freedom officials made the announcement to Tribune employees Monday morning, citing the economic recession and changes in the newspaper industry that have cause many publications to close and others to file for bankruptcy protection."

Oh, no.
Gobs of sobs 4 the slobs.
~eh, abb...pass the Kleenex when you're finished, will ya. LOL

"Freedom, which itself is operating under Chapter 11 reorganization, had been attempting to sell the Tribune, but no acceptable offers have come forward, said Interim Chief Executive Burl Osborne."

How odd.
No offer(s), a'tall?
Have these sycophant propagandists never read the august publication The Boston Globe? Better than a crystal ball. Geeeeehezzzz.

"'We have received a number of inquiries, but none at a level we would remotely consider,' he said, adding that 'This is a terrible day for the company, a terrible day for the Tribune.'"

This is one of those POV things.
Your other rags are next, buster.
But methinks you know that, huh. LOL

"Severance packages will be provided to employees and some jobs may be available in other parts of the company, said Publisher Julie Moreno."

What position(s), pray-tell?
Hell's bells what company!? LOL!!!
These geniuses sincerely don't get-it, they can't possibly. They need to SUE their Journalism profs for damages!

"Two other Freedom newspapers in the Valley, the Sun City Daily News-Sun and the Ahwatukee Foothills News, will continue to publish..."

For the moment.

"...as will Freedom Interactive in Chandler, which publishes the Clipper coupon book."

BWWWWWWHAAAAA!!!
Sweet Jesus, how apropos' is THAT?
Great place for the buggers to ply their journalistic skills, I'd say.

"About 140 employees work at the Tribune. Most are located at the company’s main plant at 120 W. First Avenue in Mesa."

The grunts, Newspaper Guild takes the hit in the chops. Wonder what happens to the retirement monies? LOL

"The Tribune publishes editions in Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler and Queen Creek. It distributes 100,000 free papers in driveways and racks three times weekly."

*Free*, huh.
Literally can't give 'em away, eh?
People have very longggggg memories, indeed.

Y'know what, abb?
Last Thursday, got ANOTHER *free* edition of the local rag via USPS! Threw it on the stack of junk for lunchtime reading. Never cracked even one of what *feels* like 5 pages. Guess whatever's in *It* is now quite dated. LOL!!

"In addition to ceasing publication of the Tribune print edition, the company also will close its East Valley Tribune.com Web site at the end of this year, officials said."

So, it isn't totally the Internet?
Who knew. LOL

"During the transition time to the end of this year the Tribune will continue to publish its print and online products as usual and will continue to support customers, advertisers and the community, the company said. Employees and suppliers will be paid for the work they perform and goods they provide during the transition, officials said."

*Transition time*??
Is that what being run outa town on a rail's called these days? Got it. :o)

"In addition to advertising cutbacks caused by the recession, the newspaper industry has been hard hit by technology changes, which have altered the way many people receive their news. Many readers are using the Internet as their primary news source, but news organizations have had difficulty operating Web site profitably."

Just not your Internet website, eh? >doink!<

"Jon Segal, vice president of Freedom Newspapers, said the company made a major effort during the past year to try to adjust the Tribune to the changing media landscape including adopting a new business model that focused on free distribution of the print product and enhancing advertising revenue."

While leaving the obnoxious, awful Liberal-Socialist propaganda content intact? Have a nice drown, pal.

"Also Freedom purchased a new press for the Tribune that allowed the company to publish separate editions in tabloid format for each of the four communities."

Apparently the new press have no impact on the same ol' scribes and their dreck, nor the bilge YOU reprinted, unquestioned from the likes of The Associated Quislings, Reuters et al ad nauseum. *Surprise*!!

"In a sound economy, the business model would have worked, Segal said, but in a sharp economic downturn the task was too great."

Hopeless clown who in one of those rare instances of just desserts got his, but-good.

"'Readership was up, we won awards, acceptance of the product by readers was good,' he said. 'In a normal economy it would have been successful, but overlaying it was that perfect storm.'"

Never tried selling your rag in Stockholm, Sweden? That's where you failed, bucko. The Norwegian Nobel Committee is saddened, I'm sure. LOL

"According to Freedom’s filings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the Tribune has not been profitable in the past two years."

So for *2* years, management {spit} could've at least TRIED a new, innovative "business model" like say, representing all POVs? Troubling, most troubling.

"Osborne said Freedom will retain ownership of the press and other assets of the Tribune. The company’s building in downtown Mesa will be available for sale, he said."

The property, huh.
OK, I bid one half book of S&H Green Stamps!!
But that's it, last bid!!
BWWWWWHAAAAAAA!!!

[Clay Moore]

Bring out your dead!

[machogirl]

You are correct. The Trib has been a better newspaper, although I believe part of the reason of its demise was the left turn it made esp. with respect to “immigrants”. I quite taking the Trib because of that and several years earlier quit the AZ Republic because it ceased to be a “newspaper” and instead became the English version of “La Voz”, “pro-illegal immigrant” propaganda.

[machogirl]

agree and some very good writers. AZ Republic is supported by Gannett, otherwise it would have been a goner before the Trib.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Remember when the Pulliam family ran the Tribune. It was solidly conservative, just like the Indianapolis paper.

[abb]

And when Henry Luce ran TIME, Inc. When he gave up editorial control in the mid-60s is when things began to fall apart in the media.

It is my considered opinion that he was one of the main counterbalances to the liberals at the networks and the big newspapers.

[machogirl]

yep. the PC pandering helped do them in.

[MovementConservative]

100,000 free papers distributed to driveways 3x a week? I bet at least half those go straight to the recycling bin. Thank goodness this environmental affront is shutting down.