END TIMES: LA Times Employee Predicts Paper Online-Only In 3 Years (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

Business Insider ^ | September 26, 2011 | Noah Davis

[abb]

Ed Padgett knows a thing or two about printing newspapers.

For the last 39 years, he has been working as a pressman at the Los Angeles Times.

In the near future, he could be out of a job.

"[The management is] expecting a really bad fourth quarter. The senior vice president told us we’ve got three years more of printing the hard copy Times before they shut it down. Our plant manager says five years," he told The Frying Pan.

A LAT spokeswoman said that there were no plans to cease publication of the print product, but you would not expect her to say anything different.

[blueunicorn6]

Ahhhhh......the old media......bravely standing on the deck of their burning, sinking boat.....keeping a stiff upper lip as they refuse to turn on the pumps of impartiality to save the boat.....”I’d rather be a drowned Democrat than be right!” squeaked the captain......bon voyage brave little sailor.

[RightGeek]

And online only will have a very short half life.

[abb]

Nobody seems to care about the little people, the apolitical grunt workers, who are hurt in these situations. The policymakers will land on their feet while the ordinary employees face catastrophe.

That pressman has been there 39 year, likely with a gold-plated union contract feathering his bed. The pressmen's union still holds sway in newspapers.

No sympathy here.

[MindBender26]

Abb,

The same numbers hold for the NYT.

The papers owned by Zell, the Chicago Tribune group, will be gone in less than that.

None will succeed as internet entities because they can not operate in either a “lean and mean, “non-hierarchical” or “news NOW” mode.

BTW, Television as we know it will be gone in 5-8 years.

[abb]

Correct. It’s all about the ease of distribution. Giant paper mills, printing presses, hand delivery door-to- door, etc, for newspapers. For TV, satellites, microwave relays, towers and transmitters, studios, etc.

Why spend money on all that when you can distribute video, audio and print to the entire world with the click of a mouse?

[mamelukesabre]

I don’t expect many local newspapers to survive the next 5 years as a full sized daily newspaper on actual paper. The wall street journal, the new york slimes, USA today, and maybe 25 more major city newspapers. They rest will end up being mini papers possibly only circulated once weekly or electronic only.

[Route797]

You make a good point about the veteran employees, but what about those in mid-career who aren't eligible to retire?

The older I get, the more sympathy I have for those who have been overtaken by time and chance.

[Cracker Jack]

Here’s an idea. Quit printing biased propaganda.

When the Austin American-Statesman circulation department calls to sell me an ultra-cheap subscription (about once a week), I always remind them it seems they would rather lose money as a mouthpiece for the democrats than provide unbiased coverage and turn a profit. And that I am happy to help them go broke by remaining a non-subscriber. They still call, not quite as often.

[Chode]

and the RATS, take another one in the.........HA ha!!!

[A CA Guy]

The daily paper went up from 25 cents to $1.00 in like the last 7 years.
They are tanking.

[MovementConservative]

39 years is about right for a working career. He can retire and be just fine. The other suckers in their early 50’s are in for a long road ahead.