Washington Post Still in Sad, Strange Decline (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

New York Magazine ^ | May 7, 2012 | Joe Coscarelli

[abb]

Late last week the hallowed Washington Post announced a first-quarter operating loss of $22.6 million as print ads sank 17 percent year-over-year and online revenue dipped 7 percent, too. Weekday circulation is now under 500,000, falling almost 10 percent, while the company's onetime moneymaker, the education unit Kaplan, lost some millions as well. Journalists at the paper are well aware of the problems and last month had a dark-sounding "secret meeting" to talk things out.

Adweek reports that ten of the paper's top staffers met with president and general manager Steve Hills over sandwiches to chat "about the challenges that we face," in Hills's words. The paper picked up no Pulitzers this year, and so "Hills was said to have shocked with remarks that awards 'don't matter,' urged more traffic-driving slideshows over original Post photos, and compared the Post to Ohio's Dayton Daily News, a paper with one-fifth the circulation." Welcome to 2012.

Not present at the meeting was executive editor Marcus Brauchli, who assured Adweek that the Post is still after "original, ambitious, high-impact journalism," while the investigations division editor Jeff Leen said, "We're still doing very ambitious, expensive, risky work." Key word: expensive.

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ping

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304363104577391712958166238.html?mod=WSJ_business_whatsNews
Carlos Slim Eyes Increased KPN Stake

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/bill-keller-fox-news-murdochs-most-toxic-legacy_b126770
Bill Keller: Fox News ‘Murdoch’s Most Toxic Legacy’

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2012/05/old-media-continues-die-new-platforms/52014/
Old Media Continues to Die on New Platforms

[Venturer]

There is nothing strage about the decline of the Washington Post.

That is what happens when you limit yourself to only the liberal half of your potential customers. You automatically cut your potential sales by half. When that half is made up of idiots,entitlement lovers, crazed pseudo-intellectuals and others who just dont care ,or cannot read, eventually you sink.

[Mich Patriot]

Who in their RIGHT mind would buy a LEFTIST paper when we have Free Republic? Donate today if you haven’t done so already!

[Dick Vomer]

Newspapers..... bye.....Going the way of the “town crier”, buggy whip, blacksmith, telegraph operator, gas station service attendant, 45 rpm records, telephone service operators, photo lab technicians, film processors, train caboose men, print encylopedia personnel... the BEST part is that unions and Buffet will lose money..fu-warren...

[abb]

http://newsosaur.blogspot.com/2012/05/at-risk-best-newspaper-ad-buyers.html#comments
At risk: The best newspaper ad buyers

http://gannettblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/by-numbers-gcis-fortune-500-rank.html
By the numbers | GCI’s Fortune 500 rank plunges

http://jimromenesko.com/2012/05/08/chronicle-of-higher-education-ousts-blogger-over-black-studies-post/
Chronicle of Higher Education ousts blogger over black studies post

(This is why the “journalism” profession is - and always will be - populated by groupthink Marxists. If you don’t toe the line, you are excommunicated - abb.)

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/484199-Oprah_Network_Hurts_Discovery_Earnings.php
Oprah Network Hurts Discovery Earnings

http://www.adweek.com/news/press/fill-blank-we-trust-140057
n (Fill in the Blank) We Trust
Legacy journalism brands are betting consumers will keep the faith. Will they?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57429373-38/franken-comcast-thumbs-nose-at-net-neutrality-rules/
Franken: Comcast thumbs nose at Net neutrality rules

http://www.technologyreview.com/business/40319/
Why Publishers Don’t Like Apps

[Huebolt]

That is what happens when you limit yourself to only the liberal half of your potential customers. You automatically cut your potential sales by half.

The politicized LABOR UNIONS should realize the same thing. Union Made = NO SALE for the same half of the population.

[evad]

SAD??????

[SampleMan]

...the hallowed Washington Post...

Sorry, I couldn't keep reading after I got to that.

[Menehune56]

SAD??????

I guess it's sad to New York Magazine which seems to be loony left judging by the comments below the article.

[abb]

http://jimromenesko.com/2012/05/08/nyt-journalists-call-on-management-to-settle-with-staff/
NYT journalists call on management to settle with staff

[blueunicorn6]

Ahhhhh....the washington past......”It’s not news unless it helps the Democrats!”......sail on brave little sailors.....

[Chickensoup]

The weekly papers do well here. No garbage just straight local news.

If someone had a national app for obituaries by town, county and state there would be no local daily paper.

Leftist billionare boyfriend of Chellie Pingree just bought a number of Maine daily papers. I imagine that the papers will tank further.

[Zakeet]

First-quarter operating loss of $22.6 million ... print ads sank 17 percent year-over-year ... online revenue dipped 7 percent ... weekday circulation under 500,000 ... falling almost 10 percent ... Kaplan, lost some millions.

Government tech school largesse has propped up the leftist rag for years. As a result, ComPost can no longer stand on its own, as demonstrated with the above information from the article. When the bubble pops on student loans, and it will within the near future, then Mee-Maw's wipe is done. Period.

[abb]

The only thing that props up local weeklies is the government-paid legal ads. Pull that stuff and they go under, too.

[Chickensoup]

We have weeklies that are thick with advertising and provide nice content.

[USS Alaska]

I pay for 4 pieces of ink and paper publications, Rush's Monthly Newsletter, Golf Magazine, American Hunter and my local paper which is {semi} conservative.

I only buy the local paper to check the obits so that I know I'm still alive.

Limbaugh has a great interview every month and has many funny quotes and tidbits.

His monthly editorial is just a rehash of some part of his program, but it's a quick two page good read.

My son lives in the Annapolis area and cancelled the Washington Post subscription over a year ago, but they still deliver it { at no charge???}.

Talk about screwed up.

[Zakeet]

When the bubble pops on student loans, and it will within the near future ...

Speaking of which, in today's daily squawk from SeeBS Smooze: Student loan bill fails as Senate gears up for protracted battle

Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked a bill aimed at extending low interest rates for student loans, signaling the possibility of a protracted congressional battle over a measure lawmakers in both parties agree should ultimately be passed.

In a 52-45 vote, Republican Senators blocked further work on the "Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act of 2012," a Democrat-sponsored bill that would extend low interest rates on federally subsidized student loans for another year. Barring an extension, the rate on new loans for undergraduates would increase from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent this July. Sixty votes were needed to advance to debate.

[ops33]

Demographics is also working against them. Young people just don’t read newspapers.