Feb 15, 2013

The Hibernating Morning Call Newspaper

A month ago I wrote a post entitled Top Brass To Cash In Chips. At that time, I wrote; Check with The Morning Call in ten days to two week, for what will be just a longer version of my exclusive. It actually took the Call one month. How is it that a blogger can scoop a paper? How is it that a feature story can be team written that contains virtually no new information? How can columnists use their bully pulpit to write about grammar, week after week? I think the answer lies in the recent bankruptcy period of the Tribune Organization. During that period business decisions were made from financial distress, not journalistic accomplishment. Those retaining their jobs were probably frozen somewhat, knowing that decisions were being made 1,500 miles away, by people who likely never even read The Morning Call. Now that the Tribune has emerged from bankruptcy, I wish the remaining staff well, with whomever their new employer turns out to be.

UPDATE: Question for Bill White.  Bill, should it be whoever or whomever your new employer turns out to be?

6 comments:

  1. The Call use to allow subscribers to pay for a Monday-Friday edition. No more.

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  2. @6:02, i believe that their tribune centralized system has cost this particular paper dearly. for examples, the classified ads are priced out of the local market. ads are taken in chicago, and billed from boston. consequently, there are hardly any people placing ads anymore. it's impossible to suspend or modify delivery service, despite a call center in india. i have decided to discontinue my hard copy paper after 45 years. i will still purchase a paper, but from a store. it's impossible to see the digital subscription from another computer, the sign in system doesn't work properly.

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  3. The obituaries are too expensive.

    What about the recycled stories about the Sands? Hell, they had a front page feature about expanding an employee parking lot. That is not news. That is free advertisement.

    Who would have imagined that a skate park receiving back to back DCNR grants would get so much coverage?

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  4. A sale of the Morning Call, a house-cleaning of it's upper management, less (or nothing) from Paul Carpenter and Bill White, are all positive steps in returning the paper to what it once was.

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  5. Can you believe it? Yet another Sands article posted after the lunch hour.

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  6. Last summner my Monday and Tuesday papers were not being delivered. I called (The Phillipines)and the rep told me I never got the paper on Mondays and Tuesdays. I told them I have gotten the paper seven days a week for forty years and he insisted I didn't. So, I let it go and also let my subscription expire in the fall. Know what? I have yet (4 months) received a phone call asking me to re-subscribe. Amazing, huh? All they seem to care about is their dopey online edition.

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