Talk about David v Goliath…
Is hard to imagine that the vaunted Kansas City Star would be upstaged by a neighboring, small town daily, but it’s happening.
Just yesterday the lowly Lawrence Journal World choked out 26 pages of news and information to the Star’s meager 18 puny pages. That’s an incredible 44 percent more content.
Which by practically any measure imaginable is unthinkable.
Seriously, it’s not like the Star is alone among daily newspapers losing the battle to sustain profitability. Not at all. The Journal World is just as far up you-know-what creek as the gang at 18th and Grand…if not worse off.
However page count aside, what sets the Journal World apart is two fold. First, the ability to get a better handle on local news and second, its kick butt 8-page USA Today section.
That’s right, the Star continues to cling to an outdated notion that it needs to report national and international news, while all but doing away recently with its local arts and entertainment section and coverage.
The Journal World did practically the opposite, throwing in the towel on pretending to cover national and international news while bolstering its local coverage, including FYI Section style topics.
Net result: USA Today’s insert totally kicks butt, freeing reporters and writers to do a better job covering local news and arts.
In fairness to the Star, it’s a heckuva lot easier to cover the goings on in a town of less than 100,000 people than a city of nearly 2 million people. The flip side of that being the Star has more than enough resources – even after all its many cuts – to do a far better job than it does.
Face it, sad as it is, it’s just a poorly run news organization in need of a top-to-bottom makeover – shake up, realignment – call it what you will.
The folks running the news show in KC obviously have little to no concept of thinking inside the box, let alone outside it.
Maybe somewhere down the line Jeff Bezos o0r some other equally unlikely outsider will ride to the rescue and clean house. In the meantime a long, sad death march continues with no end in sight.
What more can we possibly say about this? Is there nothing else to write about?
Well, I’d say a daily newspaper in a small town that the Star prints btw surpassing the Star in content by 44 percent is ki da newsy, my dear Starletta…
But that’s just me.
Yep, that’s just you.
O yeah, I’ve been telling my friends about it all day.
I agree with Starletta. I would much rather hear an old lady review the Olive Garden than listen to another story comparing and reviewing the KC Star to the Topeka Capitol Journal.
I have to agree. We get the shadenfreude relationship you have with your old employer but time to regain some dignity wild man.
Go dig up some dirt on a local celeb and share that with us.
It is definitely time to turn the page.
This site needs some new ideas.
We don’t need more stories about how you think the media over-estimates crowds. Or about how when local sports teams do well, local entertainment companies find it tough to compete. I like Craig Glazer a lot, but I don’t need to know about his opinion on every single current event.
Forget the Star. Most people have. How about that Boston Globe Trump edition or some REIT buying the Times building? Most good news has come out small newspapers in smaller communities, supporting their communities. The Star lost that years ago. It is hard to compete with the Journal. Why try?
Hearne cannot JUST FORGET Der Star. It is the anger that drives him throughout the day, gives his life meaning. Just forget. Pffffft.
you should report to a psychiatrist immediately hearne.
your obsession and hatred could lead to something horrible against the star.
Like stealing their 300 copies sold every sunday at the quik trip on wornall.
Or firebombing one of their boxes around the city.
Or maybe confronting the editorial board. But you can’t …..you have no
facts/stats/evidence to prove any of your positions so they would give you
a big tongue lashing at your lack of journalistic credentials.
Or maybe you sick your dog on the star carriers when they drive by your house.
Hearne….you are losing it bud. and everyone on this site realizes it.
Get some help dude. And get out of Lawrence.
Hoping you get well….
your friend
Harley. hahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m losing it?
Hey, I’m leading a very successful life / career change. The last thing on my mind is sense of loss from working at the Star.
You of all people should be able to see that by my limited interaction (which I plan to change) on this site.
If anything, I’m speaking far more plainly, with little restraint – as an outsider observer almost.
Not subscribing for several months and only looking at random copies every mont or so, I’m at my most objective – seriously.
I am totally down the road.
You obviously are not.
So live in the imaginary past if that’s what you choose to do.
Frankly, how can anyone halfway objective not roll their eyes that the Lawrence newspaper has 44 percent more content than its KC cousin?
As for journalistic credentials, I think 16 years at the Star with the most closely edited column (and highest read) speaks for itself.
Of course, that pales with your credentials as an anonymous, online dude…I’ll grant you that!
or maybe have your daughters pelt the kc star carrier car with mud balls.
get help sir. If you need a good one I’m sure glaze knows someone good.
take care. It’s all going to be okay.
Interesting article and a great contrast between what is and what could be. The hard left slant (and Pravda like refusal to print anything against their “narrative”) is a big part of why I won’t buy the Star. The other is exactly as you say in this article, a presumption that we care at all about their national coverage – syndicated or original. Or their dull-witted editorializing. Their only remaining value IS their local coverage, they should go after it!
Thanks for an interesting read – I never skip over one of your articles on the Star, Hearne.
+1
OMG, don’t encourage him, please, we’re begging you, for the love of God.
Hey Hearne, if the KC Star slaps that 8 page USA Today section in their paper, does that close the pathetic gap of 26 t0 18 by 8 pages, meaning that both papers have the same number of pages worth of content. or is the USA Today section not included in your “26” count for the LJW? I know that your journalistic standards would demand that you clarify this.