Note the even handed Kavanaugh headline
These are desperate times for big city newspapers…
In no small part because the days of them charging usurious subscription and ad rates are a thing of the past, thanks to Al Gore‘s worldwide web.
Net result: Newspapers like the Kansas City Star are on the ropes with a staffing cut from more than 2,000 employees a decade back to 200 or fewer.
Unfortunately, not only has the Star been unable to calculate how to replace those tens of millions of dollars each year, they’ve allowed the same people at the top who’ve driven the local daily into the ditch to continue with their unimaginative survival strategies.
So not only is it hard to feel sorry for them with their high six and seven figure paychecks and unapologetic behavior, turns out there’s a better way and newspapers who’ve figured that out are faring far better.
Take the Chattanooga Times Free Press…
During a visit there last summer it became painfully obvious that it was in far better shape than our newspaper of record.
On a lowly Tuesday in July for example, the Times Free Press had five (count ’em) separate new sections still.
Anybody remember how long it’s been since the Star had more than two?
And while Chattanooga’s six page “A” section still focuses on national and international news as well, there was zero evidence of the kind of politically slanted coverage the Star is famous (infamous?) for.
On top of which the Times Free Press‘ eight page “Region” section was devoid of preachy left leaning (or right for that matter) politically correctly slanted stories and features.
How refreshing!
They even have a four page “Business” section with interesting local and national business news.
Incredibly, its six page “Sports” section was smaller than its local news section. That would be unheard of here since editor Mike Fannin is a product of the sports pages.
Speaking of which, former FYI section devotees (and refugees) may be interested to learn that Chattanoogan’s still enjoy s daily “Life” section eight pages in length!
You got it, bigger than the newspaper’s sports section, go figure.
Ditto for the Times Free Press‘ Sunday edition, except it comes with a 16 page, zoned “Community News” insert.
Remember when the Star used to used to choke those out a lifetime ago?
The bottom line: times are tough for dailies but why make things worse by serving up biased, politically slanted news stories?
Instead of preaching political correctness ad nauseam and jamming left leaning news down reader’s throats, the Chattanooga Times Free Press is doing things the old-fashioned way – covering news sans the spin.
And guess what? It’s paying off!
Imagine that! Producing actual journalistic news coverage that an entire potential reading audience would have interest in, as opposed to only a 20-25% minority of that audience comprised of left-wing partisan lackeys. The Star buries itself with its non-journalistic approach of striving to be a left-wing advocate and propagandist instead of an actual news organization. And dooming itself to financial oblivion is something the Star seems only too willing to do. They apparently feel it’s okay to ultimately sink to the bottom of the ocean, just so long as “the cause” is served in the meantime!
That’s a bitter pill to swallow, Rage. And something that makes so little sense that it’s nay impossible to come up with a reason that thinking class corporate fat cats would allow the Star to play out such an obvious losing hand year after year after year.
Like you, I suspect, I don’t get it that this would continue unabated for so long.
That said, I do understand it.
These people truly do feel that they are on a mission to spread their version of truth, justice and the American way.
They feel like their version of news and history is the CORRECT one and anyone who thinks otherwise is nothing but plain wrong. So I guess you could say, they feel like journalistic heroes going down with the ship.