Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/11/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I wouldn't necessarily say stupid so much as stuck with incredible changes, changes that haven't existed in the 300+ years of newspapers. Before Craigslist and in-store coupons changed the world, newspapers had a built-in advertising base--mainly because there was no place else for advertisers to go. Add in the monopolies that newspapers enjoyed for the past forty years, thanks to joint operating agreements, and it was a protected world where papers could readily afford to invest in quality reporting. I fear that no amount of quality will ever come close to bringing back enough readers and revenue to support the news staff of days past. The instances where individuals are investing in quality reporting (Bezos' acquisition of the Washington Post comes to mind) seem to be more vanity acquisitions that the owners hope will eventually prove their worth. When I think of high quality as a means of driving sales, I think of my refrigerator full of Fuji Acros--the finest black and white film I've ever used. In a world where photography almost completely means memory cards, Acros' days are numbered. Jim -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+jshulman=judgecrater.com at leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+jshulman=judgecrater.com at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Bill Pearce Sent: Tuesday, November 12, 2013 12:31 PM To: Leica Users Group Subject: Re: [Leica] Sad tidings for newspaper photographers Stupid, stupid, stupid. Newspaper editors and publishers must have come from the ranks of American car execs in the eighties. You cannot increase sales by making you product unpalatable, and yet that's what they do. "No one is buying our product anymore, we should make cuts." No one ever cut their way to success. Note again the failure of the New Orleans newspaper and the successful replacement by a special edition of the Baton Rouge paper. Reduce paper to three days a week, out of business. Pay reporters and photogs to cover the town daily, success. -----Original Message----- From: lrzeitlin at aol.com Sent: Tuesday, November 12, 2013 9:06 AM To: lug at leica-users.org Subject: [Leica] Sad tidings for newspaper photographers At Newspapers, Photographers Feel The Brunt of Job Cuts (Pew Research Center / FactTank) Citing "new technologies" and "economic realities," the Times Herald-Record in Middletown, N.Y., laid off its four remaining staff photographers earlier this month, joining the growing ranks of newspapers that are shrinking or eliminating their photography staffs. Along with their newsroom colleagues, news photographers have not been immune to the layoffs affecting the newspaper industry. But a landmark moment occurred this past May, when the Chicago Sun-Times axed its entire 28-person photography department. Another major U.S. daily, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, announced in October that it would lay off a significant number of its staff photographers. Larry Z _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information