Bah Humbug at the News

Media critic and blogger (aren't we all) Dan Kennedy reports that CNHI, the national company that owns the Daily News, Salem Evening News, the Trib and others is requiring employees to take another unpaid day off sometime before Dec. 26. Local reporters already have taken at least one furlough week this year.

Take that Stanley Walker,

This popped into my head this morning after enjoying Victor Tine's account of the ceremony honoring former Daily News editor Bill Plante. Written in 1928 by Stanley Walker, city editor of the New York Herald Tribune.

"What makes a good newspaperman? The answer is easy. He knows everything. He's aware not only of what goes on in the world today, but his brain is a repository of the accumulated wisdom of the ages. He is not only handsome, but he has the physical strength which enables him to perform great feats of energy. He can go for nights on end without sleep. He dresses well and talks with charm. Men admire him, women adore him; tycoons and statesmen are willing to share their secrets with him. He hates lies and meanness and sham, but he keeps his temper. He is loyal to his paper and what he looks upon as a profession; whether it is a profession, or merely a craft, he resents attempts to debate it. When he dies, a lot of people are sorry, and some of them remember him for several days."

Besides my many friendships, a small laminated card with this writing was one of the most lasting things I received from journalism school. Geeky as this sounds, I carried it in my wallet for years after college. I'd rediscover it while digging deep into my wallet for some lost piece of paper and read it once again.

I'm not sure why I kept it. Religious fervor, I suppose. Newspaper reporting, unlike most professions, is truly a calling. Salary, benefits, comfort and security are all secondary considerations to doing the job well. There's a public service element to it for sure, a fact that most people don't recognize, but it's true. Reporters really do care.

I always found this writing amusing, particularly the end, because in addition to shorting themselves on several comforts reporters must accept that fruits of their labor have a very short shelf life. Like a new car driven off the lot, their articles lose considerable value once they're read. Unlike a car, most articles are worthless in a day or two.

I don't have the card any more. I wish I knew where it went, but I've never forgotten the message. So it came to me as I read about Newbury's decision to name the new Hay Street bridge after Bill Plante. This wasn't a random landmark. As you can read in the article and in this moving piece once written by the newspaperman himself, the bridge holds special meaning to Plante.

As Walker suggests, Newspaper people don't expect to leave any indelible marks in this world, at least professionally. Bill Plante,thanks to a classy move by the town of Newbury, is the exception.

Daily News Responds

All in all, I feel the Daily News did an admirable job keeping up with the tanker truck crash on 95, at least within the confines of conventional journalism.

The updates were comprehensive and mostly helpful, but I couldn't help but feel the staff is being shackled by the limits of their technology.

In a better scenario, the Web site should have been awash in images from this compelling story. Later in the day, the paper did post an slide show of Bryan Eaton photos which I found interesting and well done but the images were too small, taking up less than one-eighth of the page, with the rest of the space spent on ads and white space.

I know it's a commercial enterprise, so the ads are necessary. But the pictures suffered.

The Daily News did secure a video of the scene, but I have to agree with the commentors. It didn't add anything to the story.

The News did put a call out to readers to email their personal stories related to the accident and crippling traffic. I'm interested in seeing if they query produces any responses.

I thought the Newburyport Today blog provided an noteworthy contrast in presentation. It merely posted some photos with links to other sources (and NOT to the Daily News, an omission that I found interesting) including Twitter.

With the superior content, I think the Daily News would have benefited from having access to a simple blogging tool that could easily post short reports and photos.

Bizzaro News

I just can't let this pass.

Did the Daily News, the one-time bastion of Republican ideals and Right Wing Think pushed by the windbags at the Eagle Tribune, really call for the imprisonment of the former Heroes of Capitalism at AIG?

I mean, I'm disgusted too, but toss folks in jail for giving and receiving bonuses?

We are through the looking glass people.


p.s. Every comment chain at the Daily News eventually settles on three topics: Obama, Yuppies, and City Workers.

Congrats to the Daily News

All right, enough of this.

I've been holding onto this post for a week. I wanted to congratulate the Daily News for coming home with a string of awards at the New England Press Association, but I also wanted to take a few minutes to state, without hesitation, that I enjoy reading the Daily News.

This isn't the boldest of admissions, I know. But it seems like the favorite past time around these parts is kicking at our local daily. I might have applied a shod foot once or twice myself, but I've been fairer than most. (For example, I don't resort to using the tired cliche of a nickname offered regularly around these parts by many online and printed publications. Yes, Snooze rhymes with News and it suggests the inducement of sleep. We get it. Enough. It's not clever.)

I'm telling you a community this size is blessed to have a daily newspaper. There are countless communities, much larger than this one, that rely only upon a free weekly for their news. We're lucky to have both. In fact, I'll broaden my thanksgiving for living in a two-newspaper (at minimum) town.

Yes, the Daily News occasionally drops the ball and misses a story.  But I'll let you in on a little secret. Newspaper work ain't as easy at it looks.

I had designs on going into a point-by-point argument as to why this is so, but I'm going to let my argument end with this: anyone who wants our city governments to do more with less resources should point to the Daily News as a case study of how that's done. These people, at least the folks I know, work incredibly hard.

Bottom line to me, the first thing I do in the morning is check the front stoop for the paper. That says something.

For those who missed it, the paper picked up:

1st place: Newburyport Magazine, Staff, in the Niche Publication category for highest achievement in a publication distributed outside the newspaper, with comments by the judges: "Classy design and beautiful color reproduction. Love the layout, especially the spreads. Type and images work well together. Clever headlines add a spark to this fun and sophisticated piece." The magazine is the creation of The Daily News staff and is edited by Features Editor Sonya Vartabedian.
1st place: The Daily News, staff, in the Environmental Reporting category for the Plum Island erosion series called Fighting the Tide, which offered a historical look at the problem and explained the scientific and environmental impact.
1st place: The Daily News, Stephen Tait, in the Business/Economic Reporting category, for the series called Nantucket North, describing the parallels between downtown Newburyport and Nantucket, due to significant investment by developer Steven Karp.
2nd place: The Daily News, Katie Farrell, in the Transportation/Commuter Reporting category for the Whittier Bridge story about the rusty braces that had fallen off, and how state officials responded.
3rd place: The Daily News, Sonya Vartabedian, in the Arts & Entertainment Section category for the weekly Do North section, which is published on Thursdays.

Guttenplan Joins the Sith

Daily News Sports Editor Dan Guttenplan has joined the sinister blogging world after winning WEEI.com's sports blogger contest. According to his debut post, he beat out 600 other contestants, which is 599 more than I bested to win this highly coveted position.

So you can find Guttenplan's mug and humor at WEEI.com. No doubt, he'll among the highest paid bloggers out there, so I suspect he'll still be keeping his day job at our very own Daily News.

Congrats to Dan.

A Truly Local Paper

The Daily News surprised me this morning with its endorsement of Obama for President.

It's safe to say the paper's editorial stance has leaned more toward the right as of late. Some of that might have emanated from its affiliation with the Lawrence Eagle Tribune, a staunch GOP newspaper.

I couldn't believe any relation of the Trib would endorse a Democratic nominee. I certainly couldn't see the Trib wandering far enough off the reservation to endorse a supposed socialist.

And I was right. The Trib endorsed McCain a few days ago.

But our local paper saw things differently. Anyone familiar with this blog might guess that I agree with the Daily News' conclusion. I'm an Obama guy. You'll see me (and 1,000 other people) driving around Newburyport in a Subaru with an Obama magnet plastered on my car's tail.

While I'm pleased the local paper's opinion fell in line with my own, I'm even more excited by the realization that our Daily News has such a great degree of editorial autonomy, particularly with such a high profile endorsement.

The conflicting endorsements clearly show that the News not only is free from the Trib's influence, but that Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., which owns both papers, didn't issue a chain wide endorsement.

This is good news for the local guys. Truth be told, I was never really got comfortable with the Eagle Tribune's (or Evil Tribune as we called it back in The Day we competed for stories) ownership of the Daily News.

I still saw that paper as the competition, although I acknowledge the fiscal wisdom behind the roll up of local papers.

I certainly wasn't happy with all the changes made after the acquisition, but I concede that the deal led to the introduction of nice and talented folks (who aren't evil at all) to the pages of the Daily News.

But I just never liked thinking our local folks had to take marching orders from someplace else. The endorsement makes it clear that they don't.

Nice to see.

Congrats to the Daily News

The local daily picked up a first place finish for its Fighting the Tide series.

I find it a tad ironic--or perhaps just humorous--that the recognition for the series on the coastal erosion on Plum Island came from the Inland Press Association.

Anyway, a win is a win. Congrats.

Globe Sports Mag

Count me as someone who thinks this to be a pretty shrewd move by the Globe. The Boring Broadsheet is launching a new sports magazine, written by Boston Globe writers.

I, for one, will not buy the Globe because I can read any content online. And I'm now out of the habit of paying for that content so if they ever start charging me, I'm out of there.

But this I might buy.

Of course, the strategy is not unlike the Daily News' launch of its Newburyport magazine (due out on newstands this week.)

I suspect the Daily News faces similar obstacles after pushing all its content online for free. I still subscribe, partly out of loyalty, but I also enjoy picking the paper up on our door step.

But I wonder if the time will come when we see a hybrid of the web and publishing. Could a web site be used to deliver free content and news blurbs while the published paper itself is converted into a semi-weekly news mag that takes more in-depth look at issues.

Breaking News

I know the Daily News has had some "Breaking News" links before, but I think this might be the first time it's used on a truly local story.

Someone will tell me if I'm wrong.

Bummer

Sign of the times....from the Herald.

In another blow to the newspaper industry, Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. cut more than 50 jobs north of Boston yesterday, the bulk of them at the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune.

Publisher Al Getler said they “restructured the company” and 52 full- and part-time positions were eliminated.

Getler said the Eagle-Tribune’s editorial department was the least affected and the bulk of the cuts were in the circulation department. One full-time and three part-time newsroom jobs were cut, primarily reporting and copy-editing positions.

“These are challenging economic times, especially in our business,” Getler said. “We had to restructure to reflect the current business climate and to assure the long-term viability of our company.”

Getler said some positions were cut at the Derry News as well as one circulation position at the Gloucester Daily Times and Daily News of Newburyport.

Getler said the decision to cut jobs was extremely difficult. “This is a fantastic group of people that work here,” he said.

MediaBiz obtained the memo Getler sent to employees.

“I have asked you to innovate, to launch new products and save on expense items everywhere possible, and you have responded,” Getler wrote.But, he continued, “despite our best efforts, we have been unable to overcome the present business climate. And, like many other newspaper companies, we are now forced to address our present staffing levels.”

Something to consider. The Daily News already is running a lot leaner than it did back in The Day, and they're being asked to produce online and magazine content as well.

Yes, but where

Today's editorial in the Daily News paints a pretty accurate picture of the unforeseen costs of the big dig.

It then predictably called on taxpayers not to raise taxes or tolls but to close the budget gap with budget cuts.

Who believes that the governor and the Legislature will not eventually turn to higher taxes and tolls to meet the Big Dig debt while continuing to fund every other spending request and pet project that comes their way?

That's all well and good. I see wisdom in the words. I only ask this:

The next time a local non-profit or government agency secures state dollars for some "spending request or pet project" the Daily News must editorial page must stand against it and demand the dollars be given back.

In a similar spirit, I must admit I winced a bit a few weeks back when I heard the state was giving us $100,000 of our dollars back to fund the new youth enrichment center initiative at the Kelley School.

Don't misundersand, I love the idea. But I only ask the same questions I offered about the senior center. Can we afford it? Will this $100,000 only help us launch an initiative we taxpayers ultimately can't sustain?

I hope not.

A Foolish Mistake

Daily News reporter Stephen Tait, after rejecting numerous potentially lucrative--offers to join the dynamic new media world of Newburyport Posts, has instead opted to pursue his old media ways at a paper in his native Michigan or Minnesota or Montania, one of those other "M" states..

In short, he's outta here by the end of the month.

No surprise really. Stephen's a good guy and a talented reporter, and this is the nature of the newspaper business. Young reporters hop from job to job, seeking new experiences, new beats, bigger circulations and, one would hope, a slight bump in salary. I figured it was a matter of time before Stephen started hopping.

No doubt, it was the lure of going home that convinced him to reject my stock option-laden offer. I only now wish I'd sweetened the deal with a few of my fully-stamped coffee cards from Plum Island Roasters. Serves me right for playing hardball.

I take solace in knowing that he'll come crawling back once the newspaper industry collapses under its own weight.

Until that inevitable day comes, I wish Stephen the best of luck. No doubt he'll do well.



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The New Phone Books Are Here!!!

Well, things aren't that exciting.

But in case you haven't noticed, the Daily News is beginning to take advanced orders for Port in Progress, The Book. It appears this will be a compilation of all the great collection of articles and photos that graced our Monday paper for most of last summer and early fall.

Yet another perfect Blogger's Day gift. (The Fowle's T-shirt is still welcome as well.)

On a related note, I can't get confirmation on the rumor that the Daily News is writing a series about the writing of the Port in Progress series. Stay tuned.

Pultizers are in.

Nothing for the Daily News. (No shame. Most Newspapers don't even win one.) But alumn Beth Daley was a finalist in the explanatory writing category.

Awarded to Amy Harmon of The New York Times for her striking examination of the dilemmas and ethical issues that accompany DNA testing, using human stories to sharpen her reports.
Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Beth Daley of The Boston Globe for her evocative exploration of how global warming affects New Englanders, from ice fishermen to blueberry farmers, and the Staff of the Oregonian, Portland, for its richly illustrated reports on a breakthrough in producing the microprocessors that are a technological cornerstone of modern life.

Journalism Stuff

Just something for news junkies. A somewhat interesting American Journalism Review article about Community Newspaper Holdings Inc.'s and how they free up reporters to do in-depth series.

I haven't seen any of these series in the locals(CNHI owns the Daily News,) but perhaps I missed something.

Of course, I'm not quite sure how much I'd read about America's crumbling highways, so maybe I haven't missed a thing.

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No Way WSJ

Rupert Murdoch apparently will NOT follow the Daily News' lead and make the Wall Street Journal's Web site free. (WSJ subscribers have to pay an additional $49 for access to the Web site.)

Free, the Daily News

Interesting email from the Daily News. My first response was, "Smart move, finally." Then I remembered I'm a subscriber and I did enjoy being special (although most of the fresh content already was free anyway.)

But this is the way papers are moving online. The Times went free and the Wall Street Journal will if it hasn't already.

Can't wait to see what happens. I'll likely keep my subscription because I like getting the paper in the morning.

The online media presentations are worth checking out, by the way. Good stuff.

Overall, I still find the web site is still clunky. It could use some freshening up. It'd be nice to have some individual town pages as well.

And where is the blog!!

Dear Subscriber:

I have great news -- news guaranteed to increase your access to the very best in local information and advertising North of Boston. And for free!

Beginning February 1, access to NewburyportNews.com will be free and unrestricted -- and all content will be available to everyone on the Internet. You'll no longer need to log on to the Plus Edition and you'll still receive complete access to our local news coverage every day. In addition, you'll continue to have complete access to all printed obituaries.

We've made big improvements during 2007 to enhance your experience on our websites. These improvements include:

. An entire multimedia section to redefine your experience with local news. The section contains an entire library of video, audio and photographic slideshows.

. Our new breaking news section, located at the top of the home page, provides
you with important information about local events as they occur.

. In September, we launched the groundbreaking RallyNorth.net, a website dedicated exclusively to covering high school sports that is already a huge hit with students and sports enthusiasts who want the best in local game coverage, stats, and stories North of Boston.

. You can now purchase high-quality reprints of photos that appear on any RALLYNORTH web page. It's like having an entire professional photography staff working just for you.

. We significantly upgraded website services to provide you with the best access to shopping information North of Boston. We expanded and simplified our Classified Connection website and introduced WheelsNorth.com --North of Boston's largest new and used car website.

And we have great plans lined up for 2008 -- including the addition of the nation's leading obituary and remembrance website, Legacy.com, to our site.

Our goal is to be the premier online destination for local news and information North of Boston -- for everyone. We're working hard to accomplish that every day.

We encourage your feedback. We get some of our best ideas from you, our online readers. Please send your e-mail suggestions to feedback@eagletribune.com.


Sincerely,



Al Getler,
Group Publisher

Yikes

Yikes.

Community Newspaper Holdings owns the Daily News but not the Miami Herald, which considered the idea.

No real Newburyport connection here. Just a journalism thing.

Nantucket North--Post Game

So class let's thanks Stephen Tait for enlightening us about Karp's impact on Nantucket. Seriously, I thought the series had a strong finish.

I was particularly heartened to read that there are downtown merchants who recognize a chain store or two could add to the downtown. I sometimes think ordinances like the ones proposed underestimate the ability of our local merchants to compete against the big guys. These are smart folks who know what they're doing.

Anyway, back to the series. Interesting details on the Beinecke-Karp-Lagasse connection. Kudos again to Stephen for finding the right people to interview, like Ann Oliver, Beinecke's daughter. It added a lot to the story to have someone speaking on the late man's behalf.

So what did we learn? I'll offer some thoughts below. Feel free to add more on the comments.

Nantucketers are a rather arrogant folk. But I suppose people might think the same of us.

The Developer you know is always better than the Developer you don't know.

Karp's undertakings on the island and in Newburyport are very different.

His work on the islands seems to involve rehabbing (or destroying) older properties. Newburyport presents a very different scenario. His projects on Waterside West and, eventually, East will significantly alter the face of the downtown.

The longer I live here the more I realize just how big our downtown really is. Toss up some retail and hotel near the Route 1 bridge and he might spin the downtown off its Market Square axis. This is a big deal that goes beyond rents and hand-written signs in windows.

I'm not sure the chain store ban made a bit of difference in Nantucket. Just as I'm not sure it really would make a huge difference to Newburyport. More on this later.

I'm glad we have the Park Lunch and the Barking Dog.

I'm really thankful I don't live on an island. I think I'd go nuts.

Well, I'm stuck right now. Please join in.