Here’s what we’re hearing about the cuts–part of a 10 percent cut nationwide–that Gannett is making in Tucson. Note that these are ALL UNCONFIRMED, but they come from a pretty good source:
City desk: Blake Morlock is gone.
Dina Doolen (food and drink editor) took buyout
Some employees (maybe four or five) having hours lessened by five hours a week, from 40 to 35 …
Keep in mind the cuts referenced here have to do with the Citizen newsroom, NOT the behind-the-scenes folks at Tucson Newspapers (salespeople, print sales reps, etc.). It’s possible the bulk of Gannett’s Tucson cuts will come from behind the scenes.
Also, we’re getting word that the Phoenix New Times list linked to below about cuts in Phoenix may have some inaccuracies. More as we know more … and if you know something, comment or drop me a line.
In the meantime, check this post from GannettBlog which reveals profit margins–again, the Weekly has not confirmed these numbers–from the first three quarters of 2007 at Gannett’s various properties. Keep in mind that advertising has pretty much tanked in many markets–Tucson included–in the year since these numbers were around (using the Weekly as an ad-decline example, we were 88 pages last year at this time, whereas we’re 64-68 now) but, good lord, these profit margins are huge. And at this time last year, the Star–Gannett’s partner in Tucson Newspapers–was making cuts, lots of them.
This is a horrendous day for journalism, folks.
This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2008.
I heard Doolen’s name and that she had volunteered just a little bit ago.
If I may be a bit Darwinist here, I don’t mind seeing bad newspapers die (bad in content, not bad in their profit margins, which, according to Jimmy’s link, are more than 28 percent for the Citizen). Are poor editorial judgment and lazy reporting and venal management (and I’m not just referring to the Citizen) really better than no fishwrap at all?
The Citizen is reporting 12K AT&T layoffs but not a word about what is going on in its own house.
Hypocritical?
James, can’t argue with your comment.
However, what is the likeihood that Tucson will end up with NO newspaper? Lee Enterprises has tanked. Citizen readership has tanked.
Newspapers, spring training, etc etc.
Here’s an idea: If Tucson Weekly advertising ever picks up, its corporate owner, Wick, could shift some of its profit into turning TW into a free tabloid daily, a crusading, progressive counterpart to the conservative tabloids owned by Rupert Murdoch in New York, London and elsewhere. Newspapers are basically supported by advertising rather than subscription rates, anyway; having paid circulation numbers is useful mainly to parlay into higher ad rates. Drawbacks: TW would have to withdraw from AAN, because it would no longer be an alt-weekly, and lose some national advertising, and there’s the problem of what to do with the profitable smut section in the back if the paper is distributed to an even more general public than it is now. How ’bout it, Jimmy? Ready to go daily?
In two words: Hell no. I do think Tucson could use a progressive, crusading daily (though the lack of a public transportation system like New York, London, etc. is a big problem), but Tucson also needs a strong alt-weekly to do the kinds of deeper stories that we do. You know, there’s always The Daily Territorial …
— TW into a free tabloid daily
now yer talkin mister reel!
keep the weekly smut slut on the stands but add serious daily content?
when life hands you a dead fish, make fish juice baby.
The age of daily newspapers is over. There is no formula for that to work. It’s all about production cost Mr. Reel. No, not the tiny amount they pay “talent”, but rather the amount of energy it requires to down a tree, process that raw material into a giant roll of newsprint, ship it, truck it, and maneuver it into an expensive-to-maintain multi-million-dollar machine that prints the product which still requires it be physically delivered to its audience. That cost is being transferred (plus profit) to the advertiser and there are fewer entities that can afford to support that enterprise. Journalism and the art of writing will survive, but don’t hang your hats on dailies. Weekly distribution still has some life. Think smaller, leaner, think more efficent. Don’t invest in the “Big Three Auto Industry” style of journalism, that age is coming to an end.
The free daily concept has been tossed around in Portland, Oregon where it failed, but may be tried again soon. I was living in Seattle when the Stranger came in, went free and forced the Seattle Weekly to its knees and forced it to finally go free and redefine itself. Weeklies have had to change over the years, too, in defining Weekly journalism and further defining alternative journalism. Perhaps in the end what alternative journalism means is survival and what Hector described as smaller, leaner, more efficient. If that is the case, some Weeklies are ahead of the game.
Absolutely Mari Herreras, alternative weeklies re-defined journalism and the newsprint industry. What is wrong with the daily dissemination of news in print? well mostly that it ain’t news, or at least the news that you want to take the time to read. Reading a daily paper takes effort and time. Valuable time. We’re all busy, and when you open a daily and read crap, it’s a waste of time. Why read about a traffic accident when you can have a news-reading bimbo tell you about it while the red-n-blue lights flash behind big-ass hair? Why not a quality weekly with investigative journalism, backed up with the proactive blog and real marketing department that’s out there promoting the paper rather than just selling ad space. There’s your formula, a quality weekly paper, with active web presence, and an ass-kicking marketing department (not to be confused with a “sales” department). Why own a printing press which has to be kept running 24-7 in order to make a profit? These days you can probably be printed in Hermosillo, Sonora, save money and still keep the same deadlines. If you want to write for a daily, write daily on a blog, write long-form on your Weekly paper.
Please explain how a daily could be free and still left on the doorsteps of subscribers?
Maybe you could get people to volunteer to deliver it every morning.
What you describe is what I’d call a shopper… but you’re right – any paper that is free on the stands will charge for subscriptions, even thosely lovely free weeklies. I guess, however, if you really loved that free daily, you could volunteer for it… but you’d really have to LUUUUV that free daily BBBF. That kind of LUUUUV never seems to translate to newspapers, which is kind of SAAAAAD.