Good news yesterday for those in support of our nation's printers: reports have come out that a deal is within sight between the union and the New York Times Co. on cost cutting measures that will keep the Boston Globe from folding (for the time being). Measures included wage and benefit cuts for a work force of 600 who already have been on a wage freeze for over 5 years (no raises, etc), which it is hoped add to a cool 23 mill in savings.
The news broke in the NYT of course, but the article definitely has a sense of foreboding, stating, "this tentative deal appears to forestall the imminent death of a civic institution that, even after years of cutbacks, remains the dominant news organization in New England".
The Globe is safe for now, but the future is uncertain. Were I am member of the staff, I might be searching for alternate employment.
This all begs the question: is this paper worth going through all this trouble to save? I've been going over this question in my mind; clearly print media is faltering, but are we ready for a digital world? How long before we issue the order: do not resuscitate??
Original Article here
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The subject hits figuratively close to home
Well, word has just hit the digital streets that everyone's favorite satirical newspaper, The Onion, is shutting down its San Francisco and L.A. publication offices. This one saddens me more than any other closing news recently, as I am an avid Onion (or more specifically, the AV Club supplement) reader (Boston Globe, Chicago Sun-Times, etc, not so much). Of course, I read the Onion and its accompanying content online, it not being available in my fine midwestern metropolis. I am part of the problem, is what I'm saying.
This news doesn't come entirely as a shock to me, maybe because I associate the Onion with a younger readership who is already inclined to more frequently and willingly use the internet for their news (or un-news, as the case may be).
With all of that said, I tip my hat to this fine satirical institution, though in my opinion your time is far from over. I had the opportunity to have dinner with a few of the writers/editors from the main New York office of The Onion last spring, and found them to be witty, intelligent, and innovative guys. We chatted briefly about print's decline and they of course were dismayed: but I think they have the unique and exciting opportunity at having a medium that translates very well to the internet, and these closings, at least in my eyes, hardly seem a death sentence for what seems like an already youthful and flexible media outlet. I'm sure California will miss their print edition, but to those of us who never had it, online content seems like a natural move.
Original article here
This news doesn't come entirely as a shock to me, maybe because I associate the Onion with a younger readership who is already inclined to more frequently and willingly use the internet for their news (or un-news, as the case may be).
With all of that said, I tip my hat to this fine satirical institution, though in my opinion your time is far from over. I had the opportunity to have dinner with a few of the writers/editors from the main New York office of The Onion last spring, and found them to be witty, intelligent, and innovative guys. We chatted briefly about print's decline and they of course were dismayed: but I think they have the unique and exciting opportunity at having a medium that translates very well to the internet, and these closings, at least in my eyes, hardly seem a death sentence for what seems like an already youthful and flexible media outlet. I'm sure California will miss their print edition, but to those of us who never had it, online content seems like a natural move.
Original article here
Monday, May 4, 2009
Facebook for the elderly
Last night, my Grandma Jean joined facebook. This isn't ENTIRELY relevant to anything I've talked about so far, I just wanted to extend major props to an octogenarian who is trying to at least partially keep up with the trends: particularly trends that have become so very pervasive in the lives of us young'uns. When I'm a Grandma, you better believe I will be hooking myself up to the jetpacks or whatever the new technology may be alongside my grandkids. But then, I've always known that my grandma's a pretty hip lady.
I can't stress enough the importance of keeping up with the pace of technology. Things are moving faster than ever before, the world is changing at a rate that has absolutely never been seen.
Way to go Grandma!
I can't stress enough the importance of keeping up with the pace of technology. Things are moving faster than ever before, the world is changing at a rate that has absolutely never been seen.
Way to go Grandma!
The Boston Globe sinks
You may or may not know that the Boston Globe has been in hot water for a while now- the New York Times Company has owned it since the nineties, and recently there have been negotiations in the works to try and keep the paper afloat. It looks like the labor unions are having issues with the Times Co., at which apparently there's been a "28% decline in advertising in the Times Co' publishing segment". That is an absolutely massive percentage- I'd be curious to know what the advertising on the online segment looks like. In this economy, has advertising decreased, or do advances in technology keep it on the up and up?
In any case, here's a link to the article- very interesting stuff
At Deadline, No Deal Yet On Boston Globe
More and more major newspapers are failing... I really am sad to see them go.
In any case, here's a link to the article- very interesting stuff
At Deadline, No Deal Yet On Boston Globe
More and more major newspapers are failing... I really am sad to see them go.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Updated settings
I've changed the look a bit, and made it possible to comment without having a blogger profile. Hurrah! Comment away!
Impressive!
If you're at all interested in the topics I've been blogging about, here's an excellent blog on some similar subjects (when I started this thing, btw, I knew I was not the first to address this subject by a long shot). The author is also far more qualified than I to be writing on such things. Much of it focuses more on social media, which I haven't really scratched the surface of- but I may go there in the future.
Media in the New Millennium:
http://www.metzgerblog.com/
(This guy also has quite an impressive following!)
Media in the New Millennium:
http://www.metzgerblog.com/
(This guy also has quite an impressive following!)
Friday, May 1, 2009
Thoughts on our bookshelves
Rob brings up an interesting point (see comments on 4/30/09). He reminds us that perhaps digital documents don't have the staying power that print does. That is an excellent point: as he said "That Bible printed by Gutenburg is just as easy to use as it was in his day".
Perhaps this is one of those points where I merely took for granted certain expectations I have for technology soon to come. Rob is most certainly correct about the universality of books through time- but then, think of all the books that have been lost since Gutenberg's time, due to fire, water, war, toddlers, etc. True, we've also lost digital files, but I am inclined to think that thanks to the internet, data is in a million different places at once, and is very difficult to merely lose (save early save often, as I always say!). Technology has come a long way since 30 years ago, and though what we use today will certainly someday become antiquated, I doubt we'll reach that point without updating our files to whatever comes next.
The biggest problem with books is that they are physical presences: they take up space, cost money, and require very specific care and climate. And yes- computers and digital media certainly cost money to set up- but once you're there, think of all the "books" you could save on your harddrive, that take up merely digital space, rather than the space those moldy old books in your parents' basement are taking up. Or any bookshelf, really. We have to let go, eventually, of the love we feel for our shelves and our dusty volumes that we read maybe %3 regularly. And I am a huge fan of repeat readings, even!
Why do we love books? I include myself here: what is it we are hanging on to? Why do so many of us measure so much prestige in the number and titles of the books on our shelves? Are we so insecure about our own intelligence that we need them there, to remind not only our guests, but ourselves, that we are indeed educated? We love holding books, turning the pages, smelling the smell of old or new paper (I can't be the only one?). But if every book were gone tomorrow, we'd quite quickly become used to digital reading and would throw a fit whenever the next massive technological advance came around (hmmmm..... virtual litreality? Who knows.).
Perhaps this is one of those points where I merely took for granted certain expectations I have for technology soon to come. Rob is most certainly correct about the universality of books through time- but then, think of all the books that have been lost since Gutenberg's time, due to fire, water, war, toddlers, etc. True, we've also lost digital files, but I am inclined to think that thanks to the internet, data is in a million different places at once, and is very difficult to merely lose (save early save often, as I always say!). Technology has come a long way since 30 years ago, and though what we use today will certainly someday become antiquated, I doubt we'll reach that point without updating our files to whatever comes next.
The biggest problem with books is that they are physical presences: they take up space, cost money, and require very specific care and climate. And yes- computers and digital media certainly cost money to set up- but once you're there, think of all the "books" you could save on your harddrive, that take up merely digital space, rather than the space those moldy old books in your parents' basement are taking up. Or any bookshelf, really. We have to let go, eventually, of the love we feel for our shelves and our dusty volumes that we read maybe %3 regularly. And I am a huge fan of repeat readings, even!
Why do we love books? I include myself here: what is it we are hanging on to? Why do so many of us measure so much prestige in the number and titles of the books on our shelves? Are we so insecure about our own intelligence that we need them there, to remind not only our guests, but ourselves, that we are indeed educated? We love holding books, turning the pages, smelling the smell of old or new paper (I can't be the only one?). But if every book were gone tomorrow, we'd quite quickly become used to digital reading and would throw a fit whenever the next massive technological advance came around (hmmmm..... virtual litreality? Who knows.).
Close to Home
One of the other events that led to the creation of this blog was this article that appeared in The Lantern, Ohio State's student newspaper, this past Wednesday. The article, that announced that The Lantern would no longer be printed on Fridays, comes shortly after a hot debate in my economics class over exactly how much longer newspapers had to survive. My guesses were much sooner than anyone else's- I tend to think maybe 5, maybe 10 years at most for print copies of papers to be generally viewed as a novelty. They won't disappear completely of course: there are plenty of antiquated technologies we keep around for nostalgia's sake; but every day I see us getting ever closer to nearly totally digital news.
Ohio State is not the first university to do this. Syracuse, Minnesota, Alabama, Texas Christian and Utah cut their Friday editions to save money.
"Friday has always been a slow advertising day and slow distribution day because of the decreased activity on campus," said John Milliken, general manager of The Lantern. "The current economic conditions across the board are affecting all businesses."
The Web site will be redesigned and the Friday edition will be published online. There will be more multimedia with news and the navigation of the site will be made much simpler.
"There's an increased focus of online multimedia," Milliken said. "It is becoming the norm instead of the exception in the journalism industry."
To make up for the cut, administrators are considering special weekend editions of the newspaper to cover events such as graduation and home football games, said Tom O'Hara, adviser to The Lantern.
"The online product will have the same strength and value of a print edition," Milliken said.
An account-by-account analysis conducted by the business staff at the newspaper showed that Friday advertisement sales could comfortably shift to Thursday.
The Business Office for The Lantern is also undergoing change. Five new positions at the office were filled in the past few weeks and two more are being sought for fall.
"If you don't try something new, you're never going to grow," Milliken said. "A lot of what's going to be new in media is probably going to grow out of university environments."
During the upcoming summer, The Lantern's multimedia room is undergoing remodeling to better equip students with the technology used in online coverage.
Other recent changes include the incorporation of the Arts & Entertainment section into a weekly edition called btw.
"Students are finding a niche for it and we've had a steady advertisement growth since it started April 1," Milliken said.
Milliken has been the business manager of The Lantern since January and brings 30 years of experience in the newspaper business.
"The primary benefit is to give our students an opportunity for online publication to better prepare themselves for work in the news industry," Milliken said. "It helps us to concentrate on being a better news supplier for campus."
A girl in my economics class completely refused to believe or accept that newspapers might someday be obsolete. "I LIKE to hold a copy in my hands- and besides, what would students read before class?", she said. What will we read before class? Already laptops are a common occurrence in classrooms: not only that, but increasingly powerful cell phone/mobile web capabilities already have us doing everything from checking e-mail to updating blogs to reading the Times on our cells. As for the physicality of holding a copy in your hands... Well, I think the people have already spoken on this issue: they've decided convenience (i.e. up to the minute news and information at one's fingertips at all times via a cell phone) vs.... the unclear benefits of having a paper copy of the paper.
To be honest, I still don't know how I feel about this touchy subject. Why do you like to have a paper copy of a paper or a book? I love the look and feel of books, opening one and smelling the newness and excitement of the story to be told. I think a lot of people share this feeling, and I don't mean to suggest we burn all the books or completely cease to make them. But practically, maybe this is a love that is better left behind. Think of the environmental benefits of a world without paper, for example. Think of the space saved in your house, the junk drawers filled with documents and clippings you can't throw away. Think of how easy it is to back up and copy a digital file vs. the expense of a second book or paper.
Do you have a genuine argument for the book or paper? I would love to hear it- I don't mean to simply kick the medium while it's down.
The Lantern to cut Friday print edition
Move further signals growing threat to print publications
By: Jim Coyne
Posted: 4/29/09
More than three years ago, The Lantern cut circulation from 28,000 to 15,000. Last summer the paper ended its print publication, and in fall 2009, the Friday print edition will be eliminated.Ohio State is not the first university to do this. Syracuse, Minnesota, Alabama, Texas Christian and Utah cut their Friday editions to save money.
"Friday has always been a slow advertising day and slow distribution day because of the decreased activity on campus," said John Milliken, general manager of The Lantern. "The current economic conditions across the board are affecting all businesses."
The Web site will be redesigned and the Friday edition will be published online. There will be more multimedia with news and the navigation of the site will be made much simpler.
"There's an increased focus of online multimedia," Milliken said. "It is becoming the norm instead of the exception in the journalism industry."
To make up for the cut, administrators are considering special weekend editions of the newspaper to cover events such as graduation and home football games, said Tom O'Hara, adviser to The Lantern.
"The online product will have the same strength and value of a print edition," Milliken said.
An account-by-account analysis conducted by the business staff at the newspaper showed that Friday advertisement sales could comfortably shift to Thursday.
The Business Office for The Lantern is also undergoing change. Five new positions at the office were filled in the past few weeks and two more are being sought for fall.
"If you don't try something new, you're never going to grow," Milliken said. "A lot of what's going to be new in media is probably going to grow out of university environments."
During the upcoming summer, The Lantern's multimedia room is undergoing remodeling to better equip students with the technology used in online coverage.
Other recent changes include the incorporation of the Arts & Entertainment section into a weekly edition called btw.
"Students are finding a niche for it and we've had a steady advertisement growth since it started April 1," Milliken said.
Milliken has been the business manager of The Lantern since January and brings 30 years of experience in the newspaper business.
"The primary benefit is to give our students an opportunity for online publication to better prepare themselves for work in the news industry," Milliken said. "It helps us to concentrate on being a better news supplier for campus."
A girl in my economics class completely refused to believe or accept that newspapers might someday be obsolete. "I LIKE to hold a copy in my hands- and besides, what would students read before class?", she said. What will we read before class? Already laptops are a common occurrence in classrooms: not only that, but increasingly powerful cell phone/mobile web capabilities already have us doing everything from checking e-mail to updating blogs to reading the Times on our cells. As for the physicality of holding a copy in your hands... Well, I think the people have already spoken on this issue: they've decided convenience (i.e. up to the minute news and information at one's fingertips at all times via a cell phone) vs.... the unclear benefits of having a paper copy of the paper.
To be honest, I still don't know how I feel about this touchy subject. Why do you like to have a paper copy of a paper or a book? I love the look and feel of books, opening one and smelling the newness and excitement of the story to be told. I think a lot of people share this feeling, and I don't mean to suggest we burn all the books or completely cease to make them. But practically, maybe this is a love that is better left behind. Think of the environmental benefits of a world without paper, for example. Think of the space saved in your house, the junk drawers filled with documents and clippings you can't throw away. Think of how easy it is to back up and copy a digital file vs. the expense of a second book or paper.
Do you have a genuine argument for the book or paper? I would love to hear it- I don't mean to simply kick the medium while it's down.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
An Excellent Intro
Here's a great webcomic from www.chainsawsuit.com, authored by Kris Straub, that does an excellent job of summarizing some of my feelings on the subject of the general feet-dragging that has been going on in the world of print.
Inaugural Post
For some time now, I've found myself watching and wondering as the inevitable march of technology outdates age old print institutions in our society. In a month, I will be the proud recipient of a Bachelor's Degree in English, and as a traditionally self-proclaimed bibliofile I've felt mixed as I see newspapers around the country shut down or reorganize, products like the Kindle (and others) move in on the paper-lovers' territory, and as I watch the internet grow in power and popularity among my peers. Until now.
I have decided to embrace this revolution: Gutenberg be damned, for your age is coming to a swift close. I have listened to my fellow students bemoan the loss of daily papers or books, and I no longer want to be a part of it. The internet has come, the internet is good, and whether you like it or not, change is here.
In this blog I intend to chart the increasingly rapid fall of print media, the rise of new and different methods of human expression and communication, and of course, provide my ever-insightful commentary. For the most part, I will argue that this transition is both good and necessary to keep the pace with modern (mostly American-centric, because that is the culture in which I live) life. Am I stabbing journalists and authors in the back? Damning our library system? I would say no. I am suggesting that instead of dragging ourselves into the future kicking and screaming, we embrace the changes and all the possibilities a new medium(s) can hold.
I have decided to embrace this revolution: Gutenberg be damned, for your age is coming to a swift close. I have listened to my fellow students bemoan the loss of daily papers or books, and I no longer want to be a part of it. The internet has come, the internet is good, and whether you like it or not, change is here.
In this blog I intend to chart the increasingly rapid fall of print media, the rise of new and different methods of human expression and communication, and of course, provide my ever-insightful commentary. For the most part, I will argue that this transition is both good and necessary to keep the pace with modern (mostly American-centric, because that is the culture in which I live) life. Am I stabbing journalists and authors in the back? Damning our library system? I would say no. I am suggesting that instead of dragging ourselves into the future kicking and screaming, we embrace the changes and all the possibilities a new medium(s) can hold.
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