United, Newspapers May Stand (News 'cartel' prescribed - Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

The New York Times ^ | March 8, 2009 | David Carr

[abb]

Back when I was a young media reporter fueled by indignation and suspicion, I often pictured the dark overlords of the newspaper industry gathering at a secret location to collude over cigars and Cognac, deciding how to set prices and the news agenda at the same time.

It probably never happened, but now that I fear for the future of the world that they made, I’m hoping that meeting takes place. I’ll even buy the cigars.

snip

My fantasy meeting goes something like this: a rump caucus could form where the newspaper industry would decide to hold hands and jump off the following cliffs together on the following actions.

snip

“It is time that newspapers are allowed to collude in the public interest,” said Mr. Mutter, who blogs at Reflections of a Newsosaur. “In order to keep as many feet in the street as possible regardless of how they are branded and preserve editorial voices, the new competitive environment has to be considered. The Chronicle competes against The Mercury News, but it also competes against Craigslist, Zillow and Auto Trader.”

snip

What is under attack is the fundamental machinery of the Fourth Estate, not just the local newspapers that some love to hate and others, including many young consumers, are indifferent to.

snip

[abb]

They've gone 'round the bend. Call out the men with the nets and the jackets with the buckles in the back...

[abb]

ping

[abb]

http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid={77551DBF-A4BE-4A69-B763-357DE27818FC}&siteid=nbih
N.Y. Times closes $225 million sale-leaseback deal

[jpl]

Most of the newspaper business (with a couple of exceptions) already operates as a cartel controlled by the Associated Press.

[knittnmom]

Is this anything like the “non compete” agreement in Atlas Shrugs?

[abb]

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/media/e3if926640132f1fcca05bc2bdd09f45f02
Buyers Demand Flexibility Heading Into Upfronts

http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=135101
Wary Marketers Cling to Budgets, Lean Toward Year-Round Purchases

by Brian Steinberg

Published: March 09, 2009

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — With the economy flailing, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that TV-ad sales for next fall’s prime-time schedule are primed to droop. Behind the scenes, however, lies something potentially more drastic. The dreary financial climate could trigger a permanent transformation in how shows such as “Lost” and “American Idol” are bought and sold.

Broadcast TV for decades has largely been a game of pay now and hope for the best later. Networks routinely sell between 75% and 80% of their ad inventory for the coming fall season during the glitzy “upfront” sales sessions that take place in May and June. As the recession deepens, however, it is becoming clear that marketers are being forced to keep their money in their pockets much longer. Putting down large chunks of change for ads that won’t run for months is a less attractive option.

[abb]

I’ve not read the book. But I suspect so.

What Carr suggests is not possible to do. He wants to go back to where it was when Cronkite said, “that’s the way it is” and everyone believed him.

[abb]

http://www.buzzmachine.com/
Conspiring to death

http://www.spalpeen.co.uk/2009/03/08/the-fahrenheit-451-approach-to-saving-newspapers/
The Fahrenheit 451 approach to saving newspapers

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

We need reusable newspapers just like we need reusable grocery bags...

[abb]

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/189608-Cablers_Bullish_As_Upfront_Talk_Heats_Up.php
Cablers Bullish As Upfront Talk Heats Up
But questions abound regarding economy’s impact on selling season

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123659457938769641.html
McClatchy to Cut 1,600 More Jobs as Part of Restructuring

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123630045519646881.html
Seattle Paper Advances Plans to Turn Into Online-Only Publication

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101475670
Where Were The Media As Wall Street Imploded?

[abb]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003949276
McClatchy to Cut 1600 Jobs — 15% of Staffers

http://gigaom.com/2009/03/07/is-rupert-losing-his-magic-touch/
Is Rupert Murdoch Losing His Magic Touch?

http://www.tvweek.com/news/2009/03/stations_in_the_balance.php
Stations in the Balance
Debt-Ridden and Independent Outlets Run Most Risk

http://www.kcbs.com/Decision-Day-Looms-at-the-Chronicle/3975363
Tough Decision Looms at the Chronicle

http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2009/03/globe_shutters.html
Globe shutters its OT sports weekly

[abb]

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=101768
Agency Capos Debate Network ‘Currency’ Shift, Thompson Wants An Offer They Can’t Refuse

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=E7F9C248-18FE-70B2-A83D2C2A18FF1127
How Obama plays the pundits

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/08/AR2009030801933_pf.html
Obama Says Hola To a More Inclusive Press Strategy

[Melchior]

In the British fashion I can visualize the day when there are two major newspapers that service California, one from the right, the other the left. Then there would be one like The Guardian to serve the Trotskyites and Anarchists, and one like the Sun to serve the sex starved and Hollywood morons.

[VeniVidiVici]

This is actually an excellent idea. They could save money and it’s been done before! Look at the staying power over the period of almost a century of Pravda and Izvestia!

[abb]

http://newsosaur.blogspot.com/
Want to save your local paper? Read this first.

http://cancelthebee.blogspot.com/
Fort Worth Star-Telegram now advertising for “freelance writers”

http://www.newspaperdeathwatch.com/
As Deadline Looms, Hearst Mulls Online-Only P-I

http://www.niemanlab.org/2009/03/back-to-the-future-medianews-revives-print-your-own-newspaper/
Back to the future: MediaNews revives “print your own newspaper”

http://recoveringjournalist.typepad.com/recovering_journalist/
Laid Off? 10 Tips For Suddenly Unemployed Journalists

http://graphicdesignr.net/papercuts/
2009 total: 3,718+ jobs
Layoffs and buyouts at U.S. newspapers

http://www.magazinedeathpool.com/
Movieline’s Hollywood Life: RIP March 2009

http://www.newspapertrails2.blogspot.com/
Monday, March 9, 2009
McClatchy Newspapers cutting 1,600 jobs

[truemiester]

Did you see what the headline in the New York Times was today?

No.

Nobody else did either.

(laughing)

[KarlInOhio]

This could be a way for all the newspapers to agree to charge for web access to their content. Since most newspapers just take AP articles and reformat them to fit the local printing space, all web readers need is one newspaper that doesn't limit web access to see what is essentially every newspaper's national news. They want a cartel to prevent leaks.

I've thought that a possible way for newspapers to survive would be to have a national newspaper (Like a USA Today) with a locally writen local news section added. That way each local paper just gets a digital feed for the first couple sections and print those plus their local addendum for delivery.

[abb]

The only way for such a system to work is in a totalitarian world. Been there, done that. Don’t work.

[a fool in paradise]

PRAVDA MEDIA BUMP

Back when I was a young media reporter fueled by indignation and suspicion, I often pictured the dark overlords of the newspaper industry gathering at a secret location to collude over cigars and Cognac, deciding how to set prices and the news agenda at the same time.

It probably never happened, but now that I fear for the future of the world that they made, I’m hoping that meeting takes place...

[abb]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/New-York-Times-sells-leases-apf-14580918.html
New York Times sells, leases back part of building
New York Times sells part of headquarters building to W.P. Carey for $225M, leases it back