From Indiana Wesleyan University:
By Jared Johnson (sr) and Navar Watson (jr)
Every other Wednesday, the editors of The Sojourn cram into a stuffy little room and make the paper happen. Several pieces of The Sojourn memorabilia decorate the walls of this room, including a giant $200 JK! check; two cross-stitch pictures of American Indians; a crucifix and a dry erase board full of amusing quotes from slap-happy staff members.
But also included in this room of memories is a heavy archive of Indiana Wesleyan University’s student newspapers, ranging as far back as 1941 with the Marion College Journal.
Every now and then (when procrastinating on work), we take a peek at old editions — mainly from the years we were born — and read the top stories of the day.
As we look at these past newspapers, brittle and yellowed with age, we think about the effort all the student journalists before us put forth in making the print product.
We never thought that we, after 74-plus years of a paper product, would be the staff that puts together the last print edition.
But this isn’t an ending. It’s the closing of a chapter, and the start of something new.
Beginning in the fall, The Sojourn’s coverage will move completely online. This is a trend many professional news outlets are turning to, as article traffic becomes more and more online-dominated.
We believe this change will allow us to get more articles out, and quicker, since writers will be aiming to finish their articles as soon as possible, rather than by the time the print edition is released.
This is all a part of the ONE (Online News Exchange) Newsroom initiative, in which The Sojourn will merge with GrantCOnnected.net, another online news outlet launched by Dr. Randall King’s Convergent Journalism class last fall.
GrantCOnnected.net will focus on stories in Grant County outside of the residential campus, while The Sojourn will remain dedicated to covering IWU’s campus.
With the two online publications operating in one combined newsroom, staff members will be able to write for either outlet. IWU’s radio and television stations, 94.3 The Fortress and WIWU-TV, will also collaborate with ONE staff.
We have enjoyed our time with the print edition, and we hope you stick with us as we venture into this new format.
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Friday, April 17, 2015
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Why This New Wave of Independent Magazines is Thriving
Why This New Wave of Independent Magazines is Thriving
March 26, 2015, David Pilcher
“If you believe what you read,” writes Rana Niamh Smith in The Telegraph, “the print media has been on its deathbed ever since the birth of the internet.”
“But someone forgot to tell the creatives behind the latest wave of independent magazines,” Smith continues. “There seems to be a new launch looking for funding on Kickstarter every week, and the sector is booming: last year the independent-magazine subscription service Stack reported a 78 per cent increase in revenue, with its number of subscribers growing by 76 per cent.”
What’s behind this growth is a move away from mass market publications, and toward boutique-style magazines that dive deeply into a narrower niche.
This is an excerpt. To read the entire article click here.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Why Journalists are Not Happy These Days
From: http://www.freeportpress.com/why-journalists-are-not-happy-these-days/
Why Journalists Are Not Happy These Days
March 19, 2015David Pilcher
The hallmark of good technology is that it makes our lives easier, more enjoyable and therefore makes us happier. So why are so many journalists saying that working in this digital tech-heavy age is harder than ever?
“According to the survey of North American journalists and media professionals released today, 68% of journalists feel that their job has become more difficult in the last 5 years,” notes this article from Talking New Media.
The article cites results from a survey conducted by ISEBOX.com that showed “an overwhelming number of journalists and media professionals are unhappy with how they are approached by corporate communications, resulting in working longer hours and increased frustration.”
“There seems to be a major gap between what reporters need, and how corporate communications are providing these needs,” says Salvatore Salpietro, CTO of ISEBOX.com in the TNM article.
“There is increasing pressure to gain earned media coverage by corporate communications and public relations teams, yet they are still making the process very difficult for media to access content and put together a story by using things like FTP, email, locked-down websites, and manual requests – all of these are enthusiasm-killers,” Salpietro continued.
With the growing focus on multi-media content, journalists are still finding that most pitches from corporate communications departments and PR agencies do not offer images, videos, graphics or even corporate logos, leaving the reporter to scramble to put it together.
“If a pitch doesn’t contain graphics I can include with my article, it’s hard for me to take it on. Even better if there is a video. I am under strict deadlines to produce at least 5-7 articles a day, and visual content is always required. Wasting hours sourcing and editing a company’s logo or media content to accompany a post is something I literally cannot afford,” says Karen Fratti, freelance writer for Mediabistro and Huffington Post.
“When a pitch comes with everything attached, no cumbersome downloads, I want to hug that PR rep. And, I’m more likely to pick up on the next release from them, too,” she says.
Next time you make a pitch, do the journalist and yourself a favor and tuck in the multi-media content they need with your email. Content, baby, content.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Digital Shift the Only Way to Save Some Newspapers
From eReader: http://goodereader.com/blog/digital-publishing/digital-shift-the-only-way-to-save-some-newspapers
Digital Shift the Only Way to Save Some Newspapers
March 9, 2015 By Mercy Pilkington 0 Comments
With all of the focus on making the transition to digital and how that is helping news outlets and periodicals alike, it’s easy to overlook the fact that it’s not just about increasing ad revenue or reaching subscribers where they read. For some outlets, it will mean the difference between closing their doors and keeping a centuries-old institution alive.
In an article for DelawareOnline, Scott Goss highlighted the struggles of the 133-year-old University of Delaware student weekly newspaper, a tradition at the university that has seen circulation drop from 10,000 subscribers to only 2,000, and advertising drop significantly.
“You come into this role and you see it as an editorial job,” said Elizabeth Quartararo, The Review‘s editor-in-chief, to Goss. “You don’t expect that it’s going to require a lot of business savvy or that you’re going to have to make real business decisions that could affect what the paper looks like five or 10 years from now.”
Before considering a switch to being a digital-only imprint, a move that still hasn’t been confirmed due to the long-standing history and sentimental value of the print edition, Review staffers even attempted a crowdfunding campaign to bring enough donations to keep the paper in operation in its current form.
If it serves as any consolation to the staff and to university administrators who will make the ultimate decision to continue funding the effort or not, this issue is in no way limited to this particular paper. Apart from the multiple news outlets who’ve already adopted digital in some large-scale way, universities around the country are also making the transition to digital, whether it’s for campus news, student magazines, alumni reports, or any other similar publication. According to Goss, “Many former dailies, such as Boston University’s Daily Free Press and the University of California Berkley’s Daily Californian, are now printing fewer days a week…The Columbia Daily Spectator, the student newspaper of Columbia University in New York, completed a successful transition to an all-digital product last spring, when it became the first Ivy League school to eliminate its print edition.”
Unfortunately, the switch to digital also carries with it a built-in flaw, which is that subscribers expect to read digital at a lower price–hence a lot of the argument between booksellers and publishers over ebook pricing–and advertisers expect to pay less for digital ad space. While the costs associated with producing a digital edition are minimally lower due to eliminating the print, production, and distribution costs, that expense is usually nominal compared with the salaries of the people who are writing and editing the content and producing the layout. That expense didn’t diminish just because the reading format has changed.
Digital Shift the Only Way to Save Some Newspapers
March 9, 2015 By Mercy Pilkington 0 Comments
With all of the focus on making the transition to digital and how that is helping news outlets and periodicals alike, it’s easy to overlook the fact that it’s not just about increasing ad revenue or reaching subscribers where they read. For some outlets, it will mean the difference between closing their doors and keeping a centuries-old institution alive.
In an article for DelawareOnline, Scott Goss highlighted the struggles of the 133-year-old University of Delaware student weekly newspaper, a tradition at the university that has seen circulation drop from 10,000 subscribers to only 2,000, and advertising drop significantly.
“You come into this role and you see it as an editorial job,” said Elizabeth Quartararo, The Review‘s editor-in-chief, to Goss. “You don’t expect that it’s going to require a lot of business savvy or that you’re going to have to make real business decisions that could affect what the paper looks like five or 10 years from now.”
Before considering a switch to being a digital-only imprint, a move that still hasn’t been confirmed due to the long-standing history and sentimental value of the print edition, Review staffers even attempted a crowdfunding campaign to bring enough donations to keep the paper in operation in its current form.
If it serves as any consolation to the staff and to university administrators who will make the ultimate decision to continue funding the effort or not, this issue is in no way limited to this particular paper. Apart from the multiple news outlets who’ve already adopted digital in some large-scale way, universities around the country are also making the transition to digital, whether it’s for campus news, student magazines, alumni reports, or any other similar publication. According to Goss, “Many former dailies, such as Boston University’s Daily Free Press and the University of California Berkley’s Daily Californian, are now printing fewer days a week…The Columbia Daily Spectator, the student newspaper of Columbia University in New York, completed a successful transition to an all-digital product last spring, when it became the first Ivy League school to eliminate its print edition.”
Unfortunately, the switch to digital also carries with it a built-in flaw, which is that subscribers expect to read digital at a lower price–hence a lot of the argument between booksellers and publishers over ebook pricing–and advertisers expect to pay less for digital ad space. While the costs associated with producing a digital edition are minimally lower due to eliminating the print, production, and distribution costs, that expense is usually nominal compared with the salaries of the people who are writing and editing the content and producing the layout. That expense didn’t diminish just because the reading format has changed.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
LifeWay Research Surveys Christian Media's Reach
Christian media's reach surveyed by LifeWay Research
by Bob Smietana, posted Wednesday, February 25, 2015 (an hour ago)
NASHVILLE (BP) -- Christian broadcasters have a devoted following, with about two-thirds of weekly churchgoers and evangelicals saying they tune in to Christian radio and television on a regular basis.
Christian books have a reach among churchgoers and evangelicals, and Christian movies remain popular, with about four in 10 Americans having seen one in the last year.
But many Americans never connect to Christian media.
Those are among the findings of a new study on the use of Christian media from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. The study, sponsored by the National Religious Broadcasters, included an online survey of 2,252 Americans and a phone survey of 1,009 Americans.
"Christian media delivers teaching, music and entertainment to a predominantly Christian constituency," Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research, noted. "Not surprisingly, those who embrace Christian teaching will value and consume these the most." Stetzer released the study's findings Feb. 25 during the NRB national convention in Nashville.
This is an excerpt. To read the entire article, click here.
by Bob Smietana, posted Wednesday, February 25, 2015 (an hour ago)
NASHVILLE (BP) -- Christian broadcasters have a devoted following, with about two-thirds of weekly churchgoers and evangelicals saying they tune in to Christian radio and television on a regular basis.
Christian books have a reach among churchgoers and evangelicals, and Christian movies remain popular, with about four in 10 Americans having seen one in the last year.
But many Americans never connect to Christian media.
Those are among the findings of a new study on the use of Christian media from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. The study, sponsored by the National Religious Broadcasters, included an online survey of 2,252 Americans and a phone survey of 1,009 Americans.
"Christian media delivers teaching, music and entertainment to a predominantly Christian constituency," Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research, noted. "Not surprisingly, those who embrace Christian teaching will value and consume these the most." Stetzer released the study's findings Feb. 25 during the NRB national convention in Nashville.
This is an excerpt. To read the entire article, click here.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Only 54 percent of Americans read a book in 2014
NEA: Only 54 percent of Americans read a book in 2014
Written by Shawn A. Akers
Thursday, 12 February 2015 09:00 AM EST
reading-a-bookThe statistics may be shocking to some. But according a study done by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nielsen research firm, only 54 percent of Americans read a book of any kind last year, print or digital.
The “Decade of Arts Engagement” survey, which included 37,000 Americans, also revealed that the number of adults who read at least one novel, play or poem within the past year fell from 50% in 2008 to 47% percent in 2012. Thirty years ago, that number was at 56%.
Additionally, the survey revealed that the decline in fiction reading occurred mostly among white Americans—including men and women of various educational backgrounds—but the rates held steady among non-white and Hispanic groups.
Similar to newspapers, sales of print books are on a down slope. Fiction sales have suffered more than those of nonfiction. The sales of e-books have somewhat offset that trend, with 28% of adults reading in e-book in 2013, up 23% percent from the previous year, as reported on marketwatch.com.
Elizabeth Birr Moje, an education professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, believes the dip in fiction reading could simply be temporary.
“We have to be careful about making too much of changes from one point in time to another in examining [a] social phenomenon,” Moje told marketwatch.com.
Author Christopher Sorrentino told Dennis Abrams of publishingperspectives.com that biographies and self-help books could have a “certain utilitarian appeal.”
Market Watch’s Quentin Fottrell speculates that simple narcissism could also be a major contributor to the drop in the popularity of fiction.
“Americans may be more fascinated with their own lives than with those featured in great works of literary fiction,” he wrote. Fottrell pointed out that 56% of Internet users have Googled themselves.
According to a 2013 report by eMarketer, Americans spend 23 hours each week using social media, emailing and texting, to go along with easily accessible entertainment such as online gambling, music and movie and TV sites such as Hulu and Netflix.
At MarketWatch, Quintin Fottrell broke down the results of a new survey by the NEA along with research by the marketing firm Nielsen to determine what exactly Americans are reading and how it breaks down by gender.
Some of the results:
The number of adults who read at least one novel, play or poem within the past year fell from 50% in 2008 to 47% in 2012, according to a new survey of over 37,000 Americans, “A Decade of Arts Engagement” by the National Endowment for the Arts. (Thirty years ago, that number was at 56%.)
While reading fiction rose from 2002 to 2008, it’s been falling off ever since, and is now back down to 2002 levels. According to Fottrell, “The decline in fiction reading last year occurred mostly among white Americans, including men and women of various educational backgrounds; rates held steady among non-white and Hispanic groups,” according to the report.
Perhaps not surprisingly, men read more nonfiction than fiction; women read more fiction than men. Young adults are also more likely to read fiction than nonfiction, while Americans aged 75 and older are more likely to read nonfiction.
There were state by state differences as well. In Washington, 63% read literary fiction, dropping down to 56% in Colorado, Rhode Island and Connecticut, with just 37% in Nevada, 36% in Virginia, and … 34% in Alabama.
A mere 54% of Americans read any kind of book last year, be it print or digital, fiction or nonfiction. But fiction has seen the greatest drop in sales, according to Nielsen. While adult print book sales fell 2.5% to around 501.6 million from 2012 to 2013, non fiction sales were stable at 225.2 million; fiction sales dropped 11% to just 103.5 million. Poetry saw the sharpest decline in readership of any “literary genre,” falling from 12% to just 6.7%, according to the NEA.
But why the drop in fiction sales? Author Christopher Sorrentino speculated that biographies and self-help books could have a “certain utilitarian appeal. “Who wants to spend two weeks reading a novel that you might not like much?” he asked Fottrell.
And in an era of social media, it’s more and more difficult to “bond around the water cooler” to talk about a novel. Sorrentino pointed out that while there are thousands of novels published every year, only “a few hundred” get noticed, even by a “discerning reading public” either through newspaper reviews or celebrity endorsements. And while there are those occasional books that do go water cooler cool such as Gone Girl or Fifty Shades of Grey, “It’s really hard to read William Faulkner and go into the office and say, ‘What did you think of that last chapter of Light in August?’ In addition, he pointed out; people who might normally be attracted to novels can get fictional narratives complete with “complex characters” on cable TV.
Another possible explanation for the drop in popularity of fiction, Fottrell speculates is simple narcissism: “Americans,” he writes, “may be more fascinated with their own lives than with those featured in great works of literary fiction.” 56% of Internet users, he points out, have Googled themselves.
Then add to that self-interest the wide array of easily accessible entertainment, such as online gambling, music, and movie and TV sites such as Hulu and Netflix (according to a 2013 report by eMarketer, Americans spend 23 per hours each and every week ‘using social media, emailing and texting”), it’s a wonder that anybody has time to read anything at all.
To read the entire article, click here.
Written by Shawn A. Akers
Thursday, 12 February 2015 09:00 AM EST
reading-a-bookThe statistics may be shocking to some. But according a study done by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nielsen research firm, only 54 percent of Americans read a book of any kind last year, print or digital.
The “Decade of Arts Engagement” survey, which included 37,000 Americans, also revealed that the number of adults who read at least one novel, play or poem within the past year fell from 50% in 2008 to 47% percent in 2012. Thirty years ago, that number was at 56%.
Additionally, the survey revealed that the decline in fiction reading occurred mostly among white Americans—including men and women of various educational backgrounds—but the rates held steady among non-white and Hispanic groups.
Similar to newspapers, sales of print books are on a down slope. Fiction sales have suffered more than those of nonfiction. The sales of e-books have somewhat offset that trend, with 28% of adults reading in e-book in 2013, up 23% percent from the previous year, as reported on marketwatch.com.
Elizabeth Birr Moje, an education professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, believes the dip in fiction reading could simply be temporary.
“We have to be careful about making too much of changes from one point in time to another in examining [a] social phenomenon,” Moje told marketwatch.com.
Author Christopher Sorrentino told Dennis Abrams of publishingperspectives.com that biographies and self-help books could have a “certain utilitarian appeal.”
Market Watch’s Quentin Fottrell speculates that simple narcissism could also be a major contributor to the drop in the popularity of fiction.
“Americans may be more fascinated with their own lives than with those featured in great works of literary fiction,” he wrote. Fottrell pointed out that 56% of Internet users have Googled themselves.
According to a 2013 report by eMarketer, Americans spend 23 hours each week using social media, emailing and texting, to go along with easily accessible entertainment such as online gambling, music and movie and TV sites such as Hulu and Netflix.
At MarketWatch, Quintin Fottrell broke down the results of a new survey by the NEA along with research by the marketing firm Nielsen to determine what exactly Americans are reading and how it breaks down by gender.
Some of the results:
The number of adults who read at least one novel, play or poem within the past year fell from 50% in 2008 to 47% in 2012, according to a new survey of over 37,000 Americans, “A Decade of Arts Engagement” by the National Endowment for the Arts. (Thirty years ago, that number was at 56%.)
While reading fiction rose from 2002 to 2008, it’s been falling off ever since, and is now back down to 2002 levels. According to Fottrell, “The decline in fiction reading last year occurred mostly among white Americans, including men and women of various educational backgrounds; rates held steady among non-white and Hispanic groups,” according to the report.
Perhaps not surprisingly, men read more nonfiction than fiction; women read more fiction than men. Young adults are also more likely to read fiction than nonfiction, while Americans aged 75 and older are more likely to read nonfiction.
There were state by state differences as well. In Washington, 63% read literary fiction, dropping down to 56% in Colorado, Rhode Island and Connecticut, with just 37% in Nevada, 36% in Virginia, and … 34% in Alabama.
A mere 54% of Americans read any kind of book last year, be it print or digital, fiction or nonfiction. But fiction has seen the greatest drop in sales, according to Nielsen. While adult print book sales fell 2.5% to around 501.6 million from 2012 to 2013, non fiction sales were stable at 225.2 million; fiction sales dropped 11% to just 103.5 million. Poetry saw the sharpest decline in readership of any “literary genre,” falling from 12% to just 6.7%, according to the NEA.
But why the drop in fiction sales? Author Christopher Sorrentino speculated that biographies and self-help books could have a “certain utilitarian appeal. “Who wants to spend two weeks reading a novel that you might not like much?” he asked Fottrell.
And in an era of social media, it’s more and more difficult to “bond around the water cooler” to talk about a novel. Sorrentino pointed out that while there are thousands of novels published every year, only “a few hundred” get noticed, even by a “discerning reading public” either through newspaper reviews or celebrity endorsements. And while there are those occasional books that do go water cooler cool such as Gone Girl or Fifty Shades of Grey, “It’s really hard to read William Faulkner and go into the office and say, ‘What did you think of that last chapter of Light in August?’ In addition, he pointed out; people who might normally be attracted to novels can get fictional narratives complete with “complex characters” on cable TV.
Another possible explanation for the drop in popularity of fiction, Fottrell speculates is simple narcissism: “Americans,” he writes, “may be more fascinated with their own lives than with those featured in great works of literary fiction.” 56% of Internet users, he points out, have Googled themselves.
Then add to that self-interest the wide array of easily accessible entertainment, such as online gambling, music, and movie and TV sites such as Hulu and Netflix (according to a 2013 report by eMarketer, Americans spend 23 per hours each and every week ‘using social media, emailing and texting”), it’s a wonder that anybody has time to read anything at all.
To read the entire article, click here.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Sports Illustrated Lays Off All Photographers
By Donald R. Winslow
© 2015 News Photographer magazine
NEW YORK, NY (January 23, 2015) – The remaining six staff photographers at Sports Illustrated magazine were all laid off yesterday.
Staff photographers Robert Beck, Simon Bruty, Bill Frakes, David E. Klutho, John W. McDonough, and Al Tielemans were informed of the decision around noon Eastern time on Thursday.
Sports Illustrated director of photography Brad Smith confirmed the move this morning to News Photographer magazine.
"It's true," Smith said. "There was a decision made through the company to restructure various departments, including at Sports Illustrated. Unfortunately economic circumstances are such that it has cut the six staff photographers."
Smith said the plan going forward is "to re-evaluate what's best for the magazine, not just financially but also content-wise. Our commitment to photography is as strong as ever, and we will continue to create the best original content possible."
As early as last summer there were rumors of pending staff cuts at Sports Illustrated as well as at other Time-Life publications because of the company's plan to move this year into new quarters downtown. The new floorspace is considerably smaller, and it will seat far fewer people. The magazines are moving because they can no longer afford the rent where they are, one of the magazine's contributing photographers was told by an SI editor.
Smith said the six staff photographers "have contributed to the success of the magazine and the Sports Illustrated franchise, and I hope that they may continue to do so under slightly different circumstances." He said that while the six are no longer staff photographers, that does not preclude them for continuing to shoot for the magazine if they so desire.
"In my grandest thoughts I hope they will continue to contribute to the magazine," Smith said. "I can't imagine a world where they don't. We just have to figure out what this new structure is."
Smith said Sports Illustrated isn't planning on changing what they do, just the process.
"Our commitment to photography hasn't changed," he said. "We're still going to cover games, we're going to shoot portraits, we're going to cover Olympics, we'll be at the Final Four, we will be at championships, we'll be there."
The bad news for Sports Illustrated photographers comes less than 12 hours after many sports shooters were in Manhattan for the premier of the ESPN film "Keepers Of The Streak," a new documentary about four photogrpahers who have shot every Super Bowl since its beginning.
© 2015 News Photographer magazine
NEW YORK, NY (January 23, 2015) – The remaining six staff photographers at Sports Illustrated magazine were all laid off yesterday.
Staff photographers Robert Beck, Simon Bruty, Bill Frakes, David E. Klutho, John W. McDonough, and Al Tielemans were informed of the decision around noon Eastern time on Thursday.
Sports Illustrated director of photography Brad Smith confirmed the move this morning to News Photographer magazine.
"It's true," Smith said. "There was a decision made through the company to restructure various departments, including at Sports Illustrated. Unfortunately economic circumstances are such that it has cut the six staff photographers."
Smith said the plan going forward is "to re-evaluate what's best for the magazine, not just financially but also content-wise. Our commitment to photography is as strong as ever, and we will continue to create the best original content possible."
As early as last summer there were rumors of pending staff cuts at Sports Illustrated as well as at other Time-Life publications because of the company's plan to move this year into new quarters downtown. The new floorspace is considerably smaller, and it will seat far fewer people. The magazines are moving because they can no longer afford the rent where they are, one of the magazine's contributing photographers was told by an SI editor.
Smith said the six staff photographers "have contributed to the success of the magazine and the Sports Illustrated franchise, and I hope that they may continue to do so under slightly different circumstances." He said that while the six are no longer staff photographers, that does not preclude them for continuing to shoot for the magazine if they so desire.
"In my grandest thoughts I hope they will continue to contribute to the magazine," Smith said. "I can't imagine a world where they don't. We just have to figure out what this new structure is."
Smith said Sports Illustrated isn't planning on changing what they do, just the process.
"Our commitment to photography hasn't changed," he said. "We're still going to cover games, we're going to shoot portraits, we're going to cover Olympics, we'll be at the Final Four, we will be at championships, we'll be there."
The bad news for Sports Illustrated photographers comes less than 12 hours after many sports shooters were in Manhattan for the premier of the ESPN film "Keepers Of The Streak," a new documentary about four photogrpahers who have shot every Super Bowl since its beginning.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Books are Back
From BookBusiness. The original article may be found at http://www.bookbusinessmag.com/aggregatedcontent/paper-is-back-why-real-books-are-rebound?e=tdwhite@bmhbooks.com#utm_source=publishing-business-today&utm_medium=enewsletter_headline_story3&utm_campaign=2015-01-21
All hail paper, the book reading technology resurgent. Eight years after the first Amazon Kindle and five years since the first Apple iPad, lowly pressed wood pulp is on the rebound.
The consequence looks more like co-existence than conquest. For now.
The latest numbers for 2014 book sales tell a surprising tale. Nielsen BookScan, which tracks what readers are buying, found the number of paper books sold went up 2.4% last year, including at Amazon and all types of bookstores.
As Publishers Weekly puts it, “the 2014 figures are further evidence that print books are selling better than they have since sales of eBooks exploded in 2010.” The paper tome apparently hit rock bottom in 2012, but has since rallied in categories from children’s books to adult non-fiction, and formats from trade paperback to hardcover.
Students, too, are rediscovering paper. Several studies – including one by tech-centric Hewlett-Packard – find a strong preference for printed textbooks, notably among those in college who have tried both types. In the HP survey, 57% preferred print; only 21% preferred an eTextbook.
At the same time, eBooks have hit a plateau of sorts. Growth in revenues, according to the Association of American Publishers, was a mere 3.8% in 2013 compared to “unprecedented” growth in 2012. The first three quarters of 2014 showed another nice, modest uptick of 5.6%.WonderworldScienceinside
Depending on whose stats you believe, eBooks that people actually pay for have settled in to represent slightly more than a quarter (27%) of all U.S. book sales, and perhaps up to a third (self-published author direct sales are harder to measure, and freebies are, well, not paid).
Why the pushback against pixels? It may be a combination of how we’re wired, and where eBooks and their devices still fail to connect with readers.
Multiple studies find that we pitiful humans seem to read differently when given the same text on a screen instead of on a page – and are distracted more easily – so less of what we read sticks. Researchers at James Madison University, for one, suspect that readers skim eBook pages quickly and repeatedly, while eye-tracking software shows paper books are read line-for-line. The result is that grokking the content of eBooks “takes longer and requires more effort to reach the same level of understanding.”
Then add distractions. Lots of eBooks aimed at kids are chock full of animations, games and other digital delights. The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop found young kids recall a lot less of the eBook narrative than kids who read print versions of the same story. Another study found young readers frequently skip eBook text, period, and move to the “fun” stuff.On a tablet I can be constantly tempted, and pulled away from losing myself in the book, by notifications of incoming email, status updates, direct messages and Words With Friends moves.
For those of us who are older, there is the Facebook Factor. I know I’m not the only one who discovered that the downside of moving from a dedicated Kindle eReader to a Kindle Fire tablet is I now can be constantly tempted, and pulled away from losing myself in the book, by notifications of incoming email, status updates, direct messages and Words With Friends moves.
Non-intuitive tools
If I were to ask how you’d remember a page or a passage in a paper book, you’d look at me as though I were an idiot. You’d grab a pen or highlighter – two familiar tools that are used for more than reading – and mark the words or scribble in the margins. Or just dog-ear the page, a simple, quick physical motion.
By DBGthekafu [GPL (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html)], via Wikimedia CommonsFor eBooks, you actually have to figure out under which menu the right tool is, how to use it, what its limits are (can I export? save across devices?) and then finally apply it. And, unlike a real thumb or ink pen, how that tool works can vary by platform.
Take the faux sticky note. One study from Ryerson University noted that readers felt they had to “remember to purposely search for the electronic sticky note, in contrast to the easily observable paper sticky note.”
Yes, eBook tools are better than they used to be. But my pen remains mightier than your silicon.
Human factors
I’m not going to soft-pedal this: Some people still like the feel of a book, the heft of a book, even the smell of a book. It has a UI and UX with centuries of refinement. For some types of reading, the physical act of opening a thick cover and listening to the whispered crackle of spine and pages is part of the enjoyment.
For some types of reading, the physical act of opening a thick cover and listening to the whispered crackle of spine and pages is part of the enjoyment.
There is also brilliant, large cover art and the ever-present reminder that you own a book, not because it shows up in a text list or thumbnail art when you log in to your Kindle inventory, but because it’s in your face, on a shelf, where you and others nearby can bask in it.
Oh. About ownership. Recall Amazon’s ability to modify or remove an eBook without a buyer’s permission? The Ryerson study concluded that readers perceived digital content as less permanent. Physical books were under their, not “publishers or IT developers,” control.
Plus, the whole how-backlit-screens-can-interfere-with-sleep thing.
This isn’t to say all is rosy for paper books. The biggest damage in 2014 was the continued slide in mass market paperback sales, down 10.3% during a time period when every other format was going up.
Those palm-sized softcover books are traditionally the domain of adult genre fiction, like romance, fantasy and mystery. Narratives, read front-to-back (and I doubt there’s ever need for a comprehension test afterward). Self-published eBook authors have latched onto genre categories bigtime, too, likely diverting what would have been physical book sales. For that kind of fiction, the years-long paper massacre hasn’t ended.
But as Mark Twain might opine, reports of paper books’ death have been greatly exaggerated. The near-term future won’t be paper-or, but paper-and, pixel. Until the two are indistinguishable in terms of features, factors and feel.
Frank Catalano (@FrankCatalano) is an independent consultant to firms in education and consumer technology, a veteran industry analyst, and a professional speaker and author. His regular GeekWire columns take a practical nerd’s approach to tech.
All hail paper, the book reading technology resurgent. Eight years after the first Amazon Kindle and five years since the first Apple iPad, lowly pressed wood pulp is on the rebound.
The consequence looks more like co-existence than conquest. For now.
The latest numbers for 2014 book sales tell a surprising tale. Nielsen BookScan, which tracks what readers are buying, found the number of paper books sold went up 2.4% last year, including at Amazon and all types of bookstores.
As Publishers Weekly puts it, “the 2014 figures are further evidence that print books are selling better than they have since sales of eBooks exploded in 2010.” The paper tome apparently hit rock bottom in 2012, but has since rallied in categories from children’s books to adult non-fiction, and formats from trade paperback to hardcover.
Students, too, are rediscovering paper. Several studies – including one by tech-centric Hewlett-Packard – find a strong preference for printed textbooks, notably among those in college who have tried both types. In the HP survey, 57% preferred print; only 21% preferred an eTextbook.
At the same time, eBooks have hit a plateau of sorts. Growth in revenues, according to the Association of American Publishers, was a mere 3.8% in 2013 compared to “unprecedented” growth in 2012. The first three quarters of 2014 showed another nice, modest uptick of 5.6%.WonderworldScienceinside
Depending on whose stats you believe, eBooks that people actually pay for have settled in to represent slightly more than a quarter (27%) of all U.S. book sales, and perhaps up to a third (self-published author direct sales are harder to measure, and freebies are, well, not paid).
Why the pushback against pixels? It may be a combination of how we’re wired, and where eBooks and their devices still fail to connect with readers.
Multiple studies find that we pitiful humans seem to read differently when given the same text on a screen instead of on a page – and are distracted more easily – so less of what we read sticks. Researchers at James Madison University, for one, suspect that readers skim eBook pages quickly and repeatedly, while eye-tracking software shows paper books are read line-for-line. The result is that grokking the content of eBooks “takes longer and requires more effort to reach the same level of understanding.”
Then add distractions. Lots of eBooks aimed at kids are chock full of animations, games and other digital delights. The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop found young kids recall a lot less of the eBook narrative than kids who read print versions of the same story. Another study found young readers frequently skip eBook text, period, and move to the “fun” stuff.On a tablet I can be constantly tempted, and pulled away from losing myself in the book, by notifications of incoming email, status updates, direct messages and Words With Friends moves.
For those of us who are older, there is the Facebook Factor. I know I’m not the only one who discovered that the downside of moving from a dedicated Kindle eReader to a Kindle Fire tablet is I now can be constantly tempted, and pulled away from losing myself in the book, by notifications of incoming email, status updates, direct messages and Words With Friends moves.
Non-intuitive tools
If I were to ask how you’d remember a page or a passage in a paper book, you’d look at me as though I were an idiot. You’d grab a pen or highlighter – two familiar tools that are used for more than reading – and mark the words or scribble in the margins. Or just dog-ear the page, a simple, quick physical motion.
By DBGthekafu [GPL (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html)], via Wikimedia CommonsFor eBooks, you actually have to figure out under which menu the right tool is, how to use it, what its limits are (can I export? save across devices?) and then finally apply it. And, unlike a real thumb or ink pen, how that tool works can vary by platform.
Take the faux sticky note. One study from Ryerson University noted that readers felt they had to “remember to purposely search for the electronic sticky note, in contrast to the easily observable paper sticky note.”
Yes, eBook tools are better than they used to be. But my pen remains mightier than your silicon.
Human factors
I’m not going to soft-pedal this: Some people still like the feel of a book, the heft of a book, even the smell of a book. It has a UI and UX with centuries of refinement. For some types of reading, the physical act of opening a thick cover and listening to the whispered crackle of spine and pages is part of the enjoyment.
For some types of reading, the physical act of opening a thick cover and listening to the whispered crackle of spine and pages is part of the enjoyment.
There is also brilliant, large cover art and the ever-present reminder that you own a book, not because it shows up in a text list or thumbnail art when you log in to your Kindle inventory, but because it’s in your face, on a shelf, where you and others nearby can bask in it.
Oh. About ownership. Recall Amazon’s ability to modify or remove an eBook without a buyer’s permission? The Ryerson study concluded that readers perceived digital content as less permanent. Physical books were under their, not “publishers or IT developers,” control.
Plus, the whole how-backlit-screens-can-interfere-with-sleep thing.
This isn’t to say all is rosy for paper books. The biggest damage in 2014 was the continued slide in mass market paperback sales, down 10.3% during a time period when every other format was going up.
Those palm-sized softcover books are traditionally the domain of adult genre fiction, like romance, fantasy and mystery. Narratives, read front-to-back (and I doubt there’s ever need for a comprehension test afterward). Self-published eBook authors have latched onto genre categories bigtime, too, likely diverting what would have been physical book sales. For that kind of fiction, the years-long paper massacre hasn’t ended.
But as Mark Twain might opine, reports of paper books’ death have been greatly exaggerated. The near-term future won’t be paper-or, but paper-and, pixel. Until the two are indistinguishable in terms of features, factors and feel.
Frank Catalano (@FrankCatalano) is an independent consultant to firms in education and consumer technology, a veteran industry analyst, and a professional speaker and author. His regular GeekWire columns take a practical nerd’s approach to tech.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Evangelical Press Association Names New Executive Director
Note to Grace journalism students: This new director, Lamar Keener, is now the owner of the Christian publication I founded in Minneapolis/St. Paul, originally known as the Twin Cities Christian Newspaper.
Evangelical Press Association Names New Executive Director
Contact: Mark Winz, Evangelical Press Association, 407-826-2379
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Jan. 7, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Evangelical Press Association Board of Directors has announced the appointment of CFO Lamar Keener as the new Executive Director of the association, effective January 15, 2015.
The action follows the resignation of current Executive Director D'Arcy Maher, who informed the Board in December that she was stepping down in light of new opportunities for a joint ministry with her husband.
"In the final months of 2014, my husband and I received an invitation to work together as a team in an international capacity," Maher said. "After prayerful consideration, we are walking through the steps to finalize this significant decision. Releasing the role at EPA is certainly bittersweet, but it's the right time in order for the association to continue moving forward."
"D'Arcy has served the association well, and while we will miss her, we celebrate this new opportunity with her," said President-elect Mark Winz, who presided over the discussion and voting.
After considering several options, the EPA Board voted unanimously to offer the position to Keener, who has been serving in a part-time business management role for EPA since 2012. His role will now expand to include Executive Director.
"Lamar's wealth of industry knowledge, professionalism and marketing expertise make him a great fit," said Winz. "Since he's already on staff, he will be able to seamlessly step in to keep the work of the association moving forward."
Keener has been an active member of EPA for more than 25 years. He was the publisher of the award-winning Christian Examiner newspaper group from 1988 to 2014, and he is the current publisher of Refreshed magazine, launched last year. He previously served as Treasurer and President of the EPA Board.
The Evangelical Press Association is a professional association of Christian publications - magazines, newspapers and newsletters - and content-rich websites. Founded in 1948, the association includes 300 members in the U.S., Canada, Israel and India. The next annual convention will be held April 8 - 10, 2015, in Westminster, Colorado. For information on EPA and the convention, visit www.evangelicalpress.com
Evangelical Press Association Names New Executive Director
Contact: Mark Winz, Evangelical Press Association, 407-826-2379
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Jan. 7, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Evangelical Press Association Board of Directors has announced the appointment of CFO Lamar Keener as the new Executive Director of the association, effective January 15, 2015.
The action follows the resignation of current Executive Director D'Arcy Maher, who informed the Board in December that she was stepping down in light of new opportunities for a joint ministry with her husband.
"In the final months of 2014, my husband and I received an invitation to work together as a team in an international capacity," Maher said. "After prayerful consideration, we are walking through the steps to finalize this significant decision. Releasing the role at EPA is certainly bittersweet, but it's the right time in order for the association to continue moving forward."
"D'Arcy has served the association well, and while we will miss her, we celebrate this new opportunity with her," said President-elect Mark Winz, who presided over the discussion and voting.
After considering several options, the EPA Board voted unanimously to offer the position to Keener, who has been serving in a part-time business management role for EPA since 2012. His role will now expand to include Executive Director.
"Lamar's wealth of industry knowledge, professionalism and marketing expertise make him a great fit," said Winz. "Since he's already on staff, he will be able to seamlessly step in to keep the work of the association moving forward."
Keener has been an active member of EPA for more than 25 years. He was the publisher of the award-winning Christian Examiner newspaper group from 1988 to 2014, and he is the current publisher of Refreshed magazine, launched last year. He previously served as Treasurer and President of the EPA Board.
The Evangelical Press Association is a professional association of Christian publications - magazines, newspapers and newsletters - and content-rich websites. Founded in 1948, the association includes 300 members in the U.S., Canada, Israel and India. The next annual convention will be held April 8 - 10, 2015, in Westminster, Colorado. For information on EPA and the convention, visit www.evangelicalpress.com
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Magazines Boomed During 2014
From the New York Post:
Magazines boomed during 2014
By Keith J. Kelly
December 31, 2014 | 12:39am
It was a banner year for magazines — at least in terms of new titles jumping into the market.
Professor Samir Husni, the director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi, counted 234 magazine launches in 2014 — up 21 percent from the 185 launched a year earlier.
The one-time book-a-zines and annuals added 621 titles, although the book-a-zine craze seems to have slowed down somewhat. It was down by 32 titles from 2013.
The 234 new titles that published at least quarterly and the 621 specials launched in 2014 meant readers saw 855 new titles on newsstands.
That fell short of the record 1,056 magazines launched in 1998, which had few annuals and book-a-zines to pad the total.
On the other hand, it is healthier than the 177 new magazine launches Husni calculated in 1984, when he first tracked the market.
Husni tagged Dr. Oz The Good Life, which debuted in February, as his Magazine of the Year.
“It was the first magazine since O, the Oprah Magazine, in 2000 that had to go back on press for a second printing of its debut issue,” he said.
The joint venture between Hearst and Dr. Mehmet Oz, the heart surgeon/talk show host, plans to up the rate base to 800,000 next year from its launch rate base of 450,000.
One noticeable trend, Husni said, was the move by pure digital companies to roll out traditional print magazines.
The trend follows companies like Politico, DuJour and All Recipes, digital products all, that launched print titles in 2013.
Net-a-Porter launched Porter magazine with a February/March issue, while the booming apartment rental site, Airbnb, launched its own magazine, called Pineapple, this month.
“I know we live in a digital age, but print is still a powerful medium,” he said. “I think any digital company that is worth anything will be doing print magazines in the next two to three years,” said Husni.
One other reason for print’s staying power, according to publishers, is that there has been relentless downward pressure on the standard banner ads on the digital side, making the relatively stable print ad page prices more attractive.
Big publishers are nevertheless doing far fewer big launches. “With the exception of Meredith (Eat This, Not That), Hearst (Dr. Oz) and Bauer (Animal Tales; Girls’ World), the big companies are not putting out many new titles,” said Husni. Instead, Time Inc. and Condé Nast have been pumping out more one-time specials.
Current Time Inc. spinoffs include the Fifty Most Important People in the Bible and a one-off tied to the FX cable series “Sons of Anarchy.”
The biggest category for new magazines is the so-called special interest group, where 39 new launches with titles ranging from Raw Bike to CiderCraft to Vapor Lives.
There were 19 metro and regional titles launched with titles including Old Port, Sugar & Rice Magazine and Makena Magazine. That category tied with the pop culture genre for second place, which saw the introduction of titles Churn, East on Pop and Reserved Magazine.
Husni, who has trademarked the name Mr. Magazine, makes no attempt to count e-zines and digital-only magazines. “If it is not in print, it is not a magazine,” he says.
Magazines boomed during 2014
By Keith J. Kelly
December 31, 2014 | 12:39am
It was a banner year for magazines — at least in terms of new titles jumping into the market.
Professor Samir Husni, the director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi, counted 234 magazine launches in 2014 — up 21 percent from the 185 launched a year earlier.
The one-time book-a-zines and annuals added 621 titles, although the book-a-zine craze seems to have slowed down somewhat. It was down by 32 titles from 2013.
The 234 new titles that published at least quarterly and the 621 specials launched in 2014 meant readers saw 855 new titles on newsstands.
That fell short of the record 1,056 magazines launched in 1998, which had few annuals and book-a-zines to pad the total.
On the other hand, it is healthier than the 177 new magazine launches Husni calculated in 1984, when he first tracked the market.
Husni tagged Dr. Oz The Good Life, which debuted in February, as his Magazine of the Year.
“It was the first magazine since O, the Oprah Magazine, in 2000 that had to go back on press for a second printing of its debut issue,” he said.
The joint venture between Hearst and Dr. Mehmet Oz, the heart surgeon/talk show host, plans to up the rate base to 800,000 next year from its launch rate base of 450,000.
One noticeable trend, Husni said, was the move by pure digital companies to roll out traditional print magazines.
The trend follows companies like Politico, DuJour and All Recipes, digital products all, that launched print titles in 2013.
Net-a-Porter launched Porter magazine with a February/March issue, while the booming apartment rental site, Airbnb, launched its own magazine, called Pineapple, this month.
“I know we live in a digital age, but print is still a powerful medium,” he said. “I think any digital company that is worth anything will be doing print magazines in the next two to three years,” said Husni.
One other reason for print’s staying power, according to publishers, is that there has been relentless downward pressure on the standard banner ads on the digital side, making the relatively stable print ad page prices more attractive.
Big publishers are nevertheless doing far fewer big launches. “With the exception of Meredith (Eat This, Not That), Hearst (Dr. Oz) and Bauer (Animal Tales; Girls’ World), the big companies are not putting out many new titles,” said Husni. Instead, Time Inc. and Condé Nast have been pumping out more one-time specials.
Current Time Inc. spinoffs include the Fifty Most Important People in the Bible and a one-off tied to the FX cable series “Sons of Anarchy.”
The biggest category for new magazines is the so-called special interest group, where 39 new launches with titles ranging from Raw Bike to CiderCraft to Vapor Lives.
There were 19 metro and regional titles launched with titles including Old Port, Sugar & Rice Magazine and Makena Magazine. That category tied with the pop culture genre for second place, which saw the introduction of titles Churn, East on Pop and Reserved Magazine.
Husni, who has trademarked the name Mr. Magazine, makes no attempt to count e-zines and digital-only magazines. “If it is not in print, it is not a magazine,” he says.
Reaction to Newsweek's Story on the Bible
Newsweek ended the year with a cover story on the Bible that declares the Scripture to be "so misunderstood it's a sin."
The piece argues that many in America - evangelical Christians in particular - have a gross misunderstanding about what the Bible actually says.
Kurt Eichenwald writes:
They wave their Bibles at passersby, screaming their condemnations of homosexuals. They fall on their knees, worshipping at the base of granite monuments to the Ten Commandments while demanding prayer in school. They appeal to God to save America from their political opponents, mostly Democrats. They gather in football stadiums by the thousands to pray for the country’s salvation.
They are God’s frauds, cafeteria Christians who pick and choose which Bible verses they heed with less care than they exercise in selecting side orders for lunch. They are joined by religious rationalizers—fundamentalists who, unable to find Scripture supporting their biases and beliefs, twist phrases and modify translations to prove they are honoring the Bible’s word.
On his website, Dr. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, slammed the article as a complete misrepresentation of the Bible's words.
Mohler said this report differed greatly from previous mainstream media forays into the Bible and questions about Christianity, calling the previous reports balanced and insightful.
But Newsweek‘s cover story is nothing of the sort. It is an irresponsible screed of post-Christian invective leveled against the Bible and, even more to the point, against evangelical Christianity. It is one of the most irresponsible articles ever to appear in a journalistic guise.
The author of the massive essay is Kurt Eichenwald, who boasts an impressive reputation as a writer and reporter for newspapers like The New York Times and magazines including Vanity Fair. A two-time winner of the George Polk Award, he was also a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize. Eichenwald, however, has been primarily known for reporting and writing in a very different area of expertise. Most of his writing has been on business and financial matters, including business scandals.
When it comes to Newsweek‘s cover story, “The Bible: So Misunderstood It’s a Sin,” Eichenwald appears to be far outside his area of expertise and knowledge. More to the point, he really does not address the subject of the Bible like a reporter at all. His article is a hit-piece that lacks any journalistic balance or credibility. His only sources cited within the article are from severe critics of evangelical Christianity, and he does not even represent some of them accurately.
Mohler was on "Fox and Friends" this morning to further discuss the Bible "hit piece," saying it's yet another example of "incredible hostility" toward evangelical Christians.
He said the report is an "open attack" from the beginning to the end, calling out Eichenwald for claiming that people don't understand what's really in the Bible because of numerous "translations of translations."
"That's not even close to being true. We have very accurate translations available to us now, based upon very credible texts. That's not really the problem. We have a very credible access to translations of the Scripture," he said.
The piece argues that many in America - evangelical Christians in particular - have a gross misunderstanding about what the Bible actually says.
Kurt Eichenwald writes:
They wave their Bibles at passersby, screaming their condemnations of homosexuals. They fall on their knees, worshipping at the base of granite monuments to the Ten Commandments while demanding prayer in school. They appeal to God to save America from their political opponents, mostly Democrats. They gather in football stadiums by the thousands to pray for the country’s salvation.
They are God’s frauds, cafeteria Christians who pick and choose which Bible verses they heed with less care than they exercise in selecting side orders for lunch. They are joined by religious rationalizers—fundamentalists who, unable to find Scripture supporting their biases and beliefs, twist phrases and modify translations to prove they are honoring the Bible’s word.
On his website, Dr. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, slammed the article as a complete misrepresentation of the Bible's words.
Mohler said this report differed greatly from previous mainstream media forays into the Bible and questions about Christianity, calling the previous reports balanced and insightful.
But Newsweek‘s cover story is nothing of the sort. It is an irresponsible screed of post-Christian invective leveled against the Bible and, even more to the point, against evangelical Christianity. It is one of the most irresponsible articles ever to appear in a journalistic guise.
The author of the massive essay is Kurt Eichenwald, who boasts an impressive reputation as a writer and reporter for newspapers like The New York Times and magazines including Vanity Fair. A two-time winner of the George Polk Award, he was also a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize. Eichenwald, however, has been primarily known for reporting and writing in a very different area of expertise. Most of his writing has been on business and financial matters, including business scandals.
When it comes to Newsweek‘s cover story, “The Bible: So Misunderstood It’s a Sin,” Eichenwald appears to be far outside his area of expertise and knowledge. More to the point, he really does not address the subject of the Bible like a reporter at all. His article is a hit-piece that lacks any journalistic balance or credibility. His only sources cited within the article are from severe critics of evangelical Christianity, and he does not even represent some of them accurately.
Mohler was on "Fox and Friends" this morning to further discuss the Bible "hit piece," saying it's yet another example of "incredible hostility" toward evangelical Christians.
He said the report is an "open attack" from the beginning to the end, calling out Eichenwald for claiming that people don't understand what's really in the Bible because of numerous "translations of translations."
"That's not even close to being true. We have very accurate translations available to us now, based upon very credible texts. That's not really the problem. We have a very credible access to translations of the Scripture," he said.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Bill Moyers' Departure From TV Is a Huge Loss for Independent Journalism
Bill Moyers' Departure From TV Is a Huge Loss for Independent Journalism
By Peter Dreier / The Huffington Post
January 2, 2015
This week PBS stations around the country will broadcast the final segment of Moyers & Company, Bill Moyers' provocative, groundbreaking interview show. Moyers, who came to PBS in 1971, is retiring the show, but not retiring from the world of public affairs. He will continue to write, speak out, and produce his remarkable website, filled each day with insightful articles by Bill and others about dangers to our democracy and battles for social justice. But the end of Moyers' regular presence on television will leave a huge hole in America's broadcast landscape. No other program has journalistic breadth and depth, as well as the progressive viewpoint, that Moyers' show has provided views for over four decades. Will PBS -- which has been under increasing pressure from Congress and funders to move to the right -- even try to fill that gap?
Moyers, who turned 80 in June, has been one of the most prolific and influential figures in American journalism. Not content just to diagnose and document corporate and political malpractice, Moyers has regularly taken his cameras and microphones to cities and towns where unions, community organizations, environmental groups, tenants rights activists, and others were waging grassroots campaigns for change. Moyers has given them a voice. He has used TV as a tool to expose political and corporate wrongdoing and to tell stories about ordinary people working together for justice.
He has introduced America to great thinkers, activists, and everyday heroes typically ignored by mainstream media. He has produced dozens of hard-hitting investigative documentaries uncovering corporate abuse of workers and consumers, the corrupting influence of money in politics, the dangers of the Religious Right, conservatives' attacks on scientists over global warming, and many other topics. A gifted storyteller, Moyers' TV shows, speeches, and magazine articles have roared with a combination of outrage and decency, exposing abuse and celebrating the country's history of activism.
To read the entire posting, click here.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Bezos' Plan to Make Money from WaPo
From Business Insider:
Here's A New, Inventive Way Jeff Bezos Plans To Make Money From The Washington Post
Eugene Kim, Dec. 29, 2014, 3:52 PM
When Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post for $250 million in 2013, many saw it as a move to inject new life into the century-old news organization.
It seems like we’re getting a better picture of how exactly he’s going to do it.
According to the Financial Times, The Post plans to sell its back-end content-management system (CMS) to local and regional newspapers.
The report says The Post was approached by some of its partner newspapers, which already have content-sharing deals with The Post, about licensing the software that’s used for The Post's website. The Post has content-sharing deals with the Dallas Morning News and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, while some colleges like Columbia, Yale, and the University of Maryland already use the software on a trial basis.
If the deal goes through, it could open up a whole new revenue channel for The Post. Traditional print newspapers and magazines, like The Post, saw their businesses decline in recent years as they've struggled to keep up with digital. But with a new CMS-licensing business, The Post can broaden its footprint and find new growth from the technology side of its business.
The Post clearly sees potential here as it added 20 engineers this year for a total of 225. It has opened a design and development office in New York, while another one is expected to open in Virginia next year, the report said.
In fact, the move is in line with what Bezos said during Business Insider’s Ignition conference. Here's what he said when he was asked why he bought The Post:
The internet has radically disrupted traditional newspapers, so there’s a lot of invention and experimentation to be done ... even though I didn’t know anything about the newspaper business, I did know something about the internet and companies reacting to the internet. That, combined with the financial runway that I can provide, is the reason why I bought the company.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/washington-post-cms-license-2014-12#ixzz3NOQI8PtQ
Here's A New, Inventive Way Jeff Bezos Plans To Make Money From The Washington Post
Eugene Kim, Dec. 29, 2014, 3:52 PM
When Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post for $250 million in 2013, many saw it as a move to inject new life into the century-old news organization.
It seems like we’re getting a better picture of how exactly he’s going to do it.
According to the Financial Times, The Post plans to sell its back-end content-management system (CMS) to local and regional newspapers.
The report says The Post was approached by some of its partner newspapers, which already have content-sharing deals with The Post, about licensing the software that’s used for The Post's website. The Post has content-sharing deals with the Dallas Morning News and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, while some colleges like Columbia, Yale, and the University of Maryland already use the software on a trial basis.
If the deal goes through, it could open up a whole new revenue channel for The Post. Traditional print newspapers and magazines, like The Post, saw their businesses decline in recent years as they've struggled to keep up with digital. But with a new CMS-licensing business, The Post can broaden its footprint and find new growth from the technology side of its business.
The Post clearly sees potential here as it added 20 engineers this year for a total of 225. It has opened a design and development office in New York, while another one is expected to open in Virginia next year, the report said.
In fact, the move is in line with what Bezos said during Business Insider’s Ignition conference. Here's what he said when he was asked why he bought The Post:
The internet has radically disrupted traditional newspapers, so there’s a lot of invention and experimentation to be done ... even though I didn’t know anything about the newspaper business, I did know something about the internet and companies reacting to the internet. That, combined with the financial runway that I can provide, is the reason why I bought the company.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/washington-post-cms-license-2014-12#ixzz3NOQI8PtQ
What Defines a Healthy Newsroom Culture?
From Poynter.org:
What defines a healthy newsroom culture?
by Roy Peter Clark Published Dec. 26, 2014 4:00 am Updated Dec. 26, 2014 4:07 am
Earlier this month, I had the honor of conducting a writing workshop in Washington, D.C., for the writers and editors of National Geographic. It was a kick for me to work with a publication that I had read as a boy, one that, in 1963, had published a photo of my father, a U.S. Customs officer, pasting a sticker on the wooden crate that contained the Mona Lisa as she made her way on a tour of America.
The folks at NatGeo asked some great questions, and I want to answer one of them in this essay.
“You keep talking and asking questions about the ‘culture’ of this place,” asked one young man. “What do you mean by ‘culture’?”
As is my habit, I was going to begin my answer with a dictionary definition of culture, but even the shortest one I could find was so complicated and multi-faceted that it would not provide much direction.
So I have decided to try a definition of my own in the context of a newsroom:
“The norms, practices, habits and routines of a workplace that create the conditions for excellent or sub-standard work.”
It is often easier to recognize fault lines in a culture from the outside although this must be done with caution. In the television series “Mad Men,” for example, the Madison Avenue advertising company of the early 1960s is portrayed as a male dominated, hierarchical, harshly sexist, overly competitive culture, fueled by nicotine, hard liquor, and casual sex. That such a culture might also be creative is a tension played out in episode after episode.
Is there such a thing as an “ideal” culture for a magazine or newsroom? I cannot answer. The only questions I am qualified to answer are these: “What is the best culture for me? What kind of place keeps me happy and productive?”
Where craft is tied to mission and purpose. I am much more likely to perfect my craft in a place with a clear and high-minded sense of mission. Maximizing profit is not enough. Helping democracy is too broad. People in a news organization must be able to point to specific work that contributes to the public interest.
Where workers are learning all the time. When people call to tell me they are looking for a new job, it is almost never money that is the key issue. “I’ve stopped learning here,” is the most common complaint. A learning culture is one where reflective practitioners solve problems and then share with each other how those problems were solved.
Where doors are opened rather than closed. I thrive in a culture where there is status, of course, but where it is never an impediment. An open concept means there is an escape from silos, that folks can work across disciplines, that anyone might be called upon at any time to help someone else.
Where risk is rewarded. The great writing teacher Donald Murray used to say that he wanted to work in a place with a tolerance for interesting failures. I’m not as brave. I want to walk the tightrope, but with a safety net. I do hope that failure, when it occurs, is not incentive for retreat, but for a new determination to make it work next time.
Where coaching people is more important than fixing stories. I need a place where bosses and workers share control, where editors assume responsibility for the development of the writer over time. A culture that depends upon the constant fixing of broken work breeds negativity and resentment.
Where there is talk, talk, talk. When I enter a newsroom, I judge the culture by the dialect of the tribe. Are people talking at all, and, if so, what are they talking about? If the talk is just complaints about other workers, if it is unrelated to the work, or unrelentingly cynical, I get suspicious. I want to talk about the best work being accomplished, how it gets accomplished, and how I can accomplish it.
Where informal authority complements formal authority. At what is now the Tampa Bay Times a group of young journalists, with the leadership of Ben Montgomery, created a website known as gangrey.com. These writers were commitment to excellence in reporting and the power of telling stories. Their website is committed to the promotion of such excellent work. No one gave them permission to do this. The newspaper benefited, not just from their regular work, but from the informal leadership they exerted, not just in their own shop, but in newsrooms across the country.
Think of your company or newsroom and answer these questions as True or False:
I know what the mission of my workplace is, and I can recite it to others.
I can tell you something specific I learned about my craft during the last week
I feel I can talk to any person in any department about our mission and work.
I can try something unconventional and even if it is not completely successful, I will get support for trying again.
There is some person assigned to helping me grow as a journalist over the long haul.
Almost every day I am engaged in conversation designed to improve the quality of the work.
I am not afraid of trying to contribute to the culture of my workplace, even if I lack the authority to do so.
If you answered “True” to all seven questions, you are lucky to be working in a productive and supportive culture. If you said “False” to more than three, it may be time to roll up your sleeves and exercise your informal influence for the good
What defines a healthy newsroom culture?
by Roy Peter Clark Published Dec. 26, 2014 4:00 am Updated Dec. 26, 2014 4:07 am
Earlier this month, I had the honor of conducting a writing workshop in Washington, D.C., for the writers and editors of National Geographic. It was a kick for me to work with a publication that I had read as a boy, one that, in 1963, had published a photo of my father, a U.S. Customs officer, pasting a sticker on the wooden crate that contained the Mona Lisa as she made her way on a tour of America.
The folks at NatGeo asked some great questions, and I want to answer one of them in this essay.
“You keep talking and asking questions about the ‘culture’ of this place,” asked one young man. “What do you mean by ‘culture’?”
As is my habit, I was going to begin my answer with a dictionary definition of culture, but even the shortest one I could find was so complicated and multi-faceted that it would not provide much direction.
So I have decided to try a definition of my own in the context of a newsroom:
“The norms, practices, habits and routines of a workplace that create the conditions for excellent or sub-standard work.”
It is often easier to recognize fault lines in a culture from the outside although this must be done with caution. In the television series “Mad Men,” for example, the Madison Avenue advertising company of the early 1960s is portrayed as a male dominated, hierarchical, harshly sexist, overly competitive culture, fueled by nicotine, hard liquor, and casual sex. That such a culture might also be creative is a tension played out in episode after episode.
Is there such a thing as an “ideal” culture for a magazine or newsroom? I cannot answer. The only questions I am qualified to answer are these: “What is the best culture for me? What kind of place keeps me happy and productive?”
Where craft is tied to mission and purpose. I am much more likely to perfect my craft in a place with a clear and high-minded sense of mission. Maximizing profit is not enough. Helping democracy is too broad. People in a news organization must be able to point to specific work that contributes to the public interest.
Where workers are learning all the time. When people call to tell me they are looking for a new job, it is almost never money that is the key issue. “I’ve stopped learning here,” is the most common complaint. A learning culture is one where reflective practitioners solve problems and then share with each other how those problems were solved.
Where doors are opened rather than closed. I thrive in a culture where there is status, of course, but where it is never an impediment. An open concept means there is an escape from silos, that folks can work across disciplines, that anyone might be called upon at any time to help someone else.
Where risk is rewarded. The great writing teacher Donald Murray used to say that he wanted to work in a place with a tolerance for interesting failures. I’m not as brave. I want to walk the tightrope, but with a safety net. I do hope that failure, when it occurs, is not incentive for retreat, but for a new determination to make it work next time.
Where coaching people is more important than fixing stories. I need a place where bosses and workers share control, where editors assume responsibility for the development of the writer over time. A culture that depends upon the constant fixing of broken work breeds negativity and resentment.
Where there is talk, talk, talk. When I enter a newsroom, I judge the culture by the dialect of the tribe. Are people talking at all, and, if so, what are they talking about? If the talk is just complaints about other workers, if it is unrelated to the work, or unrelentingly cynical, I get suspicious. I want to talk about the best work being accomplished, how it gets accomplished, and how I can accomplish it.
Where informal authority complements formal authority. At what is now the Tampa Bay Times a group of young journalists, with the leadership of Ben Montgomery, created a website known as gangrey.com. These writers were commitment to excellence in reporting and the power of telling stories. Their website is committed to the promotion of such excellent work. No one gave them permission to do this. The newspaper benefited, not just from their regular work, but from the informal leadership they exerted, not just in their own shop, but in newsrooms across the country.
Think of your company or newsroom and answer these questions as True or False:
I know what the mission of my workplace is, and I can recite it to others.
I can tell you something specific I learned about my craft during the last week
I feel I can talk to any person in any department about our mission and work.
I can try something unconventional and even if it is not completely successful, I will get support for trying again.
There is some person assigned to helping me grow as a journalist over the long haul.
Almost every day I am engaged in conversation designed to improve the quality of the work.
I am not afraid of trying to contribute to the culture of my workplace, even if I lack the authority to do so.
If you answered “True” to all seven questions, you are lucky to be working in a productive and supportive culture. If you said “False” to more than three, it may be time to roll up your sleeves and exercise your informal influence for the good
Sunday, December 21, 2014
800 Magazines Launch This Year
Technology has made an impact on the magazine industry in more than one way. Digital media, of course, if often looked to as a huge detriment to the industry, particularly when trying to sell print ads. Yet advances in technology and digital media have made it possible for magazines to print smaller runs and niche titles and find an enthusiastic and highly targeted audience.
“Magazines, it seems, are far from fossilized. They’re still alive and kicking, and then some,” notes Sally Herships in Marketplace.
She quotes Samir Husni (aka Mr. Magazine) as saying that more than 800 new titles have launched in the past 12 months. Many, Husni notes, are annuals, book-a-zines or highly specialized titles rather than mass market. And that’s okay.
“Magazines aren’t dead, they’re just different,” explains Husni. “New technology allows for smaller runs and more specialized titles…”
Admittedly, it is a challenging time for magazines, both in terms of securing advertising dollars and in leveraging digital media to a publisher’s best advantage.
“While magazine audiences are growing online and on other digital platforms, the loss of advertising dollars that were once a mainstay of print has been hard to make up,” Herships says, quoting Sid Holt of the American Society of Magazine Editors.
“Those digital dimes haven’t replaced those print dollars yet,” Holt said. But at the same time, he notes, magazines are adapting.
“In order for a magazine now to be successful it has to carry its shared passion between reader and publisher — be it guinea pigs or eyelashes — across platforms,” Herships continues.
As we all continue to seek that multi-platform balance, one thing remains clear, according to Andrea Marker-Kick of Media Associates: Print remains a prominent platform for luxury goods and services.
“After all, it’s very hard to smell a sample fragrance strip through the screen of your iPhone,” she notes.
The continuing appeal of print and the struggles that advertisers are facing in making their digital ads worth the cost leave the field open for innovative publishers and the titles they are creating. It’s about finding your passion, telling your story, and connecting with your tribe in print. Clearly, with this many new titles being launched, the passion and the product are evolving in positive ways.
“Magazines, it seems, are far from fossilized. They’re still alive and kicking, and then some,” notes Sally Herships in Marketplace.
She quotes Samir Husni (aka Mr. Magazine) as saying that more than 800 new titles have launched in the past 12 months. Many, Husni notes, are annuals, book-a-zines or highly specialized titles rather than mass market. And that’s okay.
“Magazines aren’t dead, they’re just different,” explains Husni. “New technology allows for smaller runs and more specialized titles…”
Admittedly, it is a challenging time for magazines, both in terms of securing advertising dollars and in leveraging digital media to a publisher’s best advantage.
“While magazine audiences are growing online and on other digital platforms, the loss of advertising dollars that were once a mainstay of print has been hard to make up,” Herships says, quoting Sid Holt of the American Society of Magazine Editors.
“Those digital dimes haven’t replaced those print dollars yet,” Holt said. But at the same time, he notes, magazines are adapting.
“In order for a magazine now to be successful it has to carry its shared passion between reader and publisher — be it guinea pigs or eyelashes — across platforms,” Herships continues.
As we all continue to seek that multi-platform balance, one thing remains clear, according to Andrea Marker-Kick of Media Associates: Print remains a prominent platform for luxury goods and services.
“After all, it’s very hard to smell a sample fragrance strip through the screen of your iPhone,” she notes.
The continuing appeal of print and the struggles that advertisers are facing in making their digital ads worth the cost leave the field open for innovative publishers and the titles they are creating. It’s about finding your passion, telling your story, and connecting with your tribe in print. Clearly, with this many new titles being launched, the passion and the product are evolving in positive ways.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Pentecostal Evangel Switches to Digital
AG Magazine Pentecostal Evangel to Switch to Free Digital Platform
Assemblies of God to Roll out PE News at End of the Year
Contact: Steve Yount, A. Larry Ross Communications, 972-267-1111, steve@alarryross.com; Mark Forrester, Assemblies of God, 417-862-2781 ext 3027, MForrester@ag.org
SPRINGFIELD, Mo., Nov. 6, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- Pentecostal Evangel magazine, a trailblazer in Christian communication since its debut in 1913, announced today it will switch to a free digital news platform - PE News - at the end of the year.
This transition from subscription-based, weekly print publication to online will allow the Assemblies of God to provide high-quality content to a broader range of readers while taking advantage of video and individual interaction that is not possible through the current magazine. PE News will release 20-25 articles each week and be the official news agency of the Assemblies of God.
"Pentecostal Evangel's purpose - to communicate Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit - transcends medium or method," said Dr. George O. Wood, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, U.S.A. "Through multiple daily stories accessible on both online and mobile platforms, PE News will offer a clear and timely understanding of what God is doing through the AG. Had this opportunity been available when the AG was founded, I believe we would have seized it even sooner."
PE News editors will also produce a free weekly summary that churches can download, print and share. The website will be www.penews.org.
In addition to the launch of PE News, Assemblies of God will also offer Vital, a revolutionary new magazine supported by online content, for pastors and their congregations in January. The bimonthly magazine is intended to become an essential spiritual companion to its readers by putting their world into a Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered perspective.
For a preview of Vital, please visit vitalmagazine.com/firstlook.
Assemblies of God to Roll out PE News at End of the Year
Contact: Steve Yount, A. Larry Ross Communications, 972-267-1111, steve@alarryross.com; Mark Forrester, Assemblies of God, 417-862-2781 ext 3027, MForrester@ag.org
SPRINGFIELD, Mo., Nov. 6, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- Pentecostal Evangel magazine, a trailblazer in Christian communication since its debut in 1913, announced today it will switch to a free digital news platform - PE News - at the end of the year.
This transition from subscription-based, weekly print publication to online will allow the Assemblies of God to provide high-quality content to a broader range of readers while taking advantage of video and individual interaction that is not possible through the current magazine. PE News will release 20-25 articles each week and be the official news agency of the Assemblies of God.
"Pentecostal Evangel's purpose - to communicate Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit - transcends medium or method," said Dr. George O. Wood, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, U.S.A. "Through multiple daily stories accessible on both online and mobile platforms, PE News will offer a clear and timely understanding of what God is doing through the AG. Had this opportunity been available when the AG was founded, I believe we would have seized it even sooner."
PE News editors will also produce a free weekly summary that churches can download, print and share. The website will be www.penews.org.
In addition to the launch of PE News, Assemblies of God will also offer Vital, a revolutionary new magazine supported by online content, for pastors and their congregations in January. The bimonthly magazine is intended to become an essential spiritual companion to its readers by putting their world into a Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered perspective.
For a preview of Vital, please visit vitalmagazine.com/firstlook.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Reading in Print Helps With Comprehension
It's no secret that reading is good for you. Just six minutes of reading is enough to reduce stress by 68%, and numerous studies have shown that reading keeps your brain functioning effectively as you age. One study even found that elderly individuals who read regularly are 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer's than their peers. But not all forms of reading are created equal.
The debate between paper books and e-readers has been vicious since the first Kindle came out in 2007. Most arguments have been about the sentimental versus the practical, between people who prefer how paper pages feel in their hands and people who argue for the practicality of e-readers. But now science has weighed in, and the studies are on the side of paper books.
Reading in print helps with comprehension.
A 2014 study found that readers of a short mystery story on a Kindle were significantly worse at remembering the order of events than those who read the same story in paperback. Lead researcher Anne Mangen of Norway's Stavanger University concluded that "the haptic and tactile feedback of a Kindle does not provide the same support for mental reconstruction of a story as a print pocket book does."
To read the entire article, click here.
The debate between paper books and e-readers has been vicious since the first Kindle came out in 2007. Most arguments have been about the sentimental versus the practical, between people who prefer how paper pages feel in their hands and people who argue for the practicality of e-readers. But now science has weighed in, and the studies are on the side of paper books.
Reading in print helps with comprehension.
A 2014 study found that readers of a short mystery story on a Kindle were significantly worse at remembering the order of events than those who read the same story in paperback. Lead researcher Anne Mangen of Norway's Stavanger University concluded that "the haptic and tactile feedback of a Kindle does not provide the same support for mental reconstruction of a story as a print pocket book does."
To read the entire article, click here.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Register Ends L.A. Newspaper, Cuts Staff
Register ends L.A. newspaper, cuts staff
BY LILY LEUNG / STAFF WRITER
Published: Sept. 23, 2014 Updated: 6:39 p.m.
Freedom Communications, the owner of the Orange County Register, has ended the print run of the Los Angeles Register and will redirect its focus to covering Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the company said Tuesday.
The Los Angeles daily, which launched in April, will continue to have an online presence at losangelesregister.com.
The company’s latest restructuring also resulted in the elimination of 29 newsroom positions.
With those departures, the Orange County Register’s editorial staffing is at 220, still higher than 2011 levels before Register publisher Aaron Kushner, co-owner Eric Spitz and their 2100 Trust bought Freedom in summer 2012.
“One of our biggest challenges – and one that our industry continues to wrestle with – is to evaluate our opportunity costs,” Kushner and Spitz wrote in a memo Monday night to the staff. “In other words, we must make difficult decisions on where we should invest our time and resources to grow.”
BY LILY LEUNG / STAFF WRITER
Published: Sept. 23, 2014 Updated: 6:39 p.m.
Freedom Communications, the owner of the Orange County Register, has ended the print run of the Los Angeles Register and will redirect its focus to covering Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the company said Tuesday.
The Los Angeles daily, which launched in April, will continue to have an online presence at losangelesregister.com.
The company’s latest restructuring also resulted in the elimination of 29 newsroom positions.
With those departures, the Orange County Register’s editorial staffing is at 220, still higher than 2011 levels before Register publisher Aaron Kushner, co-owner Eric Spitz and their 2100 Trust bought Freedom in summer 2012.
“One of our biggest challenges – and one that our industry continues to wrestle with – is to evaluate our opportunity costs,” Kushner and Spitz wrote in a memo Monday night to the staff. “In other words, we must make difficult decisions on where we should invest our time and resources to grow.”
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
What Does the Rise in Brand Journalism Mean?
The rise of native advertising, and what some are calling “brand journalism,” has triggered a wave of revulsion and horror in media circles. A feature-length piece in the Financial Times is just the latest in a series of such pieces bemoaning the fact that PR people outnumber journalists 4 to 1, and companies are publishing their own newspapers. There’s no question the web has allowed brands to become media entities — so what should traditional media do about it?
As painful as it may be to hear, the only real answer is: try harder. In other words, traditional journalists need to step up their game, and try to give readers something extra — something unique, whether it’s insight or joy or whatever they feel is their unique selling proposition. Rewriting press releases isn’t going to work when companies live-stream and live-blog their own product launches.
To read the entire article, click here:
As painful as it may be to hear, the only real answer is: try harder. In other words, traditional journalists need to step up their game, and try to give readers something extra — something unique, whether it’s insight or joy or whatever they feel is their unique selling proposition. Rewriting press releases isn’t going to work when companies live-stream and live-blog their own product launches.
To read the entire article, click here:
Saturday, September 6, 2014
'Bloodbath' at USA Today
Here's an excerpt from a really sad story about USA Today.
Korina Lopez was preparing to get a tooth pulled when the call came from USA Today’s human relations office on Wednesday morning. She couldn’t talk, but returned the call as soon as she got home and learned her job as an entertainment writer for the media giant was over.
“They gave me all of five minutes and dismantled 11 years of work,” she said. “I had 15 minutes before they locked me out of my computer. I was trying like crazy to copy all of my contacts before I got locked out. “
Lopez was one of 60 to 70 employees laid off this week at USA Today in a move the company attributed to a need to cut costs in the face of declining print advertising revenue.
Gannett Co. recently announced it was spinning off its flagship national paper and 81 other newspapers into a company separate from its broadcast properties. The company said about half of those laid off worked in the newsroom, amounting to 8 percent of the total editorial staff.
Lopez and several others whose positions were slashed said they weren’t totally surprised that the company was downsizing, but were shocked at how it took place.
Scott Bowles, 49, a film reporter and critic for USA Today’s Los Angeles bureau and 20-year-veteran of Gannett Co., got the layoff call at 8:20 that morning.
“They told me, we are letting you go. You are out and your email is down,” he recalled. “It was cold, it was quick and it was final. Perhaps that is fitting for what is happening in the news era.”
Others in the newsroom were escorted out by security after losing their jobs, Bowles said. “It was so disrespectful. These people were treated like shoplifters.”
Bowles said veteran newsroom employees who had worked there for decades almost immediately lost access to their business email accounts.
“It was a total bloodbath,” Lopez said.
To read the entire article, click here.
Korina Lopez was preparing to get a tooth pulled when the call came from USA Today’s human relations office on Wednesday morning. She couldn’t talk, but returned the call as soon as she got home and learned her job as an entertainment writer for the media giant was over.
“They gave me all of five minutes and dismantled 11 years of work,” she said. “I had 15 minutes before they locked me out of my computer. I was trying like crazy to copy all of my contacts before I got locked out. “
Lopez was one of 60 to 70 employees laid off this week at USA Today in a move the company attributed to a need to cut costs in the face of declining print advertising revenue.
Gannett Co. recently announced it was spinning off its flagship national paper and 81 other newspapers into a company separate from its broadcast properties. The company said about half of those laid off worked in the newsroom, amounting to 8 percent of the total editorial staff.
Lopez and several others whose positions were slashed said they weren’t totally surprised that the company was downsizing, but were shocked at how it took place.
Scott Bowles, 49, a film reporter and critic for USA Today’s Los Angeles bureau and 20-year-veteran of Gannett Co., got the layoff call at 8:20 that morning.
“They told me, we are letting you go. You are out and your email is down,” he recalled. “It was cold, it was quick and it was final. Perhaps that is fitting for what is happening in the news era.”
Others in the newsroom were escorted out by security after losing their jobs, Bowles said. “It was so disrespectful. These people were treated like shoplifters.”
Bowles said veteran newsroom employees who had worked there for decades almost immediately lost access to their business email accounts.
“It was a total bloodbath,” Lopez said.
To read the entire article, click here.
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