Newspapers cutting comics to cut costs

[Cowperson]

When The Dallas Morning News pruned its stock tables, sports results and television listings this year, a consequence of sluggish advertising revenue and sharply rising paper costs, few readers felt aggrieved enough to complain.

But when the paper later staged a "Survivor"-style contest to cut a dozen of its 53 comic-strip offerings to save a precious half-page of space in the weekday paper, more than 40,000 readers voted their passions.

Its a trend across the USA newspaper business but one frought with risks as noted above.

Are you one of those people who reads the comics first, the sports section second, entertainment third and finally the news if you get around to it? Are "comics" your hot button, the line the newspaper can't cross?

The Times story: You may have to register:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/22/bu...comics.html?hp

Cowperson

[La Flames Fan]

I read sports first, news second, comics and electronic store flyers....

I can't believe cutting the comics, that seems assinine....It reaffirms my question where does the buck stop? Why do corporations and companies need billions and millions of dollars? Granted newpaper revenues are on a much smaller scale, but to look at a company like Wal-Mart, why do you need all that money? What is the goal, what is the purpose? You've got billions of dollars, strong sales, lots of stores, what more do you want?

And I'm done.

[transplant99]

It reaffirms my question where does the buck stop? Why do corporations and companies need billions and millions of dollars? Granted newpaper revenues are on a much smaller scale, but to look at a company like Wal-Mart, why do you need all that money? What is the goal, what is the purpose? You've got billions of dollars, strong sales, lots of stores, what more do you want?

What are they supposed to do?

NOT make money?

[Cowperson]

Originally posted by transplant99@Aug 22 2004, 05:21 PM
It reaffirms my question where does the buck stop? Why do corporations and companies need billions and millions of dollars? Granted newpaper revenues are on a much smaller scale, but to look at a company like Wal-Mart, why do you need all that money? What is the goal, what is the purpose? You've got billions of dollars, strong sales, lots of stores, what more do you want?

What are they supposed to do?

NOT make money?

I agree. The NY Times, as an example, is a publicly traded company. I think the Dallas Morning News is owned by Gannet, another publicly traded company.

As a shareholder, I would expect them to try and have the company as efficiently profitable as possible while acting with a degree of responsibility in their community. . . . . the extent of the latter part obviously something we could debate all day.

Lastly, and sheepishly, like many cited in the article, I'm a regular follower of serial type cartoons, story lines like Dr. Rex Morgan serial in the Calgary Herald, now moved to the classified ad section which forces me to go find it.

I have a Big Book of Dick Tracy serials from the 1930's and onward, one of my minor treasures which I haul out periodically.

Cowperson

[La Flames Fan]

Originally posted by transplant99@Aug 22 2004, 05:21 PM
It reaffirms my question where does the buck stop? Why do corporations and companies need billions and millions of dollars? Granted newpaper revenues are on a much smaller scale, but to look at a company like Wal-Mart, why do you need all that money? What is the goal, what is the purpose? You've got billions of dollars, strong sales, lots of stores, what more do you want?

What are they supposed to do?

NOT make money?

There's nothing wrong with making money, nothing at all, vive la capitalisme....MY PROBLEM is these corporations don't pay jack squat to their employees and choose not to provide health care, and some companies who profit nicely are laying off people.

Edit: I once worked for Starbucks and was payed competitively in that field and if I maintained 20 hours a week I was given full health, dental and vision....Now that's not necessarily a big thing in Canada (yet I didn't have to pay quarterly), but in the US where so many people are without Healthcare coverage....That's a big deal. There's no reason Wal-Mart, McD's, and several other companies can't provide a healthy work environment.

[transplant99]

There's nothing wrong with making money, nothing at all, vive la capitalisme....MY PROBLEM is these corporations don't pay jack squat to their employees and choose not to provide health care, and some companies who profit nicely are laying off people.

If people at WalMart dont like their job...then they can always go elsewhere and get their pay upped or a health care package they prefer.

Where is it written that corporations have to provide all that for their employees anyhow?

Freedom of choice man. Some companies choose to do what you suggest....others choose not too.

[Wookie]

Newspaper???

Wha... What's a newspaper...

Honestly, I go upstairs, make my brekfast, and bring it right back downstairs infront of my PC and check the news here.

In fact I usually eat three meals a day at the PC..