Post Media layoffs

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Shazam

George Johnson is often attributed in convincing Flames' management to fire Terry Crisp. Not sure if that's true or not.

Article readers have never really paid for newspapers. Classified and job postings (A one week 1/16 two color job ad in the CH was $450 back in the day) was the real revenue generator and was what paid the writers' salaries.

A few months ago I found a CH from the late nineties. What was striking was the lack of in-page ads and the mega thick classified section.

This is an industry that doesn't even know where they got their money from. No wonder they're at death's door.

Ehh, yes and no. Things like Kijiji, Craigslist, Workopolis and the like has helped reduce the relevance newspaper classifieds. Much like the rest of the newspaper industry, classifieds are hurt by the fact that we can get instant updates at any time through other sources. Why pay for a newspaper classified when you can post to Kijiji for free?

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by greentree

That's a weird thing to say, and wrong.
Newspapers--all print media--rely on advertising and paid circulation for revenue. They always have. But those two revenue streams are greatly diminished thanks to a) traditional ad buyers having left and b) the Internet.
Classified ad revenue vanished many years ago and it will never return. Newspaper classifieds haven't been in the conversation for a loooong time. They are history.
None of this is a mystery.

I once had a nice chat with one of PM's editors. He was convinced that newspapers made money from people buying the paper because of content. I told him that it came from classified ads and that all that revenue vapourized. He told me to f off.

Good chat. Clearly they had a handle on the problem.

I should mention that in Postmedia's case, they have a ton of debt that's basically made it impossible for them to keep their profits (they're actually profitable before interest expense). Gee who'd a thunk buying a bunch of buildings using debt would've bit them in the ass.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Ehh, yes and no. Things like Kijiji, Craigslist, Workopolis and the like has helped reduce the relevance newspaper classifieds. Much like the rest of the newspaper industry, classifieds are hurt by the fact that we can get instant updates at any time through other sources. Why pay for a newspaper classified when you can post to Kijiji for free?

Isn't that what I just said?

[rayne008]

Originally Posted by northcrunk

Vice was great when it first came out but they seem to have too many ideological hipster writers on their staff to have any sort of independent reporting on subjects like climate change and railing against Oil and Gas. They still produce some good documentaries but most of their print journalism is garbage.

"...who knew we'd have to go to China just to skateboard.."

[polak]

Originally Posted by northcrunk

Vice was great when it first came out but they seem to have too many ideological hipster writers on their staff to have any sort of independent reporting on subjects like climate change and railing against Oil and Gas. They still produce some good documentaries but most of their print journalism is garbage.

Vice is trash.

All they post is articles exclusively on how everything in the world is terrible.

Having them on FB for a bit was the most depressing and irritating thing ever. Just constant complaining about everything.

[Vulcan]

I miss the Albertan where it seemed like most of the reporters were drunks.

[BOSSY]

Originally Posted by greentree

That's a weird thing to say, and wrong.
Newspapers--all print media--rely on advertising and paid circulation for revenue. They always have. But those two revenue streams are greatly diminished thanks to a) traditional ad buyers having left and b) the Internet.
Classified ad revenue vanished many years ago and it will never return. Newspaper classifieds haven't been in the conversation for a loooong time. They are history.
None of this is a mystery.
How to make newspapers work, when the big national campaign advertisers i.e.: automotive and banking industries are no longer interested in print advertising (they left after the 2008 crisis)? When online advertising is dirt cheap, maybe one-fifth the price (or less) of a print ad?
These are the real mysteries, that no one has managed to solve.
BUT: Pick up a weekend metro broadsheet i.e. Herald, Vancouver Sun, Ottawa Citizen, Mtl Gazette. They are fat. There is some hope, there. The national dailies...not so much.

Automotive is actually the largest advertising segment market for the Calgary Sun...

[six pack]

If Playboy is killing off the print that should say something to everyone about print. Its day is coming, after all how many of you would read a dirty magazine these days?

I hate to say it, but most reporters appear to be team cheerleaders anyways. Very few will tell the truth for fear of being cut off by the team. Inovtate the model or die, I remember being a paperboy for the Hearld many moons ago, and I thought to myself why do people pay to get a bunch of adds anyways? I guess metro figured that part out, they seem to be doing "ok."

It is sad to see people without a career though. I hope for the best for these individuals.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Even those are traditional sources. Things like

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/sports/hockey/

Have given me much more insight and value in terms of sports reporting and interviews than any of the traditional sources ever have.

In terms of investigative reporting, boots on the ground in conflict-zone reporting, etc. VICE news (originally Canadian) has tons of that stuff and they are agile and adaptable and free. You can even pick up their thick and lush magazine for free at various shops in town.

If these guys that were let go from Post Media are actually talented and connected, they would be wise to align themselves with new online media and get wider audience than local.

WAIT. Vice Magazine is free? I've been irregularly paying for it for probably 20 years.

The late 90's with Blunt, Big Brother, and VICE may have been my favourite time for magazines.