National Post is most likely toast - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

habernac · 10-29-2009, 02:22 PM

after Friday:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/0...t_nationalpost

CrusaderPi · 10-29-2009, 02:24 PM

Wow. So what does this mean for my free subscription?

RyZ · 10-29-2009, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrusaderPi

Wow. So what does this mean for my free subscription?

You get a free cancellation.

Slava · 10-29-2009, 02:38 PM

Not completely surprising, but kind of disappointing. I get the post purely so that I can read the Financial Post every day, but the rest of the paper is just the Calgary Herald.

I guess I'll just switch over to the G&M.

Cowperson · 10-29-2009, 02:40 PM

Too bad but they've always seemed like a folly, never profitable.

Newspapers throughout North America continue to be under stress as the way people receive their news is shifting dramatically.

In the USA, if I'm not mistaken, there were figures announced a few days ago indicating overall subscriptions among the top ten USA papers were down 10% year over year.

Large newspapers do receive high hit counts on their websites, indicating readership is there, but they've never been able to translate that interest into useable dollars.

Truthfully, technology has changed the landscape such that the typical consumer in North America has never had greater access to a wider variety of news sources than is the case today.

But that landscape is so fractured that no one can make money at it or new fangled sources like The Huffington Post or, for want of another example, Calgarypuck, rely on largely free content instead of paying for it.

Some news sources like FOX and MSNBC have compensated by accepting the marketplace as it is and living by the thought that people will gravitate towards news sources that lean towards an opinion they already agree with . . . . . hence FOX with its high ratings on the right wing and lately, MSNBC's unabashed run to the left where it's ratings are starting to finally gain some traction. The warm blanket.

Smaller, local newspapers still seem to be thriving because they deliver the community news that major institutions cannot.

Cowperson

Puppet Guy · 10-29-2009, 02:42 PM

can't say I'll be upset. I've always thought the Post was second-rate. It improved after Canwest bought it from Conrad Black, but it was really still just the Financial Post with news stories.

troutman · 10-29-2009, 02:48 PM

"What's black and white and completely over?" he joked. "Give up? It's newspapers."

- Jon Stewart

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/10/jon-stewart-laughs-at-new_n_149842.html

Burninator · 10-29-2009, 03:24 PM

Most likely? The article says could. Pedantic I know, but different connotations. Anyways, it does sound like they should close up, they haven't been making money for awhile...errr...ever apparently.

Bring_Back_Shantz · 10-29-2009, 03:30 PM

Am I the only one who thinks it's incredibly appropriate that an internet site is breaking news about a newspaper shutting down?

troutman · 10-29-2009, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

Am I the only one who thinks it's incredibly appropriate that an internet site is breaking news about a newspaper shutting down?

I stopped getting the Herald, because I already read most of the news the day before on the internet.

Shazam · 10-29-2009, 03:32 PM

As mentioned in Troutman's article, the loss of classified revenue are killing papers. Of course, they could've set up electronic classifieds or some large media conglomerate could've just bought craigslist and/or kijiji, but most newspapers seem to be under the delusion that it's stories that pay the bills.

habernac · 10-29-2009, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troutman

I stopped getting the Herald, because I already read every story the day before on the internet.

One of their annoying solicitor callers got me the other day. I told them 3 times io wasn't interested, finally hung up as they were still speaking. F off already.

Shazam · 10-29-2009, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by habernac

One of their annoying solicitor callers got me the other day. I told them 3 times io wasn't interested, finally hung up as they were still speaking. F off already.

Tell them to put you on their do not call list. That will get rid of them forever.

habernac · 10-29-2009, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shazam

Tell them to put you on their do not call list. That will get rid of them forever.

I was afraid if I asked that, she'd give me another option. Try to be nice, they keep being pushy. I hate that.

Byrns · 10-29-2009, 03:41 PM

I think it sucks that soon the only reporters out there will be from either AP, Reuters, or Jimz Newz Blog.

Burninator · 10-29-2009, 04:04 PM

About people getting their news on the internet...I think some people don't quite understand how it works. From a couple people I've talked to and I recall someone on this site saying "who watches the CBC on TV anymore? I watch it online" in a thread about them shutting down their local news broadcast. Well I thought it would have been obvious, but if they aren't broadcasting on TV they sure as crap aren't putting it on the internet.

Like Cowperson said, most of the news outlets aren't making money online. They are still making their money from TV revenue or print revenue. Lots of online news is recycled from their primary source (either TV or print). I get a lot of my news from CP and Blogs. But each of those sources are linking to TV or print websites. It does seem like TV and print news (at least locally) is in a lot of trouble. Online seems to be the way to go, but the transition to online is going to be ugly at first if all the primary journalists aren't getting paid in that period.

simmer2 · 10-29-2009, 04:21 PM

I'm with Slava on this one; I get the paper purely to read the Financial Post. I guess I won't be reading it anymore...huh.

So I'm assuming I won't be receiving money back for my subscription.

wooohooo · 10-29-2009, 04:24 PM

One of my favorite things to do in the morning is to drink a coffee and read the papers. I still do it, but a lot of the times I rather just sleep and drink my coffee on the go.

jayswin · 10-29-2009, 04:28 PM

Newspapers are still good for taking a crap.

HotHotHeat · 10-29-2009, 04:51 PM

Do people see themselves using a digital newsreader?

Here is the new one from Barnes and Noble:

I've always envisioned something like this sitting on a kitchen table each morning, already updated with the a daily news edition. It just seems to be a natural progression. The world doesn't run on paper anymore.

As for the original topic, the National Post never seemed to be worth subscribing too. The Globe and Mail is a fair superior news service. Great new website too.