Newspapers

Michael Becker, who writes about newspapers in the new era, likes my point about newspaper staffing.

Stewart Mader agrees, writing that “lean and content-focused sounds like a move in the right direction.” This sounds great, and it’s something that some news organization might attempt, but you can’t get there by starting with an existing newspaper. Why not? Because you already own a hundred trucks and a printing plant, not to mention places to park and load a hundred trucks. That costs money, you’ve got loans against those trucks and mortgages on the parking lot and the loading dock. You can’t just say, “we’re not going to do this anymore.” The banks won’t let you abandon the trucks, the mortgage still needs to be paid, and you’ve got contracts with the truck drivers.