You certainly cannot blame a company for wanting to make money, but GateHouse's shortsightedness has resulted in distancing its product from the local communities which it is supposed to serve.
I have written numerous times about the decisions that the company, then Liberty Group Publishing, made to decimate The Carthage Press, selling its press and eliminating the crew, and getting rid of the composing department and other employees to move those functions to Neosho. The company made its deadlines earlier and earlier until it was almost impossible to put out anything resembling a timely publication.
Finally, it moved from its downtown location to an antiseptic building on Central Avenue.
The same story has repeated itself at GateHouse's newspapers across the U.S.A. and is happening now in Springfield, Ill.:
The State Journal-Register announced Monday it is considering a move to print the Springfield newspaper in Peoria.
SJ-R Publisher Walt T. Lafferty said if the change is made, the Springfield newspaper would be able to take advantage of a more modern printing plant at the Journal Star in Peoria. Both newspapers are owned by Fairport, N.Y.-based GateHouse Media Inc.
The change in print location could occur within the first quarter of 2011, but any move is subject to bargaining with certain unions, Lafferty said.
It is unclear how many jobs would be lost as part of the proposed change. There are currently 32 full-time and 32 part-time positions in the departments that would be affected.
The Peoria newspaper's printing plant began production in 2004. It already prints several other Illinois GateHouse newspapers.
Looks like they decided on the Gloria Fletcher Reflection or a we no longer with career or any retirement and no insurance like to cal it — "The G-Fletch!" G-Spot was taken!
ReplyDeleteLooks like they decided on the Gloria Fletcher Reflection or as we with no career or any retirement and no insurance like to call it — "The G-Fletch!" G-Spot was taken!
ReplyDeleteSad to see them destroying another paper. Looks like Springfield will now get an even smaller paper with hardly any local news (old News)
ReplyDeleteFeel bad for the job losses.
Boy what an asset to the community.
So..they are printing the paper at another facility and that equates to decimating the pressroom? Nice reach.
ReplyDeleteI'm always curious about these posts. Randy, as a former newspaper guy what do you see as the solution to situations like this with declining revenues and circulation?
ReplyDeleteI am not sure there is a solution at this point. When GateHouse Media (and other companies have used the same approach) bought smaller newspapers, they immediately began cutting personnel and consolidating operations, which resulted in some immediate savings, but also resulted in weakening the newspapers' ties to the community. If these steps had been accompanied by efforts to strengthen the content of the newspapers, they might have avoided the situation they face today, but nearly all of their moves to "improve" the newspapers were purely cosmetic. With weaker papers, revenue continued to decrease and the automatic reflex of Gatehouse officials was to continue demanding more and more cuts until their newspapers are weak and, for the most part, disconnected from their communities. A strong move into the digital age might have made a difference, but GateHouse has not done well in that department either. In the smaller communities in which GateHouse operates, I still firmly believe that a newspaper that invests in reporting and in the community can not only survive, but can be profitable.
ReplyDeleteas a resident of springfield, il.
ReplyDeleteall i can say is when gatehouse media first bought our newspaper a few years ago the paper became alot thinner (less pages and less local news) then when it was owned by the copley family. It seems like we get alot of out of town stories from other illinois cities that no one in springfield really care about. i think the reason is they do not have enough writers left to cover springfield anymore so they just fill our paper with news from other illinois papers.
I think this is why their circulation is dropping. I also believe that OUR paper was profitable and probably is, but they have to bleed our paper for profits to pay of the parent companies massive debt.....thus cutting and elimanating jobs in springfield. i wish they would sell our community paper and someone would come in and make it like it was 5 years ago. more thicker and more local stuff i think would increase circulation.