Readers can maintain loyalty to GateHouse because Carthage news will now be covered by the Neosho Daily News... as if those two communities have much in common, and as if the Neosho Daily News even has the staff to cover what is going on in Neosho.
Advertisters can put their money into GateHouse's Big Nickel.
At least Joseph Leong, the latest in a group interchangeable "group publishers" who mismanaged the Press from elsewhere while developing no connections in Carthage, could have done was be honest with the readers.
Tell them to buy the Joplin Globe.
Tell them to read the Turner Report and Inside Joplin.
Tell them to read Facebook or go to the coffee shop.
But the last thing they needed to tell the readers was to continue to maintain a loyalty to a company that never did anything but cut, cut, cut, until there was nothing more to cut.
There was no "final edition" headline. There was no thank you to the readers.
It was crass. It was commercial.
It was GateHouse.
The headline read "Carthage closure note to readers.'
This was how Joseph Leong broke the news that a newspaper that has been woven into the fabric of the community to the very end thanks to Managing Editor John Hacker and Sports Editor Brennan Stebbins providing a far better product than GateHouse deserved.
After 140 years, the Carthage Press will publish its final issue on Wednesday, August 29, 2018.
"As Southwest Missouri's Oldest Daily Newspaper, it's been a privilege serving the Carthage communities all these years," said Joseph Leong, senior group publisher. "While we transition our focus, we remain committed to serving neighboring communities. Our sister publication, Neosho Daily News, will cover important Carthage news."
Subscribers to the Carthage Press publications will receive refunds within 30 days for the balance of their subscriptions.
And we will continue to provide Carthage businesses comprehensive marketing solutions with our extensive digital offerings as well as the regional Big Nickel.
If you have any questions regarding your subscription or advertising options, please contact Joseph Leong at jleong@gatehousemedia.com or 417-451-1520.
That number is the number for the Neosho Daily News.
And now the countdown is on. How long will it before Joseph Leong or the next faceless publisher sends tells Neosho Daily News readers the Miami News-Record or the Pittsburg Morning Sun will cover Neosho news?
And your solution to keep The Press and other small papers alive is......?
ReplyDeleteThe last print edition had 6 ads and the church directory. Obviously the business community doesn't think the paper is "woven into the fabric of the community" since they don't support it with their advertising dollars.
ReplyDeleteThis is Murrica and if the readers and subscribers of all these newspapers had been smart enough to get signed contracts like the top Gatehouse Media executives have then they could have shared in the newspapers wealth and looting.
ReplyDeleteBut snoozers are losers and if the executives don't get paid the bonuses the contracts entitle them to then people will be laid off in the finest restaurants and private jet lease companies.
Please quit whining. There hasn't been this much caterwauling since the buggy whip industry foundered because of Henry Ford.
ReplyDeleteWith smartphones and Fox News and Rush Limbaugh and Alex Jones and QAnon@Reddit who needs newspapers?
ReplyDeleteRandy never has a solution to the small newspaper woes... only complaints
ReplyDelete