$1.95 and a dream

     I’ve been asking my Gannett friends lately (those still in the box, those now breathing fresh air) what they think will happen to newspapers.
     After today’s bleak showing on Wall Street ($1.95 a share for GCI stock — a year ago it was $33), it seems evident that the printed newspaper is mortally wounded and only Jack Bauer could save it at this point.
     Time magazine published an article today in which it listed “The 10 Most Endangered Newspapers in America.” They include:

• The Philadelphia Daily News.
• The Minneapolis Star Tribune
• The Miami Herald
• The Detroit News
• The Boston Globe
• The San Francisco Chronicle
• The Chicago Sun Times
• NY Daily News
• The Fort Worth Star Telegram
• The Cleveland Plain Dealer

     Pretty depressing list, eh? The thought that the brilliant Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts (and others) might be silenced by this industry free-fall makes me want to cry. So … what’s the alternative?
     Instead of standing there like deer in the headlights, journalists nationwide should band together at this moment to forge their destiny. Why wait for it to find us? Can’t we do something proactive RIGHT NOW?
     We’ll need thinkers who have the visionary mindset of an Aldous Huxley or Ray Bradbury, plus those who can figure a way to steer journalism back toward focusing on readers, not advertisers, yet still generate money. How can we deliver news to those who need it most, yet might not be able to afford computer access?
     Although the lack of a job would prohibit some of us from gathering in person, why not hold a virtual summit? Enough of us are connected through user groups or facebook or great blogs such as Jim Hopkins’ Gannett Blog. It would be easy enough for us to get out the word.
     Although the vehicle of delivery may be altered forever, journalism can be assured that one thing remains constant: in a free society such as ours, it must always matter. 
     Put on your thinking caps, journos… how do we dig ourselves out of this mess? (Yes, that was an intentional gratuitous DIG …)

Furlough for 20-page newspaper workers

     Gannett announced Wednesday that it was mandating a one-week UNPAID furlough for all its employees (FT & PT) to be taken within this quarter. This drastic move (perhaps stolen from Detroit’s sorry play book) is meant to save jobs, management says.
     What about saving the newspapers you’re, in essence, destroying with your illogical management?
     Two days this week the local newspaper has been but 20 pages in two scrunched-up sections. Features of the past in all sections have been dropped with oddly chosen basic representation of them. Most often dumped: commentary across all departments. There’s been a sudden drop in the use of color, too. That’s within the newshole, of course. The ads continue to be a mash-up of garish color.
     Today, Gannett Blog also reports that Gannett management is pushing for use of USA Today content instead of Associated Press.
     What a freakin’ disaster! What a tragedy for the American public!

What goes around, comes around…

     Just about a year ago, I wrote a post called 5 Ways to Kill A Newspaper. 
     Well someone out there was paying attention. In that post I noted that there were just 1½ pages of world/national news in the edition of my local paper that day. This morning, the newspaper that arrived (despite the fact that my subscription has been canceled since Jan. 1) had less than 25 pages. It looked more like the size of a pizza circular than anything claiming to represent true news gathering.
     In that post a year ago, I wrote

“All of this makes you wonder if the corporation that owns our newspaper is trying to drive it out of existence…”

     I think that must be its goal. It appears to be succeeding brilliantly.
     Every day brings more doom and gloom about the field I once loved. Layoffs. Cutbacks. Newspapers shut down. It’s so discouraging, so frightening.
     How can a democracy thrive when fewer people control the news we have access to?  The latest epiphany from the Mothership is a product called ContentOne. (That title would trigger all sorts of alarms in the ”Fear the New World Order” camp.) ContentOne translates to a national editor deciding local content, in respect to national and international news choices. Just think of the temptation that power wields: selecting the five or six main news stories that millions of readers find in their daily papers. Just think of the potential to sway public opinion. Add to the mix that certain chains are becoming annoyed at the Associated Press and will cut back on a larger pool of stories in favor of what their bureaus can gather. Even more shrinkage of accessible truth.
     I sure hope President Obama is paying close attention to this important issue.

When Black Tuesday comes…

…Newspapers (and their readers) around the nation will mourn.

     Today through Thursday, workers at the scores of newspapers owned by Gannett are waiting to see if the ax will fall on their jobs. A little more than a month ago, the corporation announced it would lay off 10 percent of its work force nationwide. Since then, workers have waited to hear if they will go or be spared this round to face another possible round in February. What cruelty, especially during the holiday season… of course, it’s sooo Gannett.
     It breaks your heart to think of the people under the gun in these newsrooms today. There have already been rounds of layoffs and buyouts this year. That means staff is already lean. These deep cuts cross into the bones that prop up these newspapers.
     The ironic thing about this is that many of these newspapers make good profits. According to a report by Jim Hopkins at Gannett Blog, most of the 80 newspapers were making double-digit profit in the first three quarters of last year, some as high as 30-40 percent. The bad thing about Gannett’s philosophy over the years is that it focused on making profit but not reinvesting it. Where would the company be today if it boosted staff in the newsroom, invested in continuing education of its staff or became a more family-friendly environment?
     Whatever goes around comes around, and its comes around again to the greedy. Gannett’s management should be ashamed at the talent it has frittered away on inane tasks instead of focusing on real journalism.
     May fortune shine upon the good, hardworking and loyal workers let go today. May they help bring about a new era of journalism that returns it to its necessary core values!

October surprise?

As Obama takes a lead in the polls, what type of October surprise might affect that or cancel the elections altogether?

• “Terror threat in UK approaching critical”
• U.S. Army Troops to Serve as U.S. Policemen?
• Next: The Mother of all Bank Runs?
• Bank Limits Fund Access by Colleges, Inciting Fears
• Russian Nuclear Bomber Flies Undetected to Within 20 Miles of Hull (on the British coast)

Joe Six-Pack politics

O P I N I O N

     Wow. When did America’s expectations get so low? When did it become a bad thing for politicians to aspire to improve their intellect, have a firm grasp of this nation’s history and keep abreast of legislation and Supreme Court rulings? And when did such aspirations earn you the label “elite” instead of a lowered expectation for Americans as a proud nation of Joe Six-packs?
     Who needs to read Jefferson or Paine or Franklin, when yah’ve got Google?  Who needs clarity of thought when you can spew out a cleverly twisted neoconism to belittle your opponent?
     Seriously, is it badgering candidates for vice president of the United States to ask them to note a Supreme Court decision they disagreed with? Why isn’t every American suprememly insulted that a candidate has been put forth who could not do this and is clearly CLUELESS about this nation’s government?
     What hubris has been displayed by the GOP and the neocon henchmen! They paint themselves as patriots. But to attempt to put in power — and possibly in the Oval Office should the worst scenario happen — a person with so little knowledge of the rudimentary history and processes of our government it could be construed, if you think of it, as commiting a form of terrorism upon this nation. That’s because electing such a “Joe Six-pack quality” candidate has the potential to destroy this nation.
     God help us if all we can aspire to be is a Joe Six-pack Nation!

Ka-P.O.W.!

O P I N I O N

Before Sen. John McCain made his acceptance speech tonight at the Republican National Convention, the arena went dark. Former presidential candidate Fred Thompson read dramatically McCain’s own words. And then, the candidate himself stepped out onto the stage. In case you missed the speech, here’s the “in a nutshell” version:

Waving flag.
Growing up Navy. Lovin’ the military.
“You can’t turn a blind eye to threats.”
“I’m not afraid.”
“I’m prepared.”
“I hate war.”
Odd inappropriate laughter when he talks about being captured in Vietnam.
What I learned as a P.O.W.
“Fight with me! Fight with me!”
As Gov. Palin joins him on stage, the song “Barracuda” blasts from loudspeakers.
Balloons & confetti

Other observations:

• I saw 18 people of color in the audience during his speech.
• At least five protesters interrupted his train of thought. One held the poster “McCain votes against vets”; some of the women stripped to reveal pink outfits. Code Pinkers, no doubt.
• Trig was not within spitting distance of Piper.

Cerberus unleashed

O P I N I O N

A two-headed beastie was unleashed at the Democratic Party ticket tonight. And it did a lot of biting below the belt.
     So much for the high road.
     I love how former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was introduced as “the honorable.” (Tell that to Donna Hanover!) And when he came out, he was carrying a big-ass fungo bat aimed right at Obama’s kneecaps. He must have spent the last week rewinding Sen. Hillary Clinton’s tapes from the debates and her campaign, because he borrowed much of her critiques to slam her former opponent. Ow!
     All the while he’s getting down and snarky, behind him is a gleaming photo of the NYC skyline, sans the Twin Towers of course. Now I’m not going to take away from how Giuliani rose to the occasion that day and helped his city keep its cool, but as the friend of one of the victims in the towers, I find it extremely offensive to use his death for political leverage. It’s curious that the GOP would bring in this iconography, because if the so-called commander in chief had been paying attention when “the system was blinking red” instead of jess relaxin’ Crawford-style, then maybe my friend would be alive today. And maybe he’d be a father — something he really wanted.
     I loved it when Giuliani said that Gov. Palin was more experienced than the entire Democratic ticket combined. Maybe in sled dog years.
     Then the “hockey mom” took the podium. We’re a typical family with ups and downs, she pleads. (Pregnant unwed daughter, husband with DWI record, her own investigation for abuse of power in the firing of her no-good brother-in-law, and, oh yeah, they eat moose meat. Trés typical household.) But all her sweetness and proud-to-be-a-mom-of-a-kid-goin’-to-Iraq-on-(what a coincidence!)Sept.-11 nicety melted away when she lunged at the very core of Obama’s perceived ego. That’s some set of canine teeth she was displaying! And the GOP pack lapped it right up. Yum, fresh kill!
     The Dems will have a heck of a fight against this ticket. It’s like a political Fight Club, the only rule is that there are no rules!

Tonight’s observations:

• Number of people of color seen in the audience over an hour: 8 (or 9, if you count that Palin’s hubby is, of course, part Eskimo.)
• The whole cowboy hat thing is supposed to signify a maverick, as in what they’ve branded McCain, I guess. Everytime I see them though, I think W.
• Wouldn’t you know that Palin’s sister owns a service station. This is like a script from a Robert Altman film!
• The night’s yuck factor: When Piper Palin, an adorable little girl, licked her palm and used her spit to slick down baby Trig’s hair.

Poke in a Pig’s Eye

O P I N I O N

I tuned into the first hour of the Republican National Convention tonight. Here are a few observations:

• If it weren’t for a Catholic church there, St. Paul would be called Pig’s Eye. No comment on that choice for the RNC venue.
• In the hour I watched, I counted 17… SEVENTEEN!… people of color in the audience. That’s a bit too Aryan nation, don’t you think?
• The first film of the evening invoked the spirit of Lincoln (take that you upstart from Illinois!) and other presidents and leaders of note. The Applause-O-Meter registered the following tally:
  MOST <– Reagan, W, Lincoln, MLK –> LEAST
• Two of the 17 people of color I saw were the girls Cindy McCain rescued from Mother Teresa’s orphanage. Did you know the McCain’s adopted a daughter named Bridget from Bangladesh? First time I’d heard of her, too.
• The women at this convention are so very Stepford. That local congresswoman actually welcomed the delegates to “the land of Minnesota nice.” Pass the valium cocktails, hon.
   

Moldy Peaches to play at the RNC

O P I N I O N

Anyone else suspect that the Republican National Committee is pushing the “Juno” ticket?

     McCain’s VP choice, Sarah Palin, has a newborn with Down Syndrome. At the announcement, her oldest daughter Bristol was carrying Trig.  Then rumors came out that, ala “Desperate Housewives,” that Sarah faked her pregnancy to cover up that Bristol was carryingTrig. Now that rumor has been squashed by the latest truth put forth: Bristol is five months preggers by a young lad named Levi.
     So if McCain & Palin win, and her daughter goes into labor on inauguration day, what will be her choice?
     Of course the RNC is pushing the release of rumors about this sordidness on the DNC. From Reuters;”A senior McCain official said its camp had no evidence that the campaign of Democrat Barack Obamawas pushing the story, but said the blog rumors circulating on websites that appeared to support Obama had the effect of being “a real anchor around the Democratic ticket.” Obama refuted that idea. “”We don’t go after people’s families. We don’t get them involved in the politics. It’s not appropriate and it’s not relevant. Our people were not involved in any way in this and they will not be. And if I ever thought there was somebody in my campaign that was involved in something like that, they’d be fired,” Obama said.”
     In any case, I think it would be appropriate to ask The Moldy Peaches to play at the Republican Convention. Don’t you?