http://www.mnguild.org Minnesota Newspaper Guild Typographical Union Copyright 2011 Minnesota Newspaper Guild Typographical Union en-us Fri, 29 Mar 2013 02:59:44 -0400 Fri, 29 Mar 2013 02:59:44 -0400 http://www.sjguild.org/rss/jpg/MNGuild.jpg http://www.mnguild.org 140 55 http://richardbrenneman.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/blood-on-the-newsroom-floor-medianews-merger/ MediaNews Group, the company that produces the largest share of California’s newspapers, is merging managerial functions with the Journal Register Co., with the new operation headed by Journal Register boss John Paton. Paton, who is one of the newspaper world’s leading advocates of a transition to the digital realm, becomes the boss of most San Francisco Bay Area newspapers, now published by MediaNews’ Bay Area News Group. http://richardbrenneman.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/blood-on-the-newsroom-floor-medianews-merger/ http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/medianews-group-announces-the-appointment-of-john-paton-as-ceo-and-the-retention-of-digital-first-media-to-provide-management-services-129367863.html Alden Global Capital moved Wednesday to consolidate management of its newspaper holdings, merging senior leadership of MediaNews and Journal Register Co. John Paton of Journal Register Co. will be CEO. MediaNews, known for slashing costs, owns the San Jose Mercury News, Monterey Herald and BANG-East Bay. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/medianews-group-announces-the-appointment-of-john-paton-as-ceo-and-the-retention-of-digital-first-media-to-provide-management-services-129367863.html http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/23/BU931KR0NC.DTL#ixzz1VxpNV9ac As newspapers nationwide struggle to evolve viable business models, Bay Area News Group said Tuesday it will consolidate 11 local newspapers in the East Bay into two regional newspapers and lay off 8 percent of the staff. (Guild Note: Although the press release didn’t point this out, the layoffs eliminate about 20 percent of the East Bay editorial staff.) http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/23/BU931KR0NC.DTL#ixzz1VxpNV9ac http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-what-readers-want-to-read-next/ We’d all like to know what comes next. That can be a spiritual quest, a political one, or in the case of news publishers, one that would help them know what it is readers who land on their site would like to read next. http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-what-readers-want-to-read-next/ http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/28/3800244/mcclatchy-second-quarter-profits.html The McClatchy Co. today reported lower profits and revenue in the second quarter, as The Bee’s owner continues to struggle with a weak economy and structural changes in the newspaper industry. http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/28/3800244/mcclatchy-second-quarter-profits.html http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-netflix-newspapers-and-forcing-the-digital-shift/ Netflix CEO Reed Hastings says he is surprised that customers weren’t more upset with Netflix’s digital shift. After all, he expected more upset, in his role as a pioneer, early in the game of forcing the digital shift. http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-netflix-newspapers-and-forcing-the-digital-shift/ http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/22/business/media/times-company-posts-loss-on-write-down.html?_r=2 The New York Times Company reported on Thursday an overall loss in the second quarter as print advertising continued to struggle, dragging down growth in online advertising. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/22/business/media/times-company-posts-loss-on-write-down.html?_r=2 http://www.suntimes.com/business/6598126-417/sun-times-media-chicago-tribune-enter-into-print-production-contract.html The Chicago Tribune will begin printing the Chicago Sun-Times and seven of its suburban sister newspapers under an agreement announced Tuesday. http://www.suntimes.com/business/6598126-417/sun-times-media-chicago-tribune-enter-into-print-production-contract.html http://newsonomics.com/schadenrupe-murdoch-woes-others-joy-and-what-the-wsj-editorial-misses/ Schadenfreude is the word of the day, as the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page points out that "the Schadenfreude is so thick you can’t cut it with a chainsaw." http://newsonomics.com/schadenrupe-murdoch-woes-others-joy-and-what-the-wsj-editorial-misses/ http://newsonomics.com/new-news-corp-strategy-become-an-even-more-american-company/ We’d all be ready to shell out pay-per-view prices (those for boxing, not a simple movie) to peek in on the House of Commons’ questioning of Rupert Murdoch, James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks Tuesday. http://newsonomics.com/new-news-corp-strategy-become-an-even-more-american-company/ http://www.newsguild.org/index.php?ID=11654 Connie Knox, a life-long Guild member who stepped down as the union’s international chair just one week ago, has died. Her body was found at home Saturday by her daughter; further details about her death are unknown at this time. http://www.newsguild.org/index.php?ID=11654 http://newsonomics.com/the-myths-of-murdoch-real-unreal-and-surreal/ Forget the tired "gate" applied to this scandal, as in the limp Phonegate. This News Corp scandal so far surpasses mere phone treachery that the name diminishes what’s at stake. http://newsonomics.com/the-myths-of-murdoch-real-unreal-and-surreal/ http://www.mnguild.org/index.php?ID=8007 Journalists, technicians and other news professionals represented by the Newspaper Guild have ratified a three-year contract with Thomson Reuters Corp. ending an often acrimonious two-and-a-half year contract dispute. http://www.mnguild.org/index.php?ID=8007 http://newsonomics.com/13-questions-on-the-murdoch-news-corp-scandal/ Rupert Murdoch is all about control. After a near-decade of trying to control, and contain, the wiretapping scandal, it’s now spreading like wildfire. The next question is how far it will spread. How big will the scandal grow, and what will it touch. http://newsonomics.com/13-questions-on-the-murdoch-news-corp-scandal/ http://newsonomics.com/the-murdoch-fall-out-bskyb-u-s-cross-ownership-and-the-future-of-news-corps-news-holdings/ What’s an American to make of the astounding news that News Corp is closing Britain’s top Sunday paper, http://newsonomics.com/the-murdoch-fall-out-bskyb-u-s-cross-ownership-and-the-future-of-news-corps-news-holdings/ http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_18384602 The Bay Area News Group announced Thursday that its newspapers will now operate under a single, common news management team under the direction of David J. Butler, editor of the San Jose Mercury News. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_18384602 http://www.cjr.org/page_views/superman.php?page=all "When Superman wakes up in the morning, he’s Superman. His alter-ego is Clark Kent." http://www.cjr.org/page_views/superman.php?page=all http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/flipboards_big_summer_update_goes_live_more_personalization_coming_soon.php Popular iPad magazine app Flipboardhas just released a new version featuring a handful of updates, including one which has the company rethinking a user’s first-time experience with the application. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/flipboards_big_summer_update_goes_live_more_personalization_coming_soon.php http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-the-british-invasion/ With the United Kingdom one of the countries suffering the economic doldrums more than the U.S., maybe it’s no surprise that we’re witnessing a British online invasion. In short order, the Guardian, Mail Online, and the BBC, among others, are targeting American eyeballs and wallets in the urgent search for growth. http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-the-british-invasion/ http://www.slate.com/id/2297750/ Eyewitnesses can’t be expected to produce the best dispatches from a calamity. They’re usually too bound in bandages and cross-stitched with sutures to understand anybody’s pain but their own. http://www.slate.com/id/2297750/ http://newsonomics.com/ft-declares-independence-from-apple-day/ Just as Steve Jobs was wowing the Apple WWDC with next-gen iOS plans and Newsstand auto-updating of news subscriptions, the Financial Times was putting the finishing touches on its news release. In FT style, the release itself is understated and subtle. http://newsonomics.com/ft-declares-independence-from-apple-day/ http://www.mnguild.org/index.php?ID=7987 Suzanne Arnaud, Administrative Director of the San Jose Newspaper Guild, will retire on July 1 after 43 years of dedicated service to members and their families. Simply put, over four decades, Suzanne has provided the heart and become the soul of the Newspaper Guild. A compassionate and tireless advocate for the rights and dignity of working people across the Bay Area, Suzanne has fought for fairness and justice on issues relating to wages and benefits, workers’ rights, retirement planning and coping with layoffs and the decline of an industry undergoing seismic change. http://www.mnguild.org/index.php?ID=7987 http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/133277/newsday-bosses-get-raises-after-journalists-take-pay-cuts/ The president of the union representing Newsday journalists blasts the paper for giving "generous wage increases and bonuses" to managers. http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/133277/newsday-bosses-get-raises-after-journalists-take-pay-cuts/ http://blogs.wsj.com/bankruptcy/2011/05/25/extra-extra-tribune-fees-top-150-million/ You won’t find Tribune Co.’s bankruptcy lawyers looking in the want ads any time soon. Professional fees topped $150 million last month in the newspaper publisher and television station operator’s Chapter 11 case. http://blogs.wsj.com/bankruptcy/2011/05/25/extra-extra-tribune-fees-top-150-million/ http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-the-missing-link/ Picture Pre-Tablet Man (or Woman). Let’s go back to the time before Palm Pilots, at the dawn of consumer digital civilization itself, a time of AOL, Prodigy, and Compuserve. Hunched heavily by the analog world on his shoulders, Pre-Tablet Man has slowly begun to raise his head, through successive innovations of laptops (!), pocket-sized cellphones, smartphones, smarter phones and early e-readers. Now, as we enter Year 2 of the iPad era, it seems like our digital man is almost standing up straight. The digital world has moved from geek chic to consumer commonplace. Our digital devices have become on/off appliances, no manual necessary. http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-the-missing-link/ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-greg-lewis-obit-20110517,0,2496217.story Richard Gregory "Greg" Lewis, a former San Francisco Examiner reporter, died of cancer on Tuesday in Florida. He was 57. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-greg-lewis-obit-20110517,0,2496217.story http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2011/05/globe_in_talks_1.html?p1=News_links The Boston Globe is negotiating a contract to print and deliver its long-time rival the Boston Herald, according to executives from both companies. http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2011/05/globe_in_talks_1.html?p1=News_links http://adage.com/article/mediaworks/ny-times-share-newspaper-traffic-hits-12-month-low/227495/ The paywall introduced by The New York Times at the end of March is hurting traffic to its website, as expected, but perhaps within acceptable levels. http://adage.com/article/mediaworks/ny-times-share-newspaper-traffic-hits-12-month-low/227495/ http://blogs.forbes.com/jeffbercovici/2011/05/10/survey-finds-huffpo-bloggers-want-to-get-paid-but/ The Huffington Post’s hardest-working bloggers think they ought to be in line for some financial appreciation now that the site their contributions helped build has drawn a $315 million buyout from AOL. But most of them aren’t prepared to walk away over it. http://blogs.forbes.com/jeffbercovici/2011/05/10/survey-finds-huffpo-bloggers-want-to-get-paid-but/ http://www.newsguild.org/index.php?ID=11171 It’s been several months since Huffington Post announced its $315 merger with AOL. In that time, The Newspaper Guild has endorsed a writers’ boycott in response to its failure to pay its many journalists. http://www.newsguild.org/index.php?ID=11171 http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-the-new-abcs-of-journalism/ This week brought us the long-worked-on new counting metrics for American daily newspaper journalism. http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-the-new-abcs-of-journalism/ http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/129476/newspaper-circulation-for-six-months-ending-march-31-to-be-released-on-tuesday/ Next week’s FAS-FAX circulation report will reflect new Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) rules and will look different than previous versions. http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/129476/newspaper-circulation-for-six-months-ending-march-31-to-be-released-on-tuesday/ http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/129464/mcclatchy-reports-2-million-net-loss-in-first-quarter/ The owner of the Sacramento Bee, Kansas City Star and other papers says its revenues in the latest quarter were $303.7 million, down 9.5 percent from the first quarter of 2010. http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/129464/mcclatchy-reports-2-million-net-loss-in-first-quarter/ http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2011/04/25/newspaper-owner-lee-to-refinance-debt/ Davenport-based newspaper owner Lee Enterprises announced plans Monday to refinance more than $1 billion of debt with two new classes of notes and by issuing nearly 9 million new shares of stock. http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2011/04/25/newspaper-owner-lee-to-refinance-debt/ http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/129159/associated-press-reaches-tentative-agreement-with-union/ The new, 33-month contract would give Guild members three 1.5 percent raises and make changes to retirement benefits. http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/129159/associated-press-reaches-tentative-agreement-with-union/ http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-a-single-investigative-story/ It’s a week to celebrate great investigative work. ProPublica made some history with its Pulitzer for online-only work about the financial meltdown, and the Los Angeles Times crowned its success with the larger-than-life Bell corruption tale, winning its own top prize. http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-a-single-investigative-story/ http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2011/4/19/j-school-must-end-technology-requirement-trend/ A School of Journalism faculty committee’s exploration of potential new technology requirements for incoming Journalism students is cause for concern. Although no decisions have been made, some faculty members suggest the iPad could be the next required poison Apple in line for students. http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2011/4/19/j-school-must-end-technology-requirement-trend/ http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2011/04/denver_magazine_folds_5280_daniel_brogan.php Say goodbye to Denver Magazine. The publication that convincedFox31 anchors to turn into skankers on its cover a couple of years back is no more. http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2011/04/denver_magazine_folds_5280_daniel_brogan.php http://paidcontent.org/article/419-gannetts-digital-revenues-still-rising-but-so-are-the-digital-costs/ Gannett’s ability to reach and retain profitability over the past year rested on two main things: the growth of digital revenues and its dedication to holding down expenses. http://paidcontent.org/article/419-gannetts-digital-revenues-still-rising-but-so-are-the-digital-costs/ http://newsonomics.com/six-lessons-for-news-publishers-from-seth-godin/ Seth Godin is the marketer’s marketer, somewhere beyond guru. He’s now poking the edges of publishing. http://newsonomics.com/six-lessons-for-news-publishers-from-seth-godin/ http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_17845940 The University of Colorado’s journalism school will close June 30, making it the first — but perhaps not the last — college to be shut down in the university’s history. http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_17845940 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/14/daily-news-trump-zuckerman_n_849234.html Donald Trump didn’t care much for theDaily News’ cover on Monday that mocked his presidential aspirations as a circus act, complete with clown make-up http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/14/daily-news-trump-zuckerman_n_849234.html http://www.baycitizen.org/business/story/chronicle-buildings-transformation/ In December 2009, 10 employees from the technology company Square moved into an empty corner of the San Francisco Chronicle building at Fifth and Mission. The space had been stripped bare, but Square gave it touches of startup chic: rows of Apple computers, a sparkling-water dispenser, chandeliers designed by Jonathan Adler. http://www.baycitizen.org/business/story/chronicle-buildings-transformation/ http://newsonomics.com/nine-questions-on-gannett-branding-patch-widgeting-stewart-becking-bloomberg-viewing-and-sunday-selling/ As mid-April approaches and with it more year-over-year revenue declines, we’ll need something to take our minds off the depressing numbers. Out of the chaos, here’s nine questions on the state of the current art: http://newsonomics.com/nine-questions-on-gannett-branding-patch-widgeting-stewart-becking-bloomberg-viewing-and-sunday-selling/ http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/business/media/11carr.html?ref=business&pagewanted=all Just in case Gannett employees thought 2011 might bring better news after years of layoffs and furloughs, the year was just four days old when a note landed in the in-box of people who work for the community news division saying, once again, they were required to take an unpaid week off. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/business/media/11carr.html?ref=business&pagewanted=all http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704641604576255151698198750.html Newspaper chain Lee Enterprises Inc. is on the verge of saving itself from bankruptcy—and many of its debt holders are livid. Lee, weighed down by about $1 billion of debt, has long been high on the list of potential bankruptcies. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704641604576255151698198750.html http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-the-washington-posts-reader-dashboard-1-0/ Don’t call them pageviews — call them pages read. Don’t call them unique visitors — call them readers. Welcome to The Washington Post’s new foray into understanding — and acting on — how readers actually consume digital news. http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-the-washington-posts-reader-dashboard-1-0/ http://newsonomics.com/inside-the-nyt-lincoln-deal-its-about-dollars-traffic-and-conversion/ Let’s start with the 100,000 readers. These weren’t picked at random. They are non-print subscribers. They are heavy NYTimes.com users http://newsonomics.com/inside-the-nyt-lincoln-deal-its-about-dollars-traffic-and-conversion/ http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/126046/study-of-ipad-users-identifies-obstacles-for-murdochs-the-daily/ The obstacles identified by iPad users include the perception among those with the greatest interest in news that The Daily’s content is lacking. http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/126046/study-of-ipad-users-identifies-obstacles-for-murdochs-the-daily/ http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-walker-huffington-post-strike-20110401,0,1035765.story Contributors to the Huffington Post have begun to chafe at the no-pay policy. They could take a lesson from stand-up comedians who faced a similar insult in the 1970s. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-walker-huffington-post-strike-20110401,0,1035765.story