Local doesn't matter much to Gannett, but then neither do newspapers

Journalists on three titles in northern England owned by Gannett are to strike over plans to move editing work to south Wales. But this is of a piece with the US firm's attitude to print mediaHere's a claim to savour. "The strength of [our] network lies in its ability to penetrate local communities. It is one of the UK's leading regional community news providers, with… 7 million monthly unique users, 17 daily paid-for titles, and more than 200 weekly newspapers, magazines and trade publications."Yes, it's the mighty Gannett Corporation of Tyson's Corner, Virginia – by some measures America's biggest newspaper chain – talking about its Newsquest subsidiary here in Britain. And perhaps raising a hollow laugh or two.On Tuesday, journalists on the Bradford Telegraph & Argus, the Leeds Press and the Northern Echo in Darlington (Harry Evans was once a great editor there) are set for strike action against Newsquest's decision to move sub-editing jobs on the papers to a new production hub in Newport, South Wales, about as far from Yorkshire or Durham "local communities" as it's possible to get. Efficient? Possibly, as the computers churn. But local? Not for the people editing the copy or those reading it. That's a grisly joke.The difficulty for giant word-factory hubs like this in any properly local context is that it isn't just reporters who matter. Editors and the people who produce the papers need local roots and knowledge, too. They are, among other things, more eyes and... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Newspapers’ Stand Against Tech Giants Won’t Save Them

Newspapers’ business models have been taking on water for years thanks to the rise of Google and online advertising, and they’re continuing to gradually sink as their readers find more of their news on Facebook. The social network and the omnipresent search engine steer some online traffic to... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2017-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Newspapers seek antitrust exemption to band together in fight against Google and Facebook

For years, news organizations have had little recourse but to cede more distribution and advertising dollars to Facebook and Google, even agreeing to give away articles in the hopes the wider digital audience will pay off in the long run. But as profits continue to decline in journalism, news... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital Solutions in India 2017: Tracking the Shifts in the Newspaper and Magazine Industry

In developed nations, print newspapers are under siege with fairly steep decline in circulation. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Akala | 'There is a perception of who reads and who doesn’t that just isn’t accurate'

Award-winning rapper, graphic novelist and entrepreneur Akala has turned his talent to picture books, with new series endorsing a meritocratic message. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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German Newspaper Publisher Completes Unique U.S.A. Road Trip

Jochen Anderweit, publisher of German newspaper Grafschafter Nachrichten, never met his grandfather Hans Kip. But 60 years after Kip traveled around the U.S., grandson Anderweit has posted all of the old articles and blogged two months' worth of his own duplicate travels via RV back and forth... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2017-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How digital upstart Charlotte Agenda makes local news profitable

The local news publisher has focused on lifestyle coverage, diversifying its revenue and making itself a destination for local brand dollars. The post How digital upstart Charlotte Agenda makes local news profitable appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2017-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BookExpo 2017: Writing What She Doesn’t Know: Jennifer Egan

Listening to Jennifer Egan talk about writing fiction brings to mind the famous quote from E.L. Doctorow: “Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Australia’s Real Estate Boom Has Wall Street Wooing a Newspaper Publisher

Just weeks ago, Fairfax Media said it would have to sharply reduce staffing at many of its newspapers. But Domain, Fairfax’s lucrative online real estate portal, has had its revenue continue to grow. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2017-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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‘It doesn’t negate the negatives:’ Facebook’s Instant Articles update ignores revenue issues

Facebook has enhanced its SDK so publishers can design once and post articles across IA, Google AMP and Apple News, but this doesn't address publishers' main concerns of driving revenue. The post ‘It doesn’t negate the negatives:’ Facebook’s Instant Articles update ignores revenue issues... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2017-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scribd Reports 500K Subscribers, Adds Newspaper Content

Online subscription service Scribd marks a year of profitability by revealing the size of its subscriber base and adding access to selected newspaper articles to its content library. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Best of the week: Local publishers warm up to the duopoly as Facebook errs again

This week’s top stories covered Facebook’s latest misstep, the duopoly’s relationship with local publishers and more. The post Best of the week: Local publishers warm up to the duopoly as Facebook errs again appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2017-05-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones goes local in N8

Waterstones London regional manager Luke Taylor talks about the retailer's newest branch in Crouch End. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ruth Sulzberger Holmberg, Newspaper Publisher, Dies at 96

Ruth Sulzberger Holmberg at The Chattanooga Times with Paul Neely, its publisher at the time, on Jan. 4, 1999, the last day the newspaper was published under that name. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2017-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Indie Bookstore Day returns, celebrating local bookstores as sanctuaries

Independent Bookstore Day returns April 29 for a day of reader solidarity, or, in the words of one local participant, Skylight Books, “Today we all bleed indie!” Launched in California in 2014, Independent Bookstore Day has since gone national — this year’s list of participants boasts 458... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-04-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers chased Katie Hopkins and Milo Yiannopoulos. But hate doesn’t sell | Chris McCrudden

Hot air and rightwing controversy fuel social media and fill column inches, but there’s no evidence they make people buy books. Quite the oppositePublishing has always been a controversial industry. Its history of banned books, lawsuits and angry letters wouldn’t look out of place in the most... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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If newspapers won't check viral stories, who will listen to them about fake news? | Jasper Jackson

Media outlets published video of cyclist responding to catcallers without checking its authenticity. The race for clicks is undermining claims people should trust the newsEven as the media continues to take Facebook to task over its fake news problem, many parts of the news business are doing... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Cost, distribution, localization: Where European publishers struggle with video

"How can we effectively utilize our limited production resources to be confident that we're achieving maximum bang for our buck?" asked Neil Hall, head of product for BBC. The post Cost, distribution, localization: Where European publishers struggle with video appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2017-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fairfax Media announces half-year profit and plan to keep printing newspapers

Greg Hywood says company will keep printing Sydney Morning Herald and the Age ‘for some years yet’ and may spin off Domain real estate business Fairfax Media will continue to print its daily newspapers for several years, its chief executive, Greg Hywood, confirmed at the company’s results... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Book Hive teams with local book club to fight Trump 'threat'

The Book Hive in Norwich has teamed up with a local book club to help spread opposition to Donald Trump through literature.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Backlist Matters to Bookstores

A solid backlist can make a bookstore's selection stand out, and also help shape a store's identity. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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