The Chronicle Faces Collapse. A Collection of Links
More thoughts to come.
The breaking news: Hearst Seeks Changes at the Chronicle
The Hearst Corp today announced an effort to reverse the deepening operating losses of its San Francisco Chronicle by seeking near-term cost savings that would include “significant” cuts to both union and non-union staff.
The larger news: San Francisco Goes First
…which would make San Francisco the first major American city without a major daily newspaper….
Ken Doctor wonders: Where’s the Bay Area Online Startup.
“There have been efforts over the years [to start an alternative], but none big, none well-funded. (A shoestring start-up, The Public Press, is moving forward.)
Spot.Us happily fundraises for the Public-Press. We ourselves are a platform, not a news organization – and we’d gladly fundraise for the Chronicle’s freelancers too. But the Public-Press as a small nonprofit has been quick to work with us – and it has been beneficial for both groups.
Speaking of: The Public-Press chimes in: Hearst Threatens to Close SF Chronicle
Michael Stoll writes: “The announcement by the Hearst Corp. that it is considering closing the San Francisco Chronicle is a defining moment for startup local journalism projects like The Public Press.”
The official Hearst company letter.
It sounds so… corporate speak: “Hearst Corporation announced today that its San Francisco Chronicle newspaper is undertaking critical cost-saving measures including a significant reduction in the number of its unionized and nonunion employees.”
SFist has the memo sent around to employees.
Tuscon Citizen to cease publication March 21st if no buyer.
Just putting things in perspective – this is happening all over.
Why are regional newspapers in a death spiral? May the punditry begin!
- “Read the comments to this article to understand why nobody wants to read the Chronicle – lackluster, trivial content. Cutting staff that provides the content will just accelerate the death spiral. And they just bought new printing presses for June delivery? Cancel that order… prediction: Chronicle folds by year end.”
SF Met Blogs: Hearst to Chroncile: Implement Massive Layoffs or be Shut down.
- “While no deadline was laid down for making these cuts, and their scope was not quantified, it’s clear that Hearst means business.
Citizen Kane is dead: Journalists are the latest class of starving artist. I agree and disagree with this sentiment. Anyone can do journalism (and everyone should) but to do it well every day requires compensation. Hence – spot.us
- “The Internet not only provides the news free, and free of most advertising, but it proves what journalists already knew: that collecting and reporting the news is fun, so much fun that millions of people are willing to do it for little or no pay.”
Thoughts from a Chronicle reader
- Ellen and I have been reading the Sunday Chronicle at the Flour Garden every Sunday for years. We used this opportunity to see what California’s liberals are up to over the past week, where group think was taking us.
Alan Mutter does the math: SF Chron cost-cut target equals 47% of staff.
- Alan Mutter is somebody who would know this: If the San Francisco Chronicle had to slash enough payroll to offset the more than $50 million operating loss threatening its future, nearly half of its 1,500 employees would be dismissed.
- A wiki from Alexis Madrigal and Sarah Rich on what a post-chronicle SF Gate would look like.
Related posts:
[...] Click here for a collection of links on the potential closure of the Chronicle. [...]