My first job in journalism was at a Pittsburgh newspaper. So I remain astonished that the owner of the biggest newspaper in town couldn't figure how to keep serving its citizens
Thanks for this, Eric. What a blow for Pittsburgh. I worked for WTAE as a producer in the late 1990s. My time in Pittsburgh was not fun, but that may have been more about me than the city! Nevertheless, this sets a scary precedent: Owners who just decide to pack up their toys and say "see yinz" later.
Well said, Eric. This is a tragedy — an avoidable tragedy, I might add — not just for the reporters, editors and managers, but for the city itself. Who now monitors local, state and national government? Where is the assurance of news that is informative, solidly sourced, objective and, above all, accurate? Who feeds readers the stories that entertain, enlighten and encapsulate a diverse community whose lives provide Pittsburgh its heartbeat? The Blocks spent millions on an ill-advised, unjust quest to eradicate its unions, losing every case all the way to the Supreme Court. Among myriad bad financial decisions, they poured millions into new printing presses a few years before dumping them in pursuit of a mostly digital operation. All of this hurts. For the Blocks, it’s just another day. For their employees, it’s the first day of life-changing turmoil. Shakespeare couldn’t have written a better tragedy.
I'll add my praise for Eric's essay, and add my own thoughts. Eric was a co-worker of mine during part of my 39 years at the once-superb daily, the St. Petersburg Times. This column reminds me of schmoozing one morning with a couple of our Pulitzer Winners, Jack Reed and Tim Nickens. We discussed what seemed then, nearly 20 years ago, the inevitable: the decline of daily newspapers, including our employer. "I knew I was riding a dinosaur," I said, "but I didn't realize it was running toward a cliff." Too few papers understood that the Internet would be siphoning off both readers and, more importantly, advertising revenue, from the papers. The papers' management was facing a dilemma: Could they retain those elements by establishing their own website? But if they gave away their product online, wasn't that more lost revenue? What to do? The owners in Pittsburgh apparently didn't have an answer, nor have many, many other owners. While they can claim lost profits and close operations, what can the readers say THEY have lost? Do they realize their civic-minded watchdogs are being put down?
Thanks for this, Eric. What a blow for Pittsburgh. I worked for WTAE as a producer in the late 1990s. My time in Pittsburgh was not fun, but that may have been more about me than the city! Nevertheless, this sets a scary precedent: Owners who just decide to pack up their toys and say "see yinz" later.
YINZ! Love it. And sadly, so true.
Keep up the great work, Eric!
Well said, Eric. This is a tragedy — an avoidable tragedy, I might add — not just for the reporters, editors and managers, but for the city itself. Who now monitors local, state and national government? Where is the assurance of news that is informative, solidly sourced, objective and, above all, accurate? Who feeds readers the stories that entertain, enlighten and encapsulate a diverse community whose lives provide Pittsburgh its heartbeat? The Blocks spent millions on an ill-advised, unjust quest to eradicate its unions, losing every case all the way to the Supreme Court. Among myriad bad financial decisions, they poured millions into new printing presses a few years before dumping them in pursuit of a mostly digital operation. All of this hurts. For the Blocks, it’s just another day. For their employees, it’s the first day of life-changing turmoil. Shakespeare couldn’t have written a better tragedy.
I'll add my praise for Eric's essay, and add my own thoughts. Eric was a co-worker of mine during part of my 39 years at the once-superb daily, the St. Petersburg Times. This column reminds me of schmoozing one morning with a couple of our Pulitzer Winners, Jack Reed and Tim Nickens. We discussed what seemed then, nearly 20 years ago, the inevitable: the decline of daily newspapers, including our employer. "I knew I was riding a dinosaur," I said, "but I didn't realize it was running toward a cliff." Too few papers understood that the Internet would be siphoning off both readers and, more importantly, advertising revenue, from the papers. The papers' management was facing a dilemma: Could they retain those elements by establishing their own website? But if they gave away their product online, wasn't that more lost revenue? What to do? The owners in Pittsburgh apparently didn't have an answer, nor have many, many other owners. While they can claim lost profits and close operations, what can the readers say THEY have lost? Do they realize their civic-minded watchdogs are being put down?
Sad and bad times for truth, justice, and the American Way.