Media Monitor: Strib makes another newspaper deathwatch list
Monday, March 09, 2009 at 6:08 pm
- 2 Comments
TIME’s up for the Strib? After the Star Tribune got a rare pass on a newspapers-that-may-fold list, the Minneapolis daily is again on the deathwatch: This time, TIME is placing the paper at number-two in a top-10 list of papers likely to go under or go digital. The juicy part: “There is no point for creditors to keep the paper open if it cannot generate cash. It could become an all-digital property, but supporting a daily circulation of over 300,000 is too much of a burden. It could survive if its rival the St. Paul Pioneer Press folds. A grim race.”
Carr’s repairs: Meanwhile, former Twin Citizen David Carr shares his four-point plan for saving newspapers at the New York Times. In short: “No more free content,” “no more free ride to aggregators” like Google News, “no more commoditized ads” and “throw out the Newspaper Preservation Act.”
Promoting the Premacks: Winners of the 2008 Frank Premack Award for Public Affairs Journalism were just named, with local outlets MinnPost, the Pioneer Press and the Star Tribune taking home prizes. For the first time, far as I can tell, the University of Minnesota, which administers the prize, has released its list of entrants, which is surprisingly slim (MinnPost’s Jay Weiner’s prize for coverage of the Coleman/Franken Senate recount, for example. had only one challenger, the Pioneer Press). As Politics in Minnesota tweets, the promotion for the Premacks could use some work.
2 Comments
Comment posted March 10, 2009 @ 1:50 pm
This will certainly be a great loss and I will miss our Strib. I remember reading the Star while growing up. When I got to Jr. High, I would read the Tribune in the library. I have had home delivery of the Strib for more than twenty years and it starts my day. I have withdrawal if I’m up before it has been delivered. I always read it while I’m in Rochester. Best of all, the Strib carries Judge Parker.
All that said, it has been really sad to see it decline. When I can, I read the PiPress because there seems to be more news. Nick Coleman’s leaving was almost the last straw.
I like having the Strib online, but for me, it is no substitute. I only use it to look up or email articles or post a link in an email or blog post.
I really hope the Strib can find a way to hang on as a print newspaper, providing good news coverage (not necessary the coverage of good news), and honoring their union contracts.
Comment posted March 10, 2009 @ 3:54 pm
I hate to disagree with John Q, but this paper will not be missed. It is not even the same paper as five years ago, and it wasn’t so hot then. It will not be a great loss to not read stories about celebrities, TV shows, and professional sports; in addition to the odd review from a free lance writer. The era of newspaper dominance is over. Some will say we won’t get in-depth news anymore, but the Strib wasn’t providing that anyway.
Think of all those trees that gave their lives for paper news.
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