In an email to all employees on Friday the Home News Tribune asked employees 55 and older to consider voluntary buy out options. The paper told the employees that if enough staff do not take the buy out then mandatory layoffs may be coming.
It is a sad day but one which we knew was coming. Only time will tell where the paper is headed. It is unknown if similar offers were made to other Gannett New Jersey papers.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
SHAKE UP - STAR-LEDGER / HOME NEWS
Changes are coming to area newspapers!
Star-Ledger
It has been talked about for some time but now it appears it will come true - no more county sections. The Star-Ledger long rumored to be axing its local section will end the practice soon. These sections use to focus on counties Sunday thru Friday. I predict this scaling back will have a ripple effect with advertising and reporters. This change is bad news especially for areas like Union County who have limited dailies.
Home News Tribune
The newspaper has decided to create twelve weekly papers on top of their daily paper. These weeklies will be a breakdown of areas already covered by the daily. But dont fool yourself into thinking it is about more in depth coverage, its not. This is all about ad revenue. The weeklies are believed to be able to generate ad money from local businesses that want a focused audience. The reason we know it is not about better coverage is because the paper is not hiring more staff. The paper is using the same reporters from its dailies to generate stories for the weeklies. This is a recipe for disaster - but we will have to wait and see.
Star-Ledger
It has been talked about for some time but now it appears it will come true - no more county sections. The Star-Ledger long rumored to be axing its local section will end the practice soon. These sections use to focus on counties Sunday thru Friday. I predict this scaling back will have a ripple effect with advertising and reporters. This change is bad news especially for areas like Union County who have limited dailies.
Home News Tribune
The newspaper has decided to create twelve weekly papers on top of their daily paper. These weeklies will be a breakdown of areas already covered by the daily. But dont fool yourself into thinking it is about more in depth coverage, its not. This is all about ad revenue. The weeklies are believed to be able to generate ad money from local businesses that want a focused audience. The reason we know it is not about better coverage is because the paper is not hiring more staff. The paper is using the same reporters from its dailies to generate stories for the weeklies. This is a recipe for disaster - but we will have to wait and see.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
ANOTHER REPORTER LEAVES THE FIELD
Tom Moran the top political columinst at the Star-Ledger has left. His sudden departure, which was hinted at weeks ago here, has gotten little attention. Moran was voted best political reporter in 2007 by Politics NJ. He always seemed to be a straight shooter who did not hesitate to be critical of government officials. His columns on Chris Christie's conflicts seemed to depart from a friendship he had formed but were fair criticism. I think his departure is a big loss for the Ledger but we will have to see who they pick to replace him.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Change on the Way
The continuing newspaper crisis has change on the way for some New Jersey newspapers. The Home News Tribune and Courier newspaper employees have been told they are now to consider themselves a central New Jersey newspaper. Emails from the top brass at Gannet suggest the two newspapers are no longer separate. A change in email address from their individual papers name to a regional name is also headed their way.
The fiscal problems of the newspaper industry will soon take a toll at different media outlets as well. The top New Jersey newspaper will feel the affect soon.
The fiscal problems of the newspaper industry will soon take a toll at different media outlets as well. The top New Jersey newspaper will feel the affect soon.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Trooper Story Questions
The recent news of allegations against several Troopers brings alot of questions to the media's coverage.
On Monday December 11th the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office confirmed on their website that they were conducting a criminal investigation into an alleged sexual assault in which one or more of the suspects was a Trooper. The three sentence release just opened up pandora's box. I can not say I have seen other law enforcement agencies put out such a release before. I also dont know under what law OPRA, Executive Order 69, or any other law that a suspect is identified by his job prior to charges.
Then at 11pm WPVI the ABC affiliate out of Philadelphia has the entire story including the victim's college, the rank of the officers involved and a picture of the house where the incident took place. The Star-Ledger and Trenton Times followed the next several days. In each case they kept identifying where the victim attends school and the positions the Troopers held.
The media is doing no one a service with their reporting. It does not matter where you stand on the story, right now the reporting is bad for all involved. The victim has had her identity partly disclosed with no justification. If you have a 25 year old female friend who is a graduate student at Rider University and goes to Kat Man Du nightclub there is a good chance she was the victim. The Troopers have had their agency, their jobs, and their home all provided to the media - without a single charge.
This has all the making of the Atlanta Olympic Bombings media fiasco. Lets not all print whatever our sources are providing without checking the agendas behind the stories. I guareentee you that whatever is the end result, the woman, the Troopers, and the public are not better served by the reporting.
On Monday December 11th the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office confirmed on their website that they were conducting a criminal investigation into an alleged sexual assault in which one or more of the suspects was a Trooper. The three sentence release just opened up pandora's box. I can not say I have seen other law enforcement agencies put out such a release before. I also dont know under what law OPRA, Executive Order 69, or any other law that a suspect is identified by his job prior to charges.
Then at 11pm WPVI the ABC affiliate out of Philadelphia has the entire story including the victim's college, the rank of the officers involved and a picture of the house where the incident took place. The Star-Ledger and Trenton Times followed the next several days. In each case they kept identifying where the victim attends school and the positions the Troopers held.
The media is doing no one a service with their reporting. It does not matter where you stand on the story, right now the reporting is bad for all involved. The victim has had her identity partly disclosed with no justification. If you have a 25 year old female friend who is a graduate student at Rider University and goes to Kat Man Du nightclub there is a good chance she was the victim. The Troopers have had their agency, their jobs, and their home all provided to the media - without a single charge.
This has all the making of the Atlanta Olympic Bombings media fiasco. Lets not all print whatever our sources are providing without checking the agendas behind the stories. I guareentee you that whatever is the end result, the woman, the Troopers, and the public are not better served by the reporting.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Copy Editor Needed
I am sure it is not easy to put out a daily paper, but please read the story before the headline goes on. The case below is from The Home News Tribune. I did not post the first couple of headline errors I read this month - but come on. If the dateline is Old Bridge why put Woodbridge in the headline. As it turns out the bones were found in Old Bridge.
COPS FIND BONES IN WOODBRIDGE
OLD BRIDGE: Police on Tuesday were investigating the discovery of bones, reported to be human bones, in a wooded area off Perrine Road, according to Lt. Ross Moltisanti of the township Police Department.
No further details were available, Moltisanti said, because township police detectives were still investigating.
Staff report
COPS FIND BONES IN WOODBRIDGE
OLD BRIDGE: Police on Tuesday were investigating the discovery of bones, reported to be human bones, in a wooded area off Perrine Road, according to Lt. Ross Moltisanti of the township Police Department.
No further details were available, Moltisanti said, because township police detectives were still investigating.
Staff report
Sunday, December 2, 2007
You Can't Have It Both Ways
In the Saturday December 1st editions of The Star-Ledger columnist Mark DiIonno makes a compelling argument as to why anonymous postings are bad for free speech. He argues that if what you say is worth saying then you should put your name to it. He gives great historical examples of where famous New Jersey residents have lost their liberty or their life standing behind what they said.
He brings the topic up because of the current rage about a person making postings in a Manalapan forum. The person has some inside information and is putting a slant onto it in the forums. Manalapan wants to know the person's identity.
DiIonno goes on to point out that the Declaration of Independence was a form of free speech but the people who supported it put their names in bold print for all to see. He finishes by explaining that free speech is not free.
So I thought about it and believed he made some valid points. Only one problem. Every Sunday The Star-Ledger publishes a column called the Auditor which covers all the behind the scenes Trenton gossip without attributing it to any one author. That just flies in the face of everything DiIonno said. IT IS CALLED HYPOCRISY.
He brings the topic up because of the current rage about a person making postings in a Manalapan forum. The person has some inside information and is putting a slant onto it in the forums. Manalapan wants to know the person's identity.
DiIonno goes on to point out that the Declaration of Independence was a form of free speech but the people who supported it put their names in bold print for all to see. He finishes by explaining that free speech is not free.
So I thought about it and believed he made some valid points. Only one problem. Every Sunday The Star-Ledger publishes a column called the Auditor which covers all the behind the scenes Trenton gossip without attributing it to any one author. That just flies in the face of everything DiIonno said. IT IS CALLED HYPOCRISY.
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