Interesting article about changing times. Imagine how nice the Northbank Riverwalk could be if the Times Union sold off it's fantastic riverfront property parking lot (slum as it looks now) to someone who would make it attractive and useful. Then, used the money to hire writers who could investigate our corrupt city/church government and write articles about something intelligent...you know, something other than the next Tim Tebow fluff piece.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/23/realestate/commercial/struggling-newspapers-sell-off-old-headquarters.html?_r=0
You mean articles about the problems at the Public Defender's office, State Attorney's Office, the dysfunction between the Mayor's office and City Council, and the Mayor attempting to skirt Sunshine Laws with way the pension negotiations were conducted?
I never thought of myself as an English language or English grammar elitist but I honestly can't make it through a single article without fighting the urge to take a red pen to outline the grammatical and spelling errors.
I don't ask much but beyond TU not reporting anything of seeming major significance, I can't get past the fact that I want to read articles written by reporters with a firm grasp of the English language and its proper usage.
So much hate for the TU. I think it would be sad if they went under. They're adapting the best way they know how - adding a pay wall, videos on their site, etc. Maybe it's not the best journalism in the world (but really, is the new york times?).
It will be a sad day if/when they go under. A city our size should have a newspaper, if we didn't what would that say about us?
^^^+100
From a former employee:
2009 - The editor of the business section interrupted a conversation about ebay with "I think they might be on to something"
2010 - Director of Advertising "We really dont know how to sell ads online"
All the time - Editor and Publisher "Our journalism is strong!"
Quote from: dmoney on October 23, 2013, 11:19:41 AM
Interesting article about changing times. Imagine how nice the Northbank Riverwalk could be if the Times Union sold off it's fantastic riverfront property parking lot (slum as it looks now) to someone who would make it attractive and useful. Then, used the money to hire writers who could investigate our corrupt city/church government and write articles about something intelligent...you know, something other than the next Tim Tebow fluff piece.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/23/realestate/commercial/struggling-newspapers-sell-off-old-headquarters.html?_r=0
Two posts so far. The first was to call out Metrojacksonville and claim the site was a bitch fest. Second post, to bitch about T.U. of course. lmao
I'm honestly shocked the TU is still publishing a daily paper at this point. A neighbor of mine was in charge of maintenance for the printing presses and he got laid off in 2008. Every year I keep waiting for the announcement they're going to only publish 3/4 days a week and then the eventual announcement they're going online only but it hasn't come yet.
Quote from: icarus on October 23, 2013, 12:57:04 PM
I never thought of myself as an English language or English grammar elitist but I honestly can't make it through a single article without fighting the urge to take a red pen to outline the grammatical and spelling errors.
I don't ask much but beyond TU not reporting anything of seeming major significance, I can't get past the fact that I want to read articles written by reporters with a firm grasp of the English language and its proper usage.
Copy editors were deemed expendable when it came to budget cuts, alas.
Quote from: carpnter on October 23, 2013, 11:51:20 AM
You mean articles about the problems at the Public Defender's office, State Attorney's Office, the dysfunction between the Mayor's office and City Council, and the Mayor attempting to skirt Sunshine Laws with way the pension negotiations were conducted?
I agree. The T-U is far, far from being an adequate local paper, but occasionally it surprises you, as with the exposés about Matt Shirk and Steve Wallace. It also has Ron Littlepage and Mark Woods writing for it, two decent columnists. I subscribe because, without an investor, Metro Jacksonville would not be able to fill the void if the T-U were to go out of business.
Well, I don't really think of the TU as journalism. I'm not even sure that they have very many real reporters left.
There is a real lack of perspective on Jacksonville as part of a larger economy or region. And, by that, I of course mean perspective at the TU.
Jacksonville Business Journal or Florida trend are a much better source of business information.
Quote from: icarus on October 23, 2013, 02:20:42 PM
There is a real lack of perspective on Jacksonville as part of a larger economy or region. And, by that, I of course mean perspective at the TU.
I think the TV stations are as guilty of this as well, so myopic
Quote from: stephendare on October 23, 2013, 02:47:45 PM
In the meantime, they do have ownership of a hundred and fifty years of unanalyzed jacksonville history and big data.
It's just a shame that it's so poorly curated.
Would sign up to the T-U's premium site in a heartbeat if they had well organized digital archives stretching that far back.
Political issues in Jacksonville are often cyclical. Every decade or so the same issues arise again like zombies from the grave. The quality of the schools, Downtown development, bridges to no where and public safety issues are but a few. The TU and the Jacksonville Journal reported on and documented the opinions of the day and often offered potential solutions on the editorial pages. Having this wealth of information available in a digital format could add to the efficiency and effectiveness of our local government by avoiding the same pitfalls and well intentioned programs from the past.
I'm not a big T-U fan but have re-subscribed lately - something about newsprint in my hands in the morning on the throne. Yes, it is a shadow of its former self, but that had to be inevitable. With the demise of classified advertising due to competition from the internet and the housing debacle, its revenue stream has to have taken a massive hit.
I wish it would quit filling up pages with huge pictures and give us more copy, but, like so many other things in our brave new world, it's a money issue. Copy requires reporters, editors, printers, etc, and it all costs money.
The internet news sources do little, in my opinion, to create the kind of atmosphere that the newspapers did a half century ago. Just look at the stories they rant about: low class criminal activity, celebrity BS, sports minutiae; and, just today, the baptism of a kid in England. I mean do we really need to read about all this crapola? One of the local TV stations had posted a story under the category "We Recommend" about a woman who stabbed her boyfriend in the eye because he wouldn't participate in a menage a trios with her and another women. Give me a break!! Recommend? Why? To whom? I'll take the T-U over that in a heartbeat.
WmNussbaum, pick up a copy of jim baileys paper sometime, I was astonished but they've actually got real content now. I wound up reading one to kill time somewhere and I was impressed, then I picked up another one a month later because the headline grabbed my attention, and after reading that one I called and subscribed to it. They hired the editor the TU let go and have been picking up where the TU is leaving off. I know you're not gonna believe me until you actually read one, they used to be nothing but legal notices, but they changed and it's very much worth reading now.
QuoteThey hired the editor the TU let go and have been picking up where the TU is leaving off. I know you're not gonna believe me until you actually read one, they used to be nothing but legal notices, but they changed and it's very much worth reading now.
Denise Reagan left the Times Union to replace Anne Schindler who was the Folio editor and then left to go to the First Coast News room. I think Karen Brune Mathis is the one who left the TU and First Coast News to go and work with Jim.
I like Jim, and he is a smart man, he has to see the writing on the wall for newsprint, but as long as he is the only printed game in town for public notices, and the city wants to pay for them, its a stable business.
QuoteIn my opinion this is the single worst mistake that the times union has made in thirty years
Nah, to me, it was their purchase of the Jacksonville Journal, which gets like 6 lines in the Metro Section on Saturdays. Should have let someone buy it who would have done more with it, or let it die for someone to take and make it a better local paper, much like what the Resident has become.
I have a lot of respect for Jim Bailey both as a man and as a businessman. And, I don't find myself correcting the grammar and spelling as much either when reading the Daily Record . ;-)
I have two questions concerning the people who sells the TU on the intersection medians and highway off ramps. Are these operations (selling papers on the street) commonplace in other cities? What's the percentage of the money (from the paper sellers) is going to the seller and the TU? I know that can't be a payroll with all of those sellers. Sorry if I sound clueless (which I am) with that last question.
QuoteAre these operations (selling papers on the street) commonplace in other cities?
Yes. And they've been doing so for the past couple hundred years.
Bailey's Financial News & Daily Record survives because it was able to corner the legal publication business. With all the foreclosure cases in the past 5+ years, that publication has to be minting money. Why the T-U never really went after that business has puzzled me for a real long time. There has been some move to reduce foreclosure expense by allowing for certain legal notices to be done on the internet. Needless to say the print media lobbied strongly against that.
Bailey has been a big supporter of the Jacksonville Bar Ass'n - natch. His support is much appreciated, but then he has a vested interest in keeping cozy with the JBA. Once a week a page or two are devoted to printing summaries of the things making the news 50 years ago; that is a real neat touch.
Didn't know that Field. I get that the "Extra! Extra! read all about it!" kid on a busy NYC street in the Roaring 20's is nothing new, but these people specifically posted on medians for the automobiles; Like the pretty recent years in this city is what I was referring to. It seems like that progressed because of the internet digging into paper sells.
Damn I-10, do you even 'Marketing-101'?
I'm just busting your chops.
I've noticed the increase over the past few years myself, but I attribute it all to doing "whatever's necessary to make your product more accessible to the buyer". If you're not selling enough from news-stands, kiosks and coin boxes then give a guy a % to sit in the median where your customers are.
'Desperate times call for desperate measures', and all that jazz....
^^^Well said.
Quote from: ChriswUfGator on October 23, 2013, 08:32:47 PM
WmNussbaum, pick up a copy of jim baileys paper sometime, I was astonished but they've actually got real content now. I wound up reading one to kill time somewhere and I was impressed, then I picked up another one a month later because the headline grabbed my attention, and after reading that one I called and subscribed to it. They hired the editor the TU let go and have been picking up where the TU is leaving off. I know you're not gonna believe me until you actually read one, they used to be nothing but legal notices, but they changed and it's very much worth reading now.
The Daily Record has definitely kicked it up a notch or two. They are serving up well written articles and excellent content. Well worth the read. :) They have always kept it classy imo.
^+1 And for me the TU still captures me with their slogan "Every Issue is worth getting into". A lot of my neighbors still get the print media delivered.
I can only imagine an archived history of this city with the print media going back a 150 years.
And the Daily Record is 100?
That's one of the things I love about MJ is the history that you research.
Quote from: mtraininjax on October 23, 2013, 09:21:32 PM
QuoteThey hired the editor the TU let go and have been picking up where the TU is leaving off. I know you're not gonna believe me until you actually read one, they used to be nothing but legal notices, but they changed and it's very much worth reading now.
Denise Reagan left the Times Union to replace Anne Schindler who was the Folio editor and then left to go to the First Coast News room. I think Karen Brune Mathis is the one who left the TU and First Coast News to go and work with Jim.
I like Jim, and he is a smart man, he has to see the writing on the wall for newsprint, but as long as he is the only printed game in town for public notices, and the city wants to pay for them, its a stable business.
I was talking about Marilyn Young, she went directly from the TU to the daily record.
Quote from: I-10east on October 23, 2013, 11:04:15 PM
Didn't know that Field. I get that the "Extra! Extra! read all about it!" kid on a busy NYC street in the Roaring 20's is nothing new, but these people specifically posted on medians for the automobiles; Like the pretty recent years in this city is what I was referring to. It seems like that progressed because of the internet digging into paper sells.
I didn't grow up in Jax but as far as I can remember, people have always been selling newspapers at busy intersection medians. I've purchased quite a few papers from various street corners in several cities over the years.
Just about done with the Times-Union's website.
I'm all for the TU having paid content, but when it's so poorly differentiated from the regular content that every other link that I click redirects me to a subscription sign-up page, forget about it.
So they've gotten rid of the icons to show which are the paid-content articles, huh? Do they think frustrating visitors is the way to encourage people to sign up?
I don't even bother with the TU anymore. Daily Record and JBJ have a lot more relevant local stories. How bout the one yesterday about Artis Gilmore as the city's "Sports Ambassador"?
http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=540904
I've only been here 4 years, but I don't think I've bought a paper after the first month. It was nothing but a collection of AP wire stories on a Sunday. I've opted to go for the WSJ now.
The better news articles are AP or wire stories.
I think more people depend on the local network television news for in depth reporting than the TU.
^^ unfortunately if I did,not have access to the Internet I would rely on the paper over the local tv news. They have become a total joke.
If those reporters on TV47/30 hold up and wave one more report/document that they have supposedly pored over I going to go through the screen. :o
Quote from: I-10east on October 23, 2013, 10:16:37 PM
I have two questions concerning the people who sells the TU on the intersection medians and highway off ramps. Are these operations (selling papers on the street) commonplace in other cities? What's the percentage of the money (from the paper sellers) is going to the seller and the TU? I know that can't be a payroll with all of those sellers. Sorry if I sound clueless (which I am) with that last question.
I know a gentlemen ( or used to, haven't seen him in 2-3 years) who organizes a large number, if not most of the people you see at the intersections selling the TU. He purchases literally a trailer load of papers and the sellers meet him at certain locations to pick up their papers. I have no idea what the split is.
Quote from: KenFSU on October 29, 2013, 08:33:42 AM
Just about done with the Times-Union's website.
I'm all for the TU having paid content, but when it's so poorly differentiated from the regular content that every other link that I click redirects me to a subscription sign-up page, forget about it.
The
weather now appears to be hidden behind a paywall.
Tremendous.
Been nice knowing you, TU...
Quote from: CityLife on October 29, 2013, 11:52:23 AM
I don't even bother with the TU anymore. Daily Record and JBJ have a lot more relevant local stories. How bout the one yesterday about Artis Gilmore as the city's "Sports Ambassador"?
http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=540904
I know I read that one, I'd like to say I was surprised, but it's becoming clear that this administration is doing whatever the hell it wants and throwing friends into cushy positions that have no legitimate purpose. Maddening. At least the council is trying to bust his chops.
^WOW!
Quote from: Noone on November 02, 2013, 09:23:59 AM
^WOW!
Yeah I'm definitely not voting for him next election cycle, I wish I'd voted for Hogan.
"Mayor Brown presents.....Artis Gilmore with a do nothing job"
The Times-Union should think about archiving past issues on Google. I see that there are quite a few newspapers (Including papers from Pittsburgh and St. Petersburg) that have selected issues from their archives available through Google.
Quote from: Jaxson on November 02, 2013, 03:46:44 PM
The Times-Union should think about archiving past issues on Google. I see that there are quite a few newspapers (Including papers from Pittsburgh and St. Petersburg) that have selected issues from their archives available through Google.
QuoteGoogle Ending Newspaper Archiving Project
By Leslie Horn May 20, 2011 11:35am EST
Cue the "old media" death march. Google has announced that it will stop updating its newspaper archiving project in 2011. The Google News Archive was launched in 2008, and the search giant has since scanned roughly 2,000 newspapers.
"We work closely with newspaper partners on a number of initiatives, and as a part of the Google News Archives digitization program we collaborated to make older newspapers accessible and searchable online," said a Google spokesperson. "These have included publications like the London Advertiser in 1895, L'mi du Lecteur at the turn of the century, and the Milwaukee Sentinel from 1910 to 1995."
Google said the existing archive won't go anywhere, but no new publications will be added.
"Users can continue to search digitized newspapers at news.google.com/archivesearch, but we don't plan to introduce any further featuers or functionality to the Google News Archives and we are no longer accepting new microfilm or digital files for processing," the spokesperson added.
According to the Boston Phoenix, a paper that has been archived through the project, Google sent participants an email on Thursday informing them of its plans. Google told the paper it will shift its focus to "newer projects that help the industry, such as Google One Pass, a platform that enables publishers to sell content and subscriptions directly from their own sites."
The Phoenix noted that Google's process of digitizing newspapers was criticized for being slow, and some of the materials that were submitted never even made their way online. There are some publications that have been scanned but have not yet been indexed in the archive, and it's unclear whether Google will complete this process.
Darn.