We Need to Save the Times Union!

[jaxlongtimer]

Another sad day at the T-U with these cuts of long term employees:  https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/buyouts-take-a-fresh-bite-of-jacksonvilles-daily-paper/77-e69331d2-32d6-4054-a1bb-d3728c1b1462
 
This is death by a thousand knife cuts.  No matter how hard the remaining staff work for peanuts, management demands even more from less.  I wish a well heeled investor would buy the paper like Bezos did with the Washington Post and rebuild it into what it could and should be while keeping it in the black.  In the meantime, we need engaged citizens such as the Jaxson's readers to, ideally, buy print subscriptions or, if not, online ones (although the paper claims that isn't cutting it financially at this point).  The printed version isn't cheap but you have to think of it more as a contribution to the civic good even though the T-U is not a charity.

I suggest a shrewd T-U operator would only run local and state stories and leave national and international ones to others.  Cover civic matters first and foremost such as City Hall, zonings, the state capital (shared with other state news outlets to reduce costs), community controversies, etc. with strong coverage of local sports and business happenings and a few local "feel good" stories (who doesn't like to support a paper that prints articles with their name or picture in it  ).   And, keep the obits, a sure money maker for them and no competition!  Add weekly historical perspectives, local entertainment, food and living for other dimensions. Many of these items are covered by apparently thriving alternative outlets showing there is strong interest and demand for them but the T-U would have the added advantage of "one stop" shopping and, hopefully, more in-depth coverage.

It also seems the T-U has gutted much of their marketing/sales department and/or handles it from far away cities.  Business 101: Don't over-cut the department that brings in the dollars!  Given the importance of ad revenue, they need to beef this up more or it's a spiral downward from here.

We need a daily paper!  A city without one has lost much of its soul (and its document-er of its history).  Just ask communities who have lost theirs.

[Adam White]

Another sad day at the T-U with these cuts of long term employees:  https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/buyouts-take-a-fresh-bite-of-jacksonvilles-daily-paper/77-e69331d2-32d6-4054-a1bb-d3728c1b1462
 
This is death by a thousand knife cuts.  No matter how hard the remaining staff work for peanuts, management demands even more from less.  I wish a well heeled investor would buy the paper like Bezos did with the Washington Post and rebuild it into what it could and should be while keeping it in the black.  In the meantime, we need engaged citizens such as the Jaxson's readers to, ideally, buy print subscriptions or, if not, online ones (although the paper claims that isn't cutting it financially at this point).  The printed version isn't cheap but you have to think of it more as a contribution to the civic good even though the T-U is not a charity.

I suggest a shrewd T-U operator would only run local and state stories and leave national and international ones to others.  Cover civic matters first and foremost such as City Hall, zonings, the state capital (shared with other state news outlets to reduce costs), community controversies, etc. with strong coverage of local sports and business happenings and a few local "feel good" stories (who doesn't like to support a paper that prints articles with their name or picture in it  ).   And, keep the obits, a sure money maker for them and no competition!  Add weekly historical perspectives, local entertainment, food and living for other dimensions. Many of these items are covered by apparently thriving alternative outlets showing there is strong interest and demand for them but the T-U would have the added advantage of "one stop" shopping and, hopefully, more in-depth coverage.

It also seems the T-U has gutted much of their marketing/sales department and/or handles it from far away cities.  Business 101: Don't over-cut the department that brings in the dollars!  Given the importance of ad revenue, they need to beef this up more or it's a spiral downward from here.

We need a daily paper!  A city without one has lost much of its soul (and its document-er of its history).  Just ask communities who have lost theirs.

It's a shame to see people losing their jobs. And it's a shame to think of Jacksonville without a newspaper. But the Times Union doesn't deserve to be saved. It's an atrocious paper that has got progressively 'slimmer' and has an over-reliance on content from wire services. And the front page tends to look like a Jacksonville Jaguars fanzine.

[sandyshoes]

I like the focusing on our own community part.  I would also like a regular-sized newspaper to hold, again.  It might be fun to bring back the Jacksonville Journal as our 'new' daily paper.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonville_Journal

[edjax]

Really don't think they will survive. Definitely not a quality paper any more for what they charge. ALmost $1,100 for daily delivery per year. Half of local stories are St Augustine and or Tally. USA Today for everything else. Most articles even local you read about a day or two earlier elsewhere. Looking at my renewal bill now, this could be the end of my subscription. Just overall downhill past year.  If they failed to deliver your copy in the past they would have one delivered shortly now they just say sorry we can add a day to your subscription.  Of course unless you track it closely never know if they do.  When you call they have the standard our deliveries may be late due to weather.  Of course there usually has not been a weather event anywhere in the southeast for the past week.

[jaxlongtimer]

Really don't think they will survive. Definitely not a quality paper any more for what they charge. ALmost $1,100 for daily delivery per year. Half of local stories are St Augustine and or Tally. USA Today for everything else. Most articles even local you read about a day or two earlier elsewhere. Looking at my renewal bill now, this could be the end of my subscription. Just overall downhill past year.  If they failed to deliver your copy in the past they would have one delivered shortly now they just say sorry we can add a day to your subscription.  Of course unless you track it closely never know if they do.  When you call they have the standard our deliveries may be late due to weather.  Of course there usually has not been a weather event anywhere in the southeast for the past week.

Yes, in addition to a weak marketing/sales function that might increase revenue, the same can be said for subscriber customer service that might encourage more subscription revenue (and, with more readers, more ad revenue).  Subscription "deals" are all over the place and those taking orders are now in Kansas, Georgia or elsewhere answering phones for hundreds of papers with only scripted answers to customer inquiries and no managerial backups.  In one conversation I had, they still showed the T-U at One Riverside Avenue, a place they vacated several years ago.  There are absolutely no non-editorial persons left in Jax apparently.  Typical corporate/Wall Street approach to milking the cow before killing it off.  That said, the reporters deserve our support for a great and necessary service they are providing to our City.

I also note that on Twitter some "disgruntled" readers are complaining the T-U is too far to the left or the right.  How can it be both ways?  Seems extremists today can't tolerate any factual news that doesn't fit their preconceived ideas.  This is exactly what is wrong today and why our world is so divided.  What happened to civility and hearing all sides to an issue before drawing conclusions.  And, for many (most?) issues, there are no black and white answers, only grey and complex ones.  Many are becoming simplistic and impatient thinkers, unwilling to deeply research issues and tolerate solutions requiring patience and time to address properly.  This is the ultimate prescription for failed decision making.

[Snaketoz]

I was a print subscriber for many decades and for the last few years a digital subscriber.  I'm giving up.  Talking to anyone about tech issues is a nightmare.  I paid for a year only to be nagged after 8 mos. to "subscribe" to continue reading, login issues, little content, etc.  I'd love to see a readable printed newspaper again, but sadly the T-U is just bad.  I wish someone with deep pockets would buy it and improve it.  That is highly unlikely.

[BridgeTroll]

Decades long time subscriber... pricing, delivery, and crappy content canceled my subscription a year ago. I  refuse to pay for that product.

[acme54321]

Print newspaper is dead.  These organizations either have to adapt and overcome to that fact or they will die too.

[JPalmer]

95% of News is disposable after about 24 hours.  The idea of printing out paper full of disposable information such as crime blotter or weather is just so terribly inefficient. 

I'm surprised more papers haven't turned a weekly publications focusing on long form stories and articles. 

[jaxlongtimer]

95% of News is disposable after about 24 hours.  The idea of printing out paper full of disposable information such as crime blotter or weather is just so terribly inefficient. 

I'm surprised more papers haven't turned a weekly publications focusing on long form stories and articles.

I don't agree with your 95% assessment of the news.  Most news has a life far beyond 24 hours.  News is a form of information that serves as an ongoing basis for living and managing our lives.  I will agree the T-U shouldn't be printing weather, stock prices, minor crime stories, listings of sports scores and standings and other "news" that changes quickly (has the short shelf life you call "disposable") and is better served online.  I also mentioned previously they should drop the national and international wire stories.  One might even question continuing the comics and the crossword puzzle (heresy!).

The question, in my mind, comes down to the delivery method and its presentation to the reader.  Unfortunately, with rare exceptions, delivery over the internet doesn't pay the bills while traditional print has.  You will need to ask advertisers why they pay a premium for print but I am guessing it may come down to the second part, presentation.  Printed matter may make a greater impression on the reader than viewing it on a rapidly adjustable screen.  You touch on this by suggesting that news is disposable.  When you can jump from link to link, screen to screen in split seconds, you are consuming what you see in only seconds, not savoring it in the same fashion as the printed word.  Just look at the addiction people have to social media.  Some say the internet creates a hormonal reaction in us that leads us to process its presentation in a manner far different from other sources.

In the end, we need to decide as a society if we want a timely presentation (hence, the need for a daily paper) of the news that is professionally vetted and reported (please, no complaints about the main stream press here, the alternatives are far worse as we are seeing every day presently).  If there is a profitable way to support this via the internet, fine, but many have tried and very few have succeeded.  Maybe if the T-U changed direction and expanded its reporting staff it could demand a stronger paywall that would support it.  But, they are far from that currently, unfortunately.

Here in Jacksonville, we still have some apparently sustainable print publications including the Daily Record, Business Journal, Resident papers, other community papers and a number of "entertainment" papers.  These demonstrate that a printed paper could still work but, as noted by other posters on this thread, the current owners of the T-U are grossly mismanaging the business side of the paper with poor customer service and support, ridiculous subscription pricing (although better deals are offered on a random basis but who can see them and how long they last is questionable), lack of local ad sales personnel, etc. while hacking away at the quality and focus of what they are trying to sell.  I believe under better management, there are some good bones here that could support a sustainable paper but, I agree with many, the situation is getting dire. 

[JPalmer]

The things you mention in the first paragraph were the nuts and bolts of the Newspaper industry, to admit those don't need to be printed daily is to essentially agree the paper form of news doesn't need to be printed daily.

Everything you are saying about why print is premium doesn't negate that a weekend edition would create an even bigger premium to those printed editions.

One of the biggest criticisms I've heard in the last 6 months is the over kill coverage of JEA.  Now it's lot J.  I can assure you we don't need daily opinion pieces on these matters.

I remember needing the newspaper for the weekly TV Guide that came with the St Pete Times back then.  Some could trace the irrelevancy of the weekly TV Guide as the beginning of the downturn.

[bl8jaxnative]

The core problem for the Times-Union is their business model is selling advertising.  They're selling eyeballs.   In a day when technology limited access to content - like you had to have  physical billboard or physical newspaper - and there were 3 TV channels + video was very, very, VERY $$$$$$$ to produce..... newspapers could command premium $$$$ for advertising in their content.   

In a sense, newspapers had a quasi monopoly.

Technology has a advanced.  Content is practically infinite.   What little money is shelled out for advertising is spread much wider and costs far, far, far, far less.

It's tempting to assume that some other business model will work.  In a way, that's true.  It's not like people stopped buying overalls and boom boxes when Montgomery Ward went belly up.  And they didn't stop buying toys after Toys R Us shuttered it's doors.

But it's hard to change a big ol business like that.  JC Penney and Sears have tried countless times for the last 20 years.  They're still circling the drain.

Is there interest in local news?  Yes.

Is there demand for local advertising?  Yes.

But how do you make money off of that?  Jollibee can just go to instagram and serve up advertisements to users surfing from a Jacksonville IP + who subscribe to Filippino culture feeds or general foody feeds.  It's cheap and they're hitting just the audience they need.

Or heck, why even advertise?  Some like TeaPosh take advantage of instagram to churn out content that builds what they're about.

And that's just instagram.  Doesn't even get into the countless other ways.


Sure, something else could work.  But let's be honest, no one has any ideas that are going to be easy.  They're highly speculative and unlikely to actually pan out.

T-U is our generations horse buggy.

[Ken_FSU]

Great New Year's sale.

$39 for a year of digital access.

https://www.jacksonville.com/subscribenow?gps-source=CPDOT&itm_source=DOT&itm_medium=onsite&itm_campaign=EOYSale2020&itm_term=EOYSale2020&itm_content=embed

[Florida Power And Light]

Glad Ron Littlepage was able to purchase Florida Panhandle acreage.
I once nominated Ron for a Special Statewide Conservation Communicator Award.
Waste of time, along with many other column inches.
Better Jax Plan Equestrian Center....... Brannon Chaffee/ Lake Asbury Sector Plan/ First Coast Expressway Non News No Reporting/ Column Inches, Binyamin Applebaum..... I have about three feet of stacked files......
We can, and probably should live without Times Union.
Tear the building down, and keep going down until the creek under the property is Re-opened to daylight.
The entire enterprise Haunted since the Creek  underneath the FTU building was consigned to a Tunnel.

[JeffreyS]

If we don't save the TU there won't be any newspapers endorse Trump 2024.