Peter Principle at community papers world too

I've repeatedly ranted on Twitter at the likes of Bret Stephens, Bari Weiss, and Tom Friedman, among newer and established members of the NYT op-ed page as example numero uno of the Peter Principle in action.

But, it happens at a lower level, too. Guy who I replaced at one paper and beat me out to run another, which he left less than a year later?

Has left multiple spots after less than a year's to an even year's time, all for non-downsizing reasons, either just quitting or getting fired. The only place he stuck was GateHell, and probably because he couldn't get out.

Currently at a place where ... who knows? (He's been there less than a year, too.) But, it's a place I wanted to be some number of years ago.

It's not just this person, it's just that his is the case I know best.

Sales management issues

In small towns, many businesses don't open until 9 a.m. Therefore, a community newspaper's ad sales people can't do much business before then.

But, they can make hay for sure after the 9 a.m. sun shines.

So, if they're coming in to the office at 8 or 8:30, and you're the ad sales manager, or publisher, and you have sales meetings, shouldn't they be before 9 a.m.?

And, if they were after 9 a.m. at your previous paper, shouldn't you unlearn old habit?

Newspaper struggles in New Mexico

Years and years ago, when on vacations, I would look at newspapers for design ideas — fonts, headers, layout, etc.

Today? I look to see how small of a web the paper is on, how few of pages it has, and how small of an adhole it has.

And, boy, oh boy.

First, the Farmington Daily Times, since my brother lives there.

City is 45K. County is 115K. Paper is a seven-day, and the only daily in town.

Just 16 pages on a Saturday, and no high school football. People are told to see the website.

Early press deadlines? But why? Did they sell their press and now they print in Durango? Weird. Crappy.

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Grants is about 10,000 people. An hour east of where I grew up.

The Grants Daily Beacon apparently became non-daily a number of years ago, then became the Cibola Beacon, whether as weekly, semi-weekly or tri-weekly, I don't know, then closed at least two years ago. The non-daily Cibola Citizen replaced it.

Weirdly, the Albuquerque Journal made no move to be more aggressive with its Grants coverage.

But the Gallup Independent did. A Mickey D's in Grants had rack boxes for it alone with the Citizen, but no journal. I didn't go inside any C-store to look at either paper.

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And, the Albuquerque Journal.

A 24-page Monday isn't bad, right? Especially if almost 25 percent ads.

BUT ...

Of those?

More than half were classified. And without reading through each one, more than half of those had liners that said "non-governmental legal." WTF? A special on divorces, wills and pay no bills ads? Clear all those out, and get rid of two pages, and you're at 22 pages, but below 20 percent. Still better than the Fort Worth Startle-Gram, which doesn't say a lot.