Paywalls and leaks — are they desirable?

The Nieman Labs note that the new New York Times paywall, already live in Canada, can, in current incarnation, be cracked with just four lines of Javascript. And, it says, beyond that, that some "leakiness" in a paywall, if the media company knows how to manage it, can actually be a good thing.

The story approaches the issue in part from a cost-benefit analysis. It notes that there are a couple of classes of people who are simply determined not to pay for content in such situations. Those who have the skill, or who get the information from someone else who has the skill, will work around the paywall easily enough. As long as they're looking at ads, the story says, and maybe clocking an occasional one, then the NYT is still ahead, rather than spending more money to tighten the paywall.

OOPS.

Just one problem with that analysis.

Those same people, in general, are already blocking ads on their computers. I can't believe Nieman was either that dumb or that naive.

And, beyond THAT, the reason WHY for paywalls is to generate revenue not only from falling Internet ad rates, but, because savvy online news readers are already blocking ads, and savvy online newspaper IT staff know that.

That said, from there, we can honestly discuss whether a "straight" paywall, a "freemium" system, or a metered system like that of the NYT is the best thing for a daily newspaper vs. a "weekly" (in hardcopy) magazine, etc.

But, this idea that a fair amount of "leakage" will actually help on the ad side? Stupid.

Is TPA shooting itself in the foot on public notices?

Every other year, the Texas Legislature considers, or is rumored to be considering, changing state law so that local governments do not have to post matters of legality, such as rezoning hearings, etc., in a local newspaper of public record.

Usually, proponents in the Lege argue that municipalities will save money by posting legal notices on their local websites. Or, if government websites aren't worthy, due to transparency and conflict of interest concerns, something like Craiglist.

And, every biennium, the Texas Press Association argues against the idea.

TPA has argued not just against government websites on the conflict of interest and related issues, but have argued against web-based postings in general on grounds such as "a lot of people don't have Internet access," etc.

Well, what do we have now? TPA and the Texas Daily Newspaper Association have now teamed up to offer web-based public notices!!!

At a bare minimum, local governments can now argue that ad rates for public notices should be drastically lowered, since it costs a lot less to run them online. And, if the local newspaper of record is a TPA member, then the local government can say this meets current state law on posting requirements, without going out to Craigslist, etc.

Plus, with the state budget deficit also a municipal budget deficit, this door opening is surely only going to increase that push. And, if TPA doesn't like it, I suspect state law might just get changed this time around.

Big newspaper merger ahead?

Freedom Communications and MediaNews, both partially owned by the same capital management group, Alden Global Capital as part of their emergence from bankruptcy, could merge.

It seems pretty clear this is NOT MediaNews driving the process. Dean-O, Dean Singleton, CEO of pre-bankruptcy MediaNews, is being kicked upstairs:

MediaNews on Tuesday announced a series of management changes under which current chairman and chief executive William Dean Singleton will relinquish his CEO role and become executive chairman of the Denver-based company. In a news release, MediaNews said the moves, which also include the hiring of three new directors, will "position the company to identify, pursue and execute on strategic consolidation opportunities."

That said, they aren't the only merger possibilities on Alden's list.

The recession and its fallout have depressed media properties. With folks like Alden either in control, or threatening to become in control, of more and more media chains, they're surely going to throw their weight around more.

Why a newspaper editor increases his loathing for his profession

Here's my personal take.

In the last 15-16 months, in chronological order?

1. I have had a tri-weekly paper try to recruit me to move just a month after I had taken a new job, which felt too soon. And, given that this paper has gone through at least one editor since then, it may not have been the best move. (Update, 2019: That paper was with Moser Community Media, which I've had more reason to distrust since then. See No. 4 adn more.)

2. I have had a paper near Dallas, reportedly being "pushed" by corporate HQ to fill an editor/general manager position I would have loved, then being told by HQ NOT to fill that position, shortly before I was to have a pro forma in-person interview to be hired. (Given that I had had problems with another interview with the same company, at its flagship paper, for a job they on which they couldn't nail down work parameters, pay scale, whether pay would be wage or salary, this doesn't surprise me.) So, folks, be wary of Hartman Newspapers.

3. I have had another newspaper interview me and other candidates, pass me on to corporate for a second interview, then re-advertise the position, with additional parameters, in apparent resume fishing. I'd heard about it, but this was first-time victimhood for me. So, folks, be wary of the Los Alamos Monitor.

4. I'd had the owner of the paper under No. 1 make a run at me to be editor/publisher of a small weekly. I was intrigued, but put pen to paper and realized the margins necessary for bonuses were almost impossible to hit. I also saw that the operational structure was goofy - printing at one site, then mail labeling at a second site, and only THEN bringing papers back to the "hometown." So, ask questions whenever you come across Moser Media.

5. Had the Rio Rancho (N.M.) Observer advertise for a managing editor, noting it was on a fast hiring track. The publisher sent me a precis of the job, boasting how they held down costs in part by not offering health insurance, while noting some people were eligible to buy through a low-cost cooperative. In addition to that, though, other items in the precis made me wonder if the paper had made the ME's job, illegally, into an independent contractor's position, to dodge payroll taxes and more, as well, even as the Department of Labor had been cracking down on that. When I subtly asked in that directly, I was informed, within 2 business days, that the job had been filled.

(And, if you expect DOL's Wage and Hour Division to do a lot of legwork when you file a complaint, think again.)

6. Had the publisher of another paper ask me about a good time to call for an interview, then never call. I suspect this Granite Publications newspaper asked more about why I worked less than a year at a sister publication in the chain, but never asked me about the job bait-and-switch on an advertised vs. an offered job that landed unemployed, job-needing me in Navasota, Texas, as managing editor of a weekly, rather than Taylor, Texas, as ME of a five-day daily, in the first place. So, be wary of Granite Publications.

7. I then had an initial interview for a position I really liked, or thought I might. It was in-person, but I managed to do it during my most recent vacation, without denting my vacation time. (That said, other finalists probably can't say the same.) Then, the paper told me, through a placement agency which has me on file, it was "going in a different direction." (I understood this to be on job description, not me vs. another finalist.) So, be wary of the Sangre de Christo Chronicle, and of its parent paper, the Santa Fe New Mexican.

Some newspaper publisher or owner may see this and say I'm nothing but a poor-mouther. I'd ask him or her if they're an apologist for unethical business practices.

Another newspaper for whom to not work?

I saw an ad on JournalismJobs recently to be ME of a suburban weekly in a part of the country, and a metropolitan area, that I would like.

I applied six days after the posting, which did say the company, family-owned, was looking for a quick hire.

A response e-mail said I might be on the top end, or beyond, of qualification level for the position, but, I was asked if, with that in mind, was I really interested.

I got back a job description Word document in a response e-mail. In addition to pay scale, it also said, among other things:

But, by and large, we act more like a start-up than we do a traditional community newspaper. We are extremely swift to seek and seize opportunity. We welcome partnerships of all shapes and sizes within our community. We aim to be the best friend of local non-profits. And, we engage in our community – relentlessly.
That said, we also differ from most media companies in the way we tailor our compensation plans. We do not have a laundry list of special monetary incentives or perks, nor do we offer the traditional benefits that most companies struggle desperately with. We have no paid leave, no health insurance*, no retirement or cafeteria plan. Our wages do not set any records either; no one on our newspaper team can claim an above average salary.

OK, I've been at companies with no health insurance before, but not the other stuff.

So I e-mailed back a few questions:

No paid leave? As in no paid vacation? If I wanted a third week off a year, would that be problematic? What about traditional holidays? Is the managing editor an “employee” or a “contractor”? Am I responsible for all FICA taxes?

Serious questions. If it meant no paid vacation, and typical holidays weren't paid, that's a lot of $$ I have to knock off the base salary. Even more if the paper is trying to make the ME a contractor and paid self-employed payroll taxes.

Plus, there's a legality question on that, on which issue the Department of Labor has recently been cracking down.

Well, less than three business days later, I got a two-sentence e-mail response saying the position had been filled and offering me best wishes in my job hunt. None of the questions were answered.

Well, DOL's Wage and Hour division has received a query e-mail from me.

Why we don't use Comic Sans in newspapers

A great blog about a great font.

Newspapers getting greedy, or skittish, on hiring

In the past six months, I've had one job killed (at a weekly no less), after corporate had been pushing the publisher to fill it ASAP. Then, corporate, at Hartman Newspapers in Texas, pulled the job.

Meanwhile, in Los Alamos, N.M., the publisher there apparently considered his initial managing editor ad an excuse to float a trial balloon, then either get greedier on position demands, or else decide to get rid of somebody else and fold that work into the M.E.'s position. (Since he won't talk about the details of his re-advertising the position, I don't know which it is.)

Anyway, there is, or is supposed to be, such a thing as media ethics internally as well as externally, isn't there?