It’s kind of a tough comparison. NOLA is a tough market – it is in decline, lost a lot of its population (and soul) during Hurricane Katrina, it is a mess. Sioux Falls on the other hand is growing and booming, especially in comparison to NOLA and much of the US. You would THINK that the paper would be doing OK. This is a case of mismanagement and lack of exciting, provocative or compelling news stories. Reporting about the local hay ride or lemonade stand isn’t going to sell copy. Maybe they can start there. Put some shady politicians on the offensive. Expose something corrupt. They aren’t doing that.
No. But the newspaper biz is changing. The Argus is a very healthy newspaper and Gannett is doing a lot of innovative things. Muqhtar might want to apply for a job there.
Well, when the Paywall Leader highlights the lemonade stand, Mom and Dad will run out and buy 10 copies. Grandpa and Grandma need it for the scrapbooks.
The Argus leaves a few thing to be desired, although I do get a kick out of Ellis columns. He is getting braver, or the admins have given him more reign. They have always been pretty quick to watch dog Pierre and even the local school board.
It must be something about city governemnt because it seems like the Watertown Public Opinion have their office in city hall. The editorial staff of the PO can take the news out of city hall, sugar coat, make most believe it, and then even defend it.
If it is controversial and deals with city hall, you will not find it the PO. But that same staff will blast the county, school, (except the LATI, by the way our Mayor was there past president), and anyone or anything that claims to be a democrat or tea party.
They just hired a investigative reporter and then told her not to investigate.
Pretty sure you can already subscribe for the AL with an online version that scans and reproduces each page as is if you were reading the print version of the paper. Not sure of the cost.
Dukembe has it right. A newspaper must be ‘free press’. The Argus isn’t. The editor screens anything negative about city government or certain affluent individuals. Sooner or later, Gannett will fire him. Hopefully, sooner before it goes under. I’ll buy it once I’m sure it is truth.
I knew some folks that did IT work at the Argus just as this whole internet thing was coming along.
Like any newspaper stuck in the 1970s business model of subscription services making 30% profit margins, they thought it would blow over and go away. They did implement an internet team for a while, but quickly abandoned it as they weren’t sure how to make bank on it.
Newspapers can’t be newspapers on the internet, no matter how damn hard they try, it just doesn’t work. If you’re going to publish an article on the internet the way the internet was established, then a subscription model doesn’t work.
Why did the Argus or any other newspaper for that matter, even go through the hassle of making and maintaining a news based website if it competed with their own business model? The Argus can’t tell you that either!
The thing is, newspapers can make money publishing news articles for “free”. Free being the key word here, because there are ads served up with each news article that you read, but those 30% margins from the good old days call, and a paywall will get them back to those margins right?
Well, it hasn’t worked for a single publication yet, but if EVERYBODY gets on board surely people will start to pay for news that they can get for “free” elsewhere. Or so they hope!
Funny. I just went and gave public testimony at the CC meeting about Independence day and I joked that all the cameras in the place made me feel like a bank employee.
It’s kind of a tough comparison. NOLA is a tough market – it is in decline, lost a lot of its population (and soul) during Hurricane Katrina, it is a mess. Sioux Falls on the other hand is growing and booming, especially in comparison to NOLA and much of the US. You would THINK that the paper would be doing OK. This is a case of mismanagement and lack of exciting, provocative or compelling news stories. Reporting about the local hay ride or lemonade stand isn’t going to sell copy. Maybe they can start there. Put some shady politicians on the offensive. Expose something corrupt. They aren’t doing that.
No. But the newspaper biz is changing. The Argus is a very healthy newspaper and Gannett is doing a lot of innovative things. Muqhtar might want to apply for a job there.
Well, when the Paywall Leader highlights the lemonade stand, Mom and Dad will run out and buy 10 copies. Grandpa and Grandma need it for the scrapbooks.
Innovative things? I must have missed them.
Me to.
I think the AL has some pretty good reporters; just crummy administration.
They have some very good writers, but they have plenty who have no business doing what they do.
The Argus leaves a few thing to be desired, although I do get a kick out of Ellis columns. He is getting braver, or the admins have given him more reign. They have always been pretty quick to watch dog Pierre and even the local school board.
It must be something about city governemnt because it seems like the Watertown Public Opinion have their office in city hall. The editorial staff of the PO can take the news out of city hall, sugar coat, make most believe it, and then even defend it.
If it is controversial and deals with city hall, you will not find it the PO. But that same staff will blast the county, school, (except the LATI, by the way our Mayor was there past president), and anyone or anything that claims to be a democrat or tea party.
They just hired a investigative reporter and then told her not to investigate.
Pretty sure you can already subscribe for the AL with an online version that scans and reproduces each page as is if you were reading the print version of the paper. Not sure of the cost.
Dukembe has it right. A newspaper must be ‘free press’. The Argus isn’t. The editor screens anything negative about city government or certain affluent individuals. Sooner or later, Gannett will fire him. Hopefully, sooner before it goes under. I’ll buy it once I’m sure it is truth.
I knew some folks that did IT work at the Argus just as this whole internet thing was coming along.
Like any newspaper stuck in the 1970s business model of subscription services making 30% profit margins, they thought it would blow over and go away. They did implement an internet team for a while, but quickly abandoned it as they weren’t sure how to make bank on it.
Newspapers can’t be newspapers on the internet, no matter how damn hard they try, it just doesn’t work. If you’re going to publish an article on the internet the way the internet was established, then a subscription model doesn’t work.
Why did the Argus or any other newspaper for that matter, even go through the hassle of making and maintaining a news based website if it competed with their own business model? The Argus can’t tell you that either!
The thing is, newspapers can make money publishing news articles for “free”. Free being the key word here, because there are ads served up with each news article that you read, but those 30% margins from the good old days call, and a paywall will get them back to those margins right?
Well, it hasn’t worked for a single publication yet, but if EVERYBODY gets on board surely people will start to pay for news that they can get for “free” elsewhere. Or so they hope!
My Chihauhau’s love the AL, and it fits nicely in their potty box too.
Yeah, the ink doesn’t smear as much as the Shopping News.
I had a friend doing Argus IT work. He left because Sioux Falls management ineptitude.
It’s just sad that my kitchen podcast setup sounds more professional than their supposedly Grade A equipment.
Funny. I just went and gave public testimony at the CC meeting about Independence day and I joked that all the cameras in the place made me feel like a bank employee.