Comments on: Statesman Struggles To Survive

By: bert farber

bert farber — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 20:54:41 +0000

Dear Tom Anderson:
I think it’s sad you want the Statesman to die. They’re not as bad as you say. They got a Pulitzer nomination and they publish real good pitchers. I can’t imagine Boise without a local hometown newspaper.
Please reconsider your death wish.
Very Truly Yours,
Bert Farber

By: Anne

Anne — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 06:06:45 +0000

If everything old is new again, it may be time for newsapapers to seriously re-read some papers from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s — if they haven’t all been thrown out by libraries and historical societies. Those papers packed a lot of information and advertising into relatively few pages, which saved a lot of printing money. They managed to have relatively large reporting staffs (partially because the pay was abismal) and maintained something like a 60-40 ratio of advertising to news.

Along came the modern corporate publishers and the old-style paper was considered boring, white space was the new news, and layout was king. (Also some photographers thought that pictures should be bigger.) Along the way, column rules were axed and the space between columns widened, typesizes got bigger and stories got shorter. Won’t even go into the trend that started putting feature stories on the front page with little of no news value. Soon there was not only less and less space for news but reporters were encouraged to stay in the office rather than roaming the city reporting news events first hand.

The good news is that research shows that people still look for news from traditional news outlets (wire services, newspapers, television stations), even when going online. Local TV and newspaper Web sites are also where people head first for breaking news.

A smart newspaper could build on this, drawing from the past for economies of space, building a strong local newsgathering staff, and publishing hard-hitting local news stories, some good interview features, gathering club/organizational news and reporting on sports and business — not because it is a public service but because it sells newspapers. And, if the business sells newsapers, it can sell advertising and make money. And that’s what it is all about.

By: Tom Anderson

Tom Anderson — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 23:00:39 +0000

I would like to see the Statesman die because:

They are able to cover nonsense stories with incredible depth, but, the important stories that effect our lives are glossed over in a paragraph or two, with little detail, or background information.

By: dog

dog — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 23:43:51 +0000

Palin hit letters? How many years did we have to suffer from the blame Clinton for everything letters? Wasn’t the Idaho Statesman the local paper that endorsed Bill Sali in the last election? Got a problem with that?
It so interesting how the most vicious, hypocritical, manipulative political party in years, has become the new “sensitive to everything we stand for” party. Is it because now the Republicans are the new Feminists? Is it OK to burn my bra now? Can I call Republicans “feminazis”? Or does that hurt gender sensitive R feelings?
Give me a break. The reason Palin is the brunt of the nations jokes and gets the hits is because she is so funny and….pathetic.

By: Lew Payne

Lew Payne — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 22:09:11 +0000

I’m happy to hear that our local newspaper (as in print media) is having a difficult time surviving. The various organizations that support newspapers (print media) may one day realize that “blogs” like the Guardian and others are indeed news agencies much like their beloved tree eating print publications. These same agencies will finally have to award non-print entities as much credibility as in-print publications.

By: idagreen

idagreen — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:07:23 +0000

Clippityclop, I agree with your requirements for renewing your subscription. I would even pay for an online subscription for such a publication, provided helicopters did not hover over the story I’m trying to read. Perhaps they could continue a free online version and offer a premium version for paid subscribers.

As for pro-Democratic pieces, that tickles me. Palin hit pieces? Seem to be plenty coming from the GOP as well. Lipstick indeed.

By: JIMV

JIMV — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 03:18:10 +0000

“Printing pro-Dem news obviously isn’t killing the Statesman. There is none.”

Every letter to the editor today was a Palin hit piece…all of them.

By: Clippityclop

Clippityclop — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:59:59 +0000

If the Statesman were to focus on in-depth local news with an emphasis on quality, unbiased investigative reporting, I would renew my subscription. I suspect many others feel the same. As it is, quality reporting is lacking with an obvious slant.

By: dog

dog — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:33:48 +0000

Remember the days when news was a public service and not a byproduct of the advertising revenue stream.
Printing pro-Dem news obviously isn’t killing the Statesman. There is none.

By: JIMV

JIMV — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:22:41 +0000

Have you ever been to a national site like the Washington Posts or LA Times…the comments there are seldom remotely associated with the topic.

I agree with the poster who advises on major local news emphasis…