All reports indicate that the owners of the Herald, The Journal Register of Yardley, Pa., still has not acknowledged any decision on the reported offers from the estimated six firms that have expressed interest. With the bad economical times, upon us, one can only hope that there may be a little light at the end of the tunnel for one of these firms to envision.
The extreme efforts of two of our state representatives Tim O’Brian and Frank Nicastro should be commended by the citizenry of both New Britain and Bristol.
Others members of the state delegation have also supported them with their endeavor in this matter.
Both New Britain and Bristol needs their local news source while we are all being querulous of the possible outcome.
Sincerely,
Frank Smith Says NB
11 comments:
A LONG TIME RESIDENT:
Let us hope it is not good-bye for the Herald.
Let us all pray that a good newspaper company will recognize the true value with their being the news informer for our city.
Let'em go. At least we will be free of Rick Guinness who is really nothing more than Sherwood's mouthpiece.
Let's hope we are going to get a new, newspaper not salvage the old
rag.
especially if it rids us of Phil Sherwood's personal mouthpiece!
What time isn't a challenging time for any business? When things are going well that the future is the most clouded. When times are toughest, good business people can see much more clearly what their options really are.
As the editor of the East Hartford Gazette, there isn't a single business in East Hartford that would tell you they are doing well right now. Everyone is worried about the state of the economy, both locally and globally. They now realize, more than ever in our history, that what happens in Iceland or Shanghai affects them- affects us all.
Yes, it will be a challenge to operate any newspaper; an impossible challenge without the advertising support of the businesses into he community the newspaper serves. Sadly, many businesses are torn between traditional advertising such as radio, TV and newspaper, and what the internet offers. Whatever the choice, the only bad decision is not to advertise at all. And for whatever route any business or professional chooses, the only true measure than means anything is having the phone ring, getting an e-mail, or having a customer through the front door.
I happen to believe that a combination of print and internet is the best option. If I am successful in acquiring the East Hartford Gazette, that is what we will offer to anyone interested in reaching our town's 50,010 residents.
I also believe the employees of the Herald and the Bristol Press - as well as those who are editors of the other weekly newspapers which are being offered for sale - should make a united offer to purchase their newspapers. If the state is concerned enough to provide assistance to an out-of-state buyer - with no assurance anything might substantially be changed in the newspaper operations or job security pledged - certainly I have to believe the DECD would look much more favorably on extending more concrete financial assistance to an employee purchase plan. And if the employees owned their own newspaper, that might also result in a better product - with profits remaining right in New Britain or Bristol as the case may be.
The best bailout - and really the only one any true business deserves - is customers. A commitment to place an ad, on a regular basis, is the best bailout plan a newspaper could ask for.
So it really is no surprise that, yes, certainly I also believe every town of any size deserves a weekly newspaper. For a major city of New Britain's size to be without a newspaper to call its own reflects poorly on the city as a whole, and on the overall health of the local economy. Not a good message.
But, before everyone goes jumping the gun, that hasn't happened. And, if it does, I am very sure someone of the likes of Chamber of Commerce director Bill Millerick and other civic leaders will join forces to see to it that a weekly newspaper starts up.
Even with the economy being as down as it is, subsidizing a weekly newspaper is far less expensive than, say, hiring an office worker. And a good weekly would be a terrific ambassador to help promote all that is happening Downtown, particularly with the arts scene.
In the end, a good weekly can be both responsible in reporting developments, politics and crime as it impacts neighborhoods, but also should provide a needed forum for the community to express their views.
As communication tools and forms of expression change, we news folks also must be willing to express what we do in all the various forms of media. Finding the one place to do that might not work anymore, but there is still a need to maintain a sense of community. That is the 'cheese' of it, to borrow from the book "Somebody Moved My Cheese."
I happened before. It will happen again. Right now, it is up to us in the newspaper business to relocate our cheese. Then we can all get back to doing what it is we do best. That might not be quite the form our founding fathers intended, but that is indeed what our democracy is all about.
This idea is not much different from the bailouts that are becoming more common in this country. You run your business into the ground, and expect the government to bail you out with taxpayer dollars. If these newspapers are successful businesses, then they are worth being saved by a private investor who is willing to take the risk. If they are not profitable, then they deserve to go down the tubes like any other mismanaged business. Why should the public foot the bill for whatever mismanagement that might have occurred at a local newspaper?
Not much left to the imagination from "As the Editor of the East Hartford Gazette"
I won't miss this current generation of the NB Herald. As long as dumb things like today's page 2 photograph of two of the Council's toadies are part of what we get. The Herald needs to show that it is willing to get rid of the current liberal staff and start concentrating on doing more that dump on the Mayor and Republicans. Do Black and Eva M. ever do or say anything? What tripe!
Why does a NB newspaper have to be a buyer for the Herald? If someone wants to come in and start a paper for NB, better yet. Out with Rick Guinness and Mark Levy. Let's get a paper in NB that is interested in telling the truth as it is rather than how it is interpreted by Philthy Phil Sherwack and Adolf McNamara.
Don't forget Truthless Trueworthy too!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Deal to buy paper may be signed Monday
The word around the paper is that the deal to sell The Bristol Press, New Britain Herald and three weeklies to Mike Schroeder and his silent partner should be finalized on Monday.
Let's hope the Journal Register Co., the current owner, doesn't find a way to muck it up.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Posted by Steve Collins at 1/16/2009 11:56:00 AM
Labels: Bristol Press, JRC, New Britain Herald, newspapers
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