Uh, Media blog guy, have you stopped to notice that tons of newspaper reporters are ALREADY blogging, shooting video and writing the news as it happens? Hell, any reporter who’s ever worked for a wire service has plenty of experience with 24/7 deadlines. As for “one or two stories a week,” what color is the sky on your media planet?

I’m speaking as a newspaper reporter who carries a digital recorder everywhere I go so I can put soundbites online; I maintain a blog, regularly post stories on the Web minutes after they happen, do radio spots and have written the same story both print and TV. I’m not at one of the Philly papers, but I can see from reading Philly.com that their staffs are doing these things too: blogs, podcasts, etc. Steve, why do you seem to imagine that these journalists are going to be staggering out of 400 N. Broad St., blinking at the world around them and exclaiming, “Wow, these newfangled Internets are amazing!”

Newspapers began moving online in the mid-90s, and I would argue they’ve been way more forward-looking than other types of media companies (much unlike the recording industry, and unlike Infinity Radio’s old no-streaming-allowed policy). With one or two exceptions, none of them have ever charged for content.

The industry’s woes have not occurred for any lack of frantically shoveling content online. The major shortcoming has been in finding any way to make enough money to pay for these enormous newsgathering operations, especially with something like 40% of the revenue coming from classified ads. (Or perhaps the woes have come from the owners insisting on monolopy-style 25% profit margins even though the Net has abolished the monopoly. But that’s the owners’ old thinking, not the journalists’.)

As for the swipe at the name “PhilaPapers,” I presume the journalists are aware that an online news site isn’t made of any pulped wood product. But what that name does is take advantage of their major advantage over other forms of local news — namely, a substantial staff of experienced journalists with years/decades of skill in seeking out, sifting and reporting the news. “Living room bloggers” have their place in the ecosystem too, but it only makes sense for the newspapers’ staff to leverage the hell out of what they’ve got.

I wish them the best of luck, no matter how this strike talk turns out.

you have a problem with this system that is off putting in the extreme.

And I did know the ad people were striking. But it’s my contention that there’s simply no way they would sell enough ads to support a staff of that size. I see exactly one advertiser on Philly.com, one on the Philadelphia Inquirer’s homepage none on the Daily News front page and none on internal pages. (Not even Google Ads?) I’m fairly sure that’s not going to support a staff of hundreds.

That’s not to pick on their ad department. Just doin’ the math.

No. 2, I’m also fascinated by the possibility — 200 journalists working solely for online. That’s a first in the state — off the cuff, can anyone think of an online-only operation with that much staff? And this would by HYPER-local — no AP or Reuters in sight. (Salon, Slate, etc. are smaller, I believe. CNN, MSNBC.com, NYT.com, WSJ.com don’t count for the obvs. reasons.)

No. 3: The site they set up is infinitely easier to use than the one their newspaper maintains.

No. 4: The strikers were set to include advertising people, who would have sold ads. A story posted today on Romenesko says that union extended talks till Dec. 9. Presumably that settles that.

talks about eating their young. not a good way to evoke sympathy from the general public.

and who the hell uses the word “lavender” anymore? (except after sitting on the throne reading the paper… as in “now where is that spray can of fresh lavender scented stuff, i’ve guest coming by!”

you’d think some entreprenuering, union supporter-types would have ponied up some change to at least give the impression there would be hell to pay if these guys walk.

missed opportunity.

“just blog”???

use the link lr provided in their previous post on this (local-10dotcom) and read the “open letter” dated nov. 18th…

about 1/2 way thru the body of the story you’ll find the obligatory swipe at the unwashed; something about “living room blogs”. and it ain’t positive either.

ahhh, well… we can dream.

Plus, I like that it reinforces what you all commented on before the announcement.

Well, they announced the URL of the site - philapapers.com.

That’s right. Papers.

So I wouldn’t hold my breath on this being particularly groundbreaking.

Love your scenario Steve S.
Of course the question all journalists should ask is,
why not just do this in any city where we live?
Who needs the big, outdated print machines anymore.
But they need to re-read these comments to start to
open their eyes to the possibilities too.
Interesting to see what happens over the next few years.

And one final thing…
either content is important ( I think quality writing and
reporting is important) or is isn’t. There is a bit of
schizophrenia on this site regarding that point.
Some say just digital data, pixels or whatnot,
is all that’s important…. just a bunch of stuff between
the ads. I hope they are wrong about that.

Dan