An inadvertent experiment
In the this-means-nothing-but-still department: We repeated Monday's stock tables in Wednesday's paper by mistake. It was a human error, one that we thought we had safeguards to prevent, but a safeguard failed.
We got fewer than a dozen calls.
Newspaper editors have talked for several years about the possibility of eliminating the stock listings under the assumption that customized stock information is so easily available online. The money and space taken by the listings -- two pages and change in the News & Record -- could be used for other content. Some newspapers have even done it. We've resisted the temptation on the belief that we have many readers who don't have Internet connections.
Maybe the change in the market wasn't that noticeable. Maybe people just didn't bother to call, which, given their vocalness on other issues, doesn't seem likely. Or maybe the number who use the listings is truly dwindling.
Comments (12)
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John, even when I followed the market closely I rarely used the newspaper for my info. I either watched the ticker on the TV, looked at it online, or caught the closing figures on the evening news.
I wouldn't be surprised if many others do the same given the proliferation of internet services and TV shows dedicated to the stock market.
Posted on February 10, 2005 10:39 AM
I agree if your gut feeling is that publishing these is an anachronism. Virtually all individuals with the resources to invest will have internet access, and thereby will have access to more timely information.
Also, it may not be in the interests of many folks to be consulting prices daily. Frequent buying and selling can be a mistake for many; and looking at these tables likely is a part of the constellation of attitudes and behaviors that lead to these mistakes. For many of us, we may be better off leaving our investments alone, looking at the long-term, dollar-cost averaging and/or relying on the counsel of a competent professional.
Posted on February 10, 2005 11:06 AM
Maybe you can eliminate the stock charts in favor of more comic strips. Maybe "Mark Trail" could make a comeback in the pages of News & Record! :)
Posted on February 10, 2005 11:53 AM
John,
Kehaar has a good idea. This could be your chance to avoid being remembered forever as the editor who got rid of Mark Trail.
Posted on February 10, 2005 12:31 PM
That's what I'm known for? Well, I'll say this about that. After we stopped carrying Mark Trail, The Greensboro Patriot picked it up and soon after that publication went out of business.
My bet, Doug, is that a lot of our more conservative readers would love to see Mr. Trail replace Mr. Doonesbury on the Op-ed page.
Posted on February 10, 2005 12:50 PM
We need Doonesbury to show that some liberals still have a sense of humor.
Posted on February 10, 2005 2:25 PM
I don't know why Landmark throws their money away on you: think *niche marketing*, Robinson! Make the N&R the place for "good news" stock charts -- with all positive, profitable (completely bogus) data. You can collect money from the other end Armstrong Williams-style from companies seeking to stir investor interest. Honestly, do I have to do all of your strategic planning for you? If it weren't for natural disasters raining Weather Channel cash on the home office, you'd be doomed!
Posted on February 10, 2005 4:11 PM
Just a note: I get my comics on stripfix. I don't even understand some of them in the paper. Keep yer mitts offa Doonesbury, though. It reminds me that I'm still alive.
Posted on February 10, 2005 5:10 PM
Correction: It was the Greater Greensboro Observer that ran Mark Trail after we dropped it. Of course, we know what happened to that publication, too.
Sun, I like the way you think. We might should cover government and Greensboro that way, too.
Posted on February 10, 2005 5:31 PM
Sue gets jer comics from stripfix... I get mine right here.
Drop the stocks and pick up horse racing stats.
Posted on February 10, 2005 7:15 PM
Drop the stocks and add poetry and short stories.
"That Billy Jones, all he thinks about is himself." ;-)
Posted on February 11, 2005 8:20 PM
Someone out there is reading your thoughts :-)
http://www.testycopyeditors.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3742
Posted on February 12, 2005 12:06 AM