Newspaper wars
In addition to the News & Record, our carriers deliver the Wall Street Journal. It's a business arrangement; we make some money and the Journal saves some of the cost of maintaining its own carrier force
The carriers of the Colorado Springs Gazette deliver that paper, the Denver Post, the Rocky Mountain News, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today to subscribers in that area of Colorado.
Gazette editor Jeff Thomas writes a bit wistfully: Journalistically, however, it will feel a bit strange. Should the Post or Rocky ever beat us to a story, we'll be in the business of literally handing you the other paper's scoop.
Newspaper wars ain't what they used to be.
I understand his point, but the world has changed. I'd like our carriers, who are independent contractors, to deliver all the newspapers circulated in this area, which includes USA Today and The New York Times. People want them and are going to get them one way or another. We might as well be the company that makes money delivering some other newspaper.
Comments (4)
To report abuse of the comment feature on this site, please use the feedback form at the bottom of any page.
If your carriers are independent contractors, how would your company make money from their delivery of other papers?
Posted on July 5, 2007 12:33 PM
Not sure exactly what you're asking. The system works as you would imagine: our company manages the distribution system and the carriers deliver the paper on their normal route.
Posted on July 5, 2007 12:40 PM
Speaking of newspaper wars, did you see that Surry County soon will have competing hometown dailies? Publishers Mike Milligan and Rebel Good quit The Mount Airy News and Elkin Tribune, respectively, after Heartland Publications took over and ordered cuts in staff and expenses. Fifteen or more former staffers joined them. Now they're starting their own five-day P.M. daily, The Messenger, on Monday in Mount Airy. How long has it been since Greensboro had competing dailies? And did a newspaper war make both better?
Posted on July 6, 2007 9:10 AM
I did see that about The Messenger. I wish them luck, but fear it's going to be a tough, tough climb.
It's been about 25 years here since the Daily News and the Record competed, Steve. I wasn't here then, but I did work in a market with competing dailies and, yes, it made both papers better, I think.
But that was a different time. No Internet. Fewer television stations. No cable news.
Posted on July 6, 2007 9:15 AM