Their batting average was probably about .285 in all the races. Not bad for a baseball player, but TOTAL CRAP in a business model.
They picked the loser every time except two races.
They picked Deeds. Lost big time in Augusta.
They picked Bolling and Shannon. Bolling Won, Shannon lost Big Time in Augusta.
They picked Marrow over Landes. Guess who won?
And the Newsleader published letter, after letter, after letter, praising Dem candidates. Nary a one for a Republican candidate.
I don't know if the Gannett people or the Newsleader folks looked at the election results, but over 70% of the county voted Republican. The possible readership of their paper voted overwhelmingly for Republicans.
As a business model, I think they should try appealing to the majority of the people in their readership area, not just the NoVa transplants into downtown Staunton.
Remember the slogan,"The customer is always right." Well the Newsleader should figure out if they want to be a little niche player in a dying market, or an expanding player in the local market. Find the stories that local people want to read. Get an editorial board that is atleast balanced, not one falling off the left end. Appeal to the people who might buy your paper. Go out and get readership. Don't chase them away by telling them that they are wrong, wrong, wrong.
I find it interesting to read the Newsleader. I also found it interesting to read the Village Voice in NYC. I want to know what the left is thinking. The regular reader picks up the Newsleader and says, "Newsleader, wrong again!" That is no way to keep a paper in circulation.
I'm a follower of Lynn Wright's blog. I've decided to start reading some others and remembered that I've seen her refer to your blog. I completely agree with you about the Snooze Leader. A couple of years ago I tried to tell them that they needed to represent their readership and got an almost nasty response. Soon after that when the worst of the Bush bashing was going on, we canceled our subscription, but not without letting them know why. I occasionally comment on articles and am astounded at some to the incredibly angry and even ingnorant commenters. Oh well, it take all kinds to make a world. Thanks for you blog. I plan to stay with it.
ReplyDeleteLucky you. In N.Y. I got the same morons. I voted the entire Conservative line and except for the island....the Mensheviks seem to win. Here I am with that same bunch...possibly worse. I miss Ed Koch and that great governor Hugh Carey. I am ashamed to live in N.Y. It is as disgusting as Western Europe in the 70's. Socialist oriented parties and frauds like the Greens and Working Families Party are probably dancing in their pools of stolen money and getting ready to rob the citizens blind more than than Dictator "Nanny" Bloomberg. Jacob Javitz, a Liberal Republican Senator from our youth, would not understand the Republican Party in this loony bin. Then again...George Mcgovern questioned President Obama's sanity. Good for you....Geoff
ReplyDelete"Mother Jones" will give you the desired effect in less time.
ReplyDeleteThank You Joy.
ReplyDeleteI am glad I left NY for SOOOOOOOOO many reasons. I do miss some stuff though.
Bob, I never really like MJ, but thank you. Village Voice did have all the music club ads too. It was free in NYC when I left. It was chock full of sex ads when it went from $1 to free.
Phil, You're right, MJ just makes you mad, but then the News Follower mostly does that.
ReplyDelete'The Hook' is a Village Voice Wannabe.
News Leader, a NY Times wannabe?
Even the Daily Progress, over in the People's Republic of Charlottesville had the sense to endorse McDonnell, or maybe they cared something about their integrity.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in DC for 9/12 I ran into my old neighbor, a former editor at the Daily Progress in the crowd.
Go ahead Dennis, it won't hurt you to hire a few people with conservative views.
Right on Phil!! My parents had been long subscribers to the Newsleader for many years and began noticing the left slant for which the paper and editorial staff has taken. The last straw for them was when their editorial cartoonist used his pen to paint those who opposed the county's unfair tax assessments mean and uncaring taxpayers. The toon depicted a house burning but no way to quench the fire due to the mean people not wanting to pay their assessments. When called about this attack on tax paying and newspaper subscribing citizens their answer was and I quote " It was their opinion and their right to sound off on the issue and supported the cartoonist" end quote. Well shortly afterward the next headline "Layoffs at Newsleader". It seems to me that while they are losing business they remain determined to push the left wing ideology at the expense of their workers. These fellow Americans may lose their homes and livelihoods. But Mr.McCloskey still has his job. He writes in his blog that we need to come together to save jobs but they do the opposite. Check his blog entitled "Hatemonger" posted 02/24/2009 It drips of hypocrisy. My folks canceled their longtime subscriptions, neighbors and friends as well out of protest.
ReplyDeleteThank you Phil for giving me the platform and venue to vent. Great blog as well.