OT: WBEZ acquiring the Sun Times

[eastbaycat99]

Not having lived in the Chicago area since the days when people read actual, physical newspapers, I was surprised and somewhat intrigued to read this:

https://www.wbez.org/stories/chicag...e=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wbez

It is a long distance from the Rupert Murdoch days. My spouse is a Medill grad, and since we are older, we still get a print daily (the SF Chron) and the print Sunday NY Times. It will be interesting if this sort of consolidation happens in any other markets. I miss the days when people would share the then four Chicago dailies during dinner at Sargent (Trib, Sun Times, Daily News and Today). There were a lot of crossword puzzles, and a zillion sports beat writers in those days!

 

[Hungry Jack]

Going non-profit is probably the only way local print dailies will survive (with a few exceptions). I enjoy the ST sports coverage, but I have never subscribed to it.

I enjoy the WSJ, but really only read it for the oped and columnists. The news features are fine, but I can get the same news from other outlets (digital and radio). I am happy to pay for opeds from Holman Jenkins, Peggy Noonan, etc.

 

[corbi296]

Not having lived in the Chicago area since the days when people read actual, physical newspapers, I was surprised and somewhat intrigued to read this:

https://www.wbez.org/stories/chicag...e=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wbez

It is a long distance from the Rupert Murdoch days. My spouse is a Medill grad, and since we are older, we still get a print daily (the SF Chron) and the print Sunday NY Times. It will be interesting if this sort of consolidation happens in any other markets. I miss the days when people would share the then four Chicago dailies during dinner at Sargent (Trib, Sun Times, Daily News and Today). There were a lot of os sword puzzles, and a zillion sports beat writers in those days!

It’s an interesting approach. I think it could be the saving grace for the industry. Welcome news in my opinion.

 

[techtim72]

My suggestion is that going forward the Sun Times focus on local/regional news. I think this is the direction but not sure. The national news media is overcrowded and has largely evolved into click bait political camps. There is a real need everywhere for local news and investigative reporting. Chicago/Illinois/Midwest is sufficiently large and diverse to support this approach. The Miami Herald seems to have taken this approach although it has its troubles.

 

[stpaulcat]

Going non-profit is probably the only way local print dailies will survive (with a few exceptions). I enjoy the ST sports coverage, but I have never subscribed to it.

I enjoy the WSJ, but really only read it for the oped and columnists. The news features are fine, but I can get the same news from other outlets (digital and radio). I am happy to pay for opeds from Holman Jenkins, Peggy Noonan, etc.

AH HA...reading WSJ to know what to think. I'm guilty too.

 

[Eurocat]

Going non-profit is probably the only way local print dailies will survive (with a few exceptions). I enjoy the ST sports coverage, but I have never subscribed to it.

The READER weekly is now a non-profit as of Jan 1.

 

[its_the_sauce]

My suggestion is that going forward the Sun Times focus on local/regional news. I think this is the direction but not sure. The national news media is overcrowded and has largely evolved into click bait political camps. There is a real need everywhere for local news and investigative reporting. Chicago/Illinois/Midwest is sufficiently large and diverse to support this approach. The Miami Herald seems to have taken this approach although it has its troubles.

Block Club has done a great job covering local news down to the neighborhood level. I wish the S-T would up their sports game though TBH they still beat the Trib for HS sports coverage.

 

[loyolacat]

I subscribed to the Sun Times about two months ago....when the Trib(after subscribing for 50 years) was purchased by a hedge fund, I saw my hometown paper go from 90 people in the newsroom to 18 when the Peoria Journal Star was purchased by a hedge fund. a shell of its former self. This is happening everywhere. Anyway love the Sun TImes, great coverage of high school sports, and their banner,,,,,Hardest Working Paper in America....was enough for me....It really covers the city , warts and all.....(only complaint ,too much ND coverage)
Great marriage.

 

[Darren72]

I hope it works out.

I've been a Trib subscriber forever and am incredibly disappointed with it, both the experience of using their site/app and seemingly endless decline in the breadth of coverage. What's more, it costs the same as The NY Times, Washington Post, and WSJ. I'd love to move on to something better for local coverage and hope the WBEZ-ST merger gets it right.

 

[KramerCat91]

My thoughts exactly.

I've been a Trip subscriber forever and am incredibly disappointed with it, both the experience of using their site/app and seemingly endless decline in the breadth of coverage. What's more, it costs the same as The NY Times, Washington Post, and WSJ. I'd love to move on to something better for local coverage and hope the WBEZ-ST merger gets it right.

 

[Sec.112]

I've taken a similar path as Darren. The ST has a few things going for it. The most important may be how badly the Tribune has nosedived.

The ST sports is much better as is the coverage of local politics. I wonder if either local paper/site will get back to strong coverage of cultural beats like movies, theater, books and TV.

I also wonder if either paper will offer strong coverage of the entire local sports landscape again. Any chance of good college coverage or even just a bit of high school coverage again? These beats are on life support in the ST and dead in the Trib. It's too bad. Whether its their print edition or online option, the coverage from either paper just isn't what it was ... even 10 years ago, much less 20 or 30 years in the past.

It's unfortunately obvious marketing drives coverage in both the Trib and ST. I understand this is a Bears town, but it drives me batty that the editorial groups have no problem repetitively over-covering a HORRIBLE Bears organization who make the same mistakes decade after decade, yet they can't find budget money to have one reporter dedicate to the college beat (NU, UofI, ND, DePaul, Loyola etc.). Yes, let's see just another story about Justin Fields.

This has had an effect on NU, and that effect will probably continue to expand. I wonder if NU should take the route of the Sky, the WNBA team. They paid for coverage in the ST, and the ST was open about it. For a year or two, every Sky story had a small image about its sponsorship. I assume the Sky simply financed a beat reporter. I have no problem with that. I'd do it in both newspapers if I was Cragg.

 

[Zootcat]

I've taken a similar path as Darren. The ST has a few things going for it. The most important may be how badly the Tribune has nosedived.

The ST sports is much better as is the coverage of local politics. I wonder if either local paper/site will get back to strong coverage of cultural beats like movies, theater, books and TV.

I also wonder if either paper will offer strong coverage of the entire local sports landscape again. Any chance of good college coverage or even just a bit of high school coverage again? These beats are on life support in the ST and dead in the Trib. It's too bad. Whether its their print edition or online option, the coverage from either paper just isn't what it was ... even 10 years ago, much less 20 or 30 years in the past.

It's unfortunately obvious marketing drives coverage in both the Trib and ST. I understand this is a Bears town, but it drives me batty that the editorial groups have no problem repetitively over-covering a HORRIBLE Bears organization who make the same mistakes decade after decade, yet they can't find budget money to have one reporter dedicate to the college beat (NU, UofI, ND, DePaul, Loyola etc.). Yes, let's see just another story about Justin Fields.

This has had an effect on NU, and that effect will probably continue to expand. I wonder if NU should take the route of the Sky, the WNBA team. They paid for coverage in the ST, and the ST was open about it. For a year or two, every Sky story had a small image about its sponsorship. I assume the Sky simply financed a beat reporter. I have no problem with that. I'd do it in both newspapers if I was Cragg.

Interesting idea about paying for coverage. I wonder what the Sky attendance stats are post vs pre implementation. Did attendance increase? I know that isn‘t the only important metric but it’s the end goal.

 

[Sec.112]

Well, let's put it this way, Darren. I can name three or four players on the Sky, and I've never attended a game or watched more than a half. I'd bet some form of coverage is better than the nothing they have now.

If it was a budget question, I'd pay for the coverage before running ads.

 

[Zootcat]

Darren?

 

[Alan Smithee]

Darren?

He meant Derwood.

 

[Zootcat]

He meant Derwood.

Derwood? I must be dense, because I still don’t get it…..

 

[Alan Smithee]

It’s a joke that only people of a certain age could get. A tv character named Darren who was frequently referred to by the wrong name.

 

[Zootcat]

It’s a joke that only people of a certain age could get. A tv character named Darren who was frequently referred to by the wrong name.

Thanks. I have a feeling I’m of the age where I should know this. Bewitched?

I’ll let it go from here.