Wichita Eagle

[wufan]

According to the article, the decision was painstaking which leads me to
believe there was enough counter points to keep the print/packaging in Wichita.
Additionally, it's not as if the printing press needed to be replaced or that there were complaints on the quality of print. Thus the Eagle is laying off personnel in Wichita.

What happens to delivery costs? Will that be reflected in a new rate?
What happens when McClatchy sells? Will the Eagle need to scramble to purchase a new printing machine?
Why not move all reporters to KC or consolidate?


As the Harvard Think Tank points out, print media may become extinct in alot of markets due to squeezing out profits. If McClatchey moves more than Print/Packaging to KC, we could see the Eagle become extinct both from a print/packaging as well as a reporting perspective.

You do sound bitter on this. Obviously it's never a good thing for local folks when local businesses are closed, but come on...this is print. This has been on the horizon for a decade.

[Aargh]

The counter to printing in KC is the transportation cost to get the papers from KC to Wichita. I doubt that requires more than one good-sized truck running from KC it ICT and back every day. That's probably a bit better than a break even on the employees that won't be needed in Wichita, and it eliminates maintenance or upgrades on the presses in ICT.

The rent on the smaller space needed in ICT is probably less than the utilities in the current Eagle building.

This is pretty much a no-brainer for either increasing the profitability or reducing the losses for McClatchy.

[Wuchalk]

I worked at the Eagle in the early 90's, during the transition to using computers in the composition of the pages, instead of several employees cutting strips of type and arranging them by hand. I had also worked there in the early 70's, when the Linotype machines were still in use. The internet (in the 90's) had not yet become a factor in news reporting. I realized that newspapers were in trouble at a staff meeting, when we were asked to define the mission statement of the newspaper. Silly me, I thought the mission of a newspaper was to inform and educate the public. No, we were informed that the mission of the newspaper was to create value for our customers. Purely the profit motive, no public good needed.
Well, now there's very little profit, and even less public good.

[Shocker-maniac]

I worked at the Eagle in the early 90's, during the transition to using computers in the composition of the pages, instead of several employees cutting strips of type and arranging them by hand. I had also worked there in the early 70's, when the Linotype machines were still in use. The internet (in the 90's) had not yet become a factor in news reporting. I realized that newspapers were in trouble at a staff meeting, when we were asked to define the mission statement of the newspaper. Silly me, I thought the mission of a newspaper was to inform and educate the public. No, we were informed that the mission of the newspaper was to create value for our customers. Purely the profit motive, no public good needed.
Well, now there's very little profit, and even less public good.

Well, unless you are part of a non-profit organization that should be the mission statement for every organization. Profit is not a bad word. Profit is society's reward to an individual or organization for providing goods or services that are of value to the society.

Actually, scratch the comment about the non-profits. Some of the greediest organizations that I have been affiliated with in my career are non-profits.

[Veritas]

You do sound bitter on this. Obviously it's never a good thing for local folks when local businesses are closed, but come on...this is print. This has been on the horizon for a decade.

Not bitter. Just concerned about the future of the Wichita Eagle. Read the Harvard think tank article I previously posted.

I can explain it to you, but can't comprehend it for you (sigh).

Let me know how you feel in 2-5 years.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

The counter to printing in KC is the transportation cost to get the papers from KC to Wichita. I doubt that requires more than one good-sized truck running from KC it ICT and back every day. That's probably a bit better than a break even on the employees that won't be needed in Wichita, and it eliminates maintenance or upgrades on the presses in ICT.

The rent on the smaller space needed in ICT is probably less than the utilities in the current Eagle building.

This is pretty much a no-brainer for either increasing the profitability or reducing the losses for McClatchy.

A business makes a business minded move in order to maintain some level of profitability

nothing to see here

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Shocker-maniac]

I'm not afraid of the Eagle going under or completely pulling out of Wichita. That will mean opportunity for innovation. Maybe someone like @_kai_: at ShockerHoops hires Suellentrop or another reporter and the new product is actually better than the old Eagle. Change is going to happen. Print media is a dinosaur.

[_kai_]

I'm not afraid of the Eagle going under or completely pulling out of Wichita. That will mean opportunity gor innovation. Maybe someone like @_kai_ at ShockerHoops hires Suellentrop or another reporter and the new product is actually better than the old Eagle. Change is going to happen. Print media is a dinosaur.

I'm always looking for writers. I've had a couple over the years.

I guess here is as good as anywhere, but if anyone has writing skills, ideas of what they'd like to write about, shoot me a PM.

Also, if there are any business owners on the board that would be interested in advertising with ShockerHoops/ShockerNet shoot me a PM too.

[Dan]

I'm not afraid of the Eagle going under or completely pulling out of Wichita. That will mean opportunity for innovation. Maybe someone like @_kai_: at ShockerHoops hires Suellentrop or another reporter and the new product is actually better than the old Eagle. Change is going to happen. Print media is a dinosaur.

I have a 75 year old neighbor that owns a business and he was complaining to me the other day about the cost of his Yellow Page ads. I told him he should've stopped those ads 15 years ago.

[Kung Wu]

As the Harvard Think Tank points out, print media may become extinct in alot of markets due to squeezing out profits. If McClatchey moves more than Print/Packaging to KC, we could see the Eagle become extinct both from a print/packaging as well as a reporting perspective.

Are you sure they are "squeezing profits" and not losing their shirts? Subscriptions HAVE to have tanked to nearly vapor levels by now. Advertisers have gone digital -- and not with online newspapers. These consolidations feel a whole lot more like last gasps for air than empire building. Why do you assume they are profitable and not slowly (or even quickly) burning through cash and assets?

[Veritas]

HCGM made a comment on the Lutz radio show re his surprise on the lack of a sports columnist at the Eagle.
The death spiral, as predicted, is tightening reducing the Eagle to a KC satellite paper.
Anyone know who is replacing Suellentrop as beat writer?

[pogo]

I don't know but the Chiefs coverage has really increased. Little to no information on the Volley ball games this past weekend. I guess this means WSU sports coverage is now irrelevant.

[SHOCKvalue]

Amazing how the Eagle has been reduced to essentially nothing, while newspapers in other peer metros are still doing fine. Have family in Omaha, and the Omaha World-Herald is still a respected part of life up there; very professional paper and a real asset to the community. Could be wrong, but I think the same could be said of the Tulsa World.

Suppose that's what happens when your reporters, editors, and lone political cartoonist all roundly mock the most commonly held beliefs of the majority of your readership. Weird, that. Eagle stories all have a particular bias thrust to them that is clear as day. Their political cartoonist - Crowson - creates some legitimately offensive and intellectually dishonest material, all while acting as a prominent volunteer with the SG CO chapter of a major political party. The dude is basically a troll with an artistic skill and a public platform upon which to foist his nonsense. Somehow, the Eagle is proud to have the guy as a part of their staff, which says a lot.

Ultimately the Eagle has created the bed it is slowly preparing for the long nap; their roosters are coming home to roost.

[Aargh]

Any more there's more actual "news" on the local TV stations web sites than there is on the Eagle's.

[DUShock]

The Oracle of Omaha owns the paper and makes its success a priority. The Eagle was sold in late 80's or early 90's to Knight-Ridder, which truly began its slide into the abyss.