Grumpy Editor

Amazon ranks Seattle as most-read city in the U.S.

 

Amazon.com, in its fifth annual list, ranked its hometown Seattle as the most well-read city in the U.S., followed by Portland, Ore., but the big surprise was No. 3 --- gambling mecca Las Vegas, noted Grumpy Editor.

The tally was determined by compiling book, magazine and newspaper sales data in print and Kindle format, in the year ended in April, on a per capita basis in cities with more than 500,000 residents.

The compilation found Seattle not only purchased the most books overall but also bought the most Kindle books, magazines and newspapers.

Other Amazon findings:

Las Vegas readers, when not at the gaming tables or slot machines, purchased the most romance titles.

Three California cities --- San Francisco, San Diego and San Jose --- made the top 20 list.

Amazon's top 20 most well-read cities:

 

1. Seattle, Wash.											11. Charlotte, N.C.
2. Portland, Ore.											12. Baltimore, Md.
3. Las Vegas, Nev.											13. San Diego, Calif.
4. Tucson, Ariz.											14. Houston, Texas
5. Washington, D.C.											15. Indianapolis, Ind.
6. Austin, Texas											16. San Jose, Calif.
7. San Francisco, Calif.											17. Jacksonville, Fla.
8. Albuquerque, N.M.											18. San Antonio, Texas
9. Denver, Colo.											19. Nashville, Tenn.
10. Louisville, Ky.											20. Chicago, Ill.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

As word swept through Washington that 4 million federal workers’ sensitive information was hacked (most likely by the Chinese), President Barack Obama was meeting in the White House’s East Room with members of last October’s World Series champions San Francisco Giants and receiving a personalized Giants jersey bearing No. 44…Meanwhile, Los Angeles area residents were gearing up for another fund-raising visit by Obama with resulting messy rush-hour traffic on June 18…The military newspaper Stars and Stripes revealed a serious growing U.S. Navy problem:  degraded or out-of-service equipment on Navy ships have doubled in the past five years, with the condition of many overseas-homeported ships deteriorating faster than those based in the U.S…News that Greece was continuing talks with creditors coupled with expectation of an interest rate hike in the fall along with upbeat news of U.S. job growth triggered selling on Wall St. as the Dow Jones Industrial Average again dropped below 18,000, ending the week at 17,849.46…A Rasmussen Reports poll found 76 percent of Americans (with 58 percent of Democrats) support voter ID laws across the country…The Chicago Tribune cut 10 newsroom positions, part of a cost-saving measure…The Women’s Media Center noted 65 percent of U.S. political stories published during a three-month span last year were written by men…ProPublica said the Red Cross raised nearly half a billion dollars following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti --- and built only six permanent homes…More "bad news" with those mysterious tar balls washing onto Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange county beaches in Southern California.  They “could now have an effect on mating patterns of the beloved grunion,” revealed the Los Angeles Times --- (on what probably was a slow news day).  The fish, five to six inches long, come ashore at night to spawn on sandy beaches…"Shocking" breaking news: Fox News reported “Ex-Guantanamo Bay prisoners set to marry in Uruguay have not taken out licenses”…Rachel Racusen, who left the White House as associate communications director last November to join MSNBC as vice president of communications, will return to the White House as strategic communications adviser.  Mentioning that triggered Keith Koffler, who writes White House Dossier, to declare mainstream journalism today “is not just overtly biased. It is actually politicized, hiring freshly picked former administration officials to supposedly serve as ‘analysts’ when it’s never really clear the extent they are still working for their former bosses”…The number of foreign-born persons holding U.S. jobs jumped to 25,098,000, a 279,000 gain  in May, tallied the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  (The BLS does not distinguish between legal immigrants, who are permitted to work in the U.S., and illegal aliens, who are not.)

 

So where do you think Las Vegas Review-Journal readers would like to visit:  Los Angeles, New York, Honolulu, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon?

Nope.

A full-page travel feature in Sunday’s edition was devoted to “BIRD-WATCHING AT NATURE LODGE IN ANDES MOUNTAINS” in southern Ecuador, one of many pieces the newspaper (under new ownership) now picked up from The Washington Post.  

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Some newspaper editors bury latest Benghazi details; Delivery problem? Call audience development division

With a House committee hearing producing fresh revelations on the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi that resulted in the murders of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, Grumpy Editor surveyed how key U.S. newspapers played the story. 

New York Times and Washington Post editors were among those who recognized the significance of fresh information eight months after the attack.  Both placed reports on column one of their front pages. 

Others going the front-page route included the Denver Post and Kansas City Star. 

But many dailies put the material on inside pages. 

Information from the House hearing didn’t make front page of the Los Angeles Times.  But its five opening-page stories included “Mexico’s cop test comes under fire” and costs of a freeway project. 

The Boston Globe managed to include the Benghazi update among 10 “refers” on its front page where the top story was: “Labs must test medical marijuana.”

The latest Benghazi revelations --- in which incompetence and misinformation were cited --- also bypassed front pages of the Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, Philadelphia Inquirer and Detroit News.  With the latter, Benghazi was not among the eight “refers” on the front page where the main story was “Hazardous cargo may head to bridge.” 

Meanwhile, the Bakersfield California went all out with three-fourths of the front page showing a head shot of Gregory Hicks, former deputy chief of the mission in Libya and one of the three State Department “whistle blowers” at the House hearing. 

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Are further probes likely on Benghazi events?  Unanswered questions --- still hanging after eight months --- point to that.

Sharyl Attkisson, CBS News' Emmy Award-winning investigative correspondent appearing on C-Span yesterday, revealed she has a list of 25 questions regarding Benghazi still awaiting answers from the White House communications office and others.  “It’s hard to say where this (investigation) goes,” she said.  

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New name for circulation department

Say goodbye to a newspaper’s circulation department --- at least in Fresno, Calif.

The Fresno Bee, one of McClatchy Co.'s 30 daily newspapers in 15 states, renames the long-known circulation department as the (mouthful) audience development division. 

Sounds like something that would be promoted at a broadcast operation in efforts to boost listeners/viewers. 

But the Bee says the updated title --- sure to create havoc when subscribers phone in to report a missing morning delivery --- “more accurately reflects (the department’s) responsibilities.” 

The change, says Bee publisher and president Tom Cullinan, reflects the department's role to increase print readership and to expand the online audience through a variety of products and platforms. 

 

In case you missed these… 

Disciplinary actions:  A U.S. soldier riding in a vehicle in Afghanistan could face disciplinary action for throwing stones at a portrait of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.  Meanwhile, two seven-year-old Suffolk, Va., second graders were suspended for two days for making shooting noises while pointing pencils at each another…Hocus-pocus.  Standing about 30 feet apart --- and appearing to chat via satellite on a split-screen --- were CNN anchor Ashleigh Banfield and HLN anchor Nancy Grace.  Producers didn’t count on the same vehicles passing through the background.

 

New York print ranks get slimmer.  Two editors quit the Village Voice Thursday after being instructed to reduce staff by five.  On the same day, the New York Post sought to lower its headcount by 10 percent through buyout packages.  Later, the New York Daily News announced layoffs.  As Daily News editor-in-chief Colin Myler and president Bill Holiber explained it:

“The newspaper industry is going through an unprecedented revolution. Print advertising and circulation revenue streams continue to fall but our business transformation as a whole is strong and growing.”

Editors overlook event marking last U.S. bayonet battle

Overlooked by U.S. media was an anniversary ceremony at South Korea’s Osan Air Base last Thursday marking the U.S. Army’s last known bayonet charge, known as the Battle of Bayonet Hill on Feb. 7, 1951, during the “forgotten” Korean War --- which remains open ended, notes Grumpy Editor.

The battle --- involving the Army’s 27^th Infantry Regiment’s Easy Company --- pitted Americans against North Korean and communist Chinese soldiers.

Nine U.S. infantrymen died in capturing so-called Hill 180 while 47 enemy troops were left dead on the slope.

 

Revised Condé Nast contract irks writers

Freelance writers are grumbling over a revised Condé Nast master contract that includes a line declaring the publisher owns television and movie rights to all stories that appear in its magazines.

It could mean a financial loss into six figures for contributors.

Condé Nast’s two dozen titles include Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, GQ, Glamour, Self, Golf Digest and Brides. Advance Publications is Condé Nast’s parent.

No Saturday mail affects some publications 

The Postal Service’s planned termination of Saturday deliveries starting Aug. 3 will affect distribution of some publications.

The National Newspaper Association notes about 30 percent of its member papers rely on Saturday mail deliveries.

Time magazine subscribers receive the mailed weekly on Fridays or Saturdays.  Bloomberg Businessweek, which already is using alternate means to get its weekly issues to some subscribers, figures a quarter of its subscribers will see mail deliveries extended to Mondays.

The Postal Service figures ending Saturday deliveries would help save the agency about $2 billion a year.

 

In case you missed these…

The Weather Channel stirs up its own storm by labeling the weekend northeast blizzard Nemo.  Turning thumbs down on the name include the National Weather Service and independent meteorologists…Look for President Barack Obama in his State of the Union address tomorrow to work in the often mentioned-for-months line:  The economy is heading in the right direction…Not a good time for copy editors.  The sharp-eyed word/fact/grammar watchers are sacrificed more than any other newsroom personnel --- with a 50 percent reduction in the past five years…No major headlines, as a Navy budget is being considered in Washington, on how the Navy’s fleet is down to 287 ships, the smallest American armada since the early 1900s.  A 2010 independent panel called for a fleet of 346 ships…The Washington Post Co. signs an agreement to sell its Herald, in  Everett, Wash., daily it has owned since 1978.

Newsweek cuts editorial staff as last print issue nears

Some Newsweek editorial staffers will start clearing out desks today following word of eliminated positions as the weekly ceases print publication and moves to an all-digital format in the new year, observes Grumpy Editor. 

The magazine, originally labeled News-Week, first rolled off presses in 1933.  The plan to go all-digital was announced two months ago. 

Final print edition will be dated Dec. 31.

In announcing the staff cuts, Editor Tina Brown yesterday said, “This is a very difficult day, and one that we approach with enormous regret." 

Brown, earlier in the day, announced three promotions: 

Newsweek executive editor Justine Rosenthal will become editorial director of Newsweek Daily Beast Co.; Tunku Varadarajan, executive editor of Newsweek International, will become editor of Newsweek Global, while Newsweek.com editor Deidre Depke also will be editor of companion website The Daily Beast.

Gina Lollobrigida still grabs space...in Wall Street Journal

Actress Gina Lollobrigida probably was the most surprised person in Italy yesterday when The Wall Street Journal selected a vintage Associated Press shot of her reading Variety to illustrate a story on the sale of the Hollywood trade paper, observes Grumpy Editor. 

The two-column photo of Lollobrigida, now 85, was snapped 42 years ago. 

So some editor, going through the art files, remains impressed by the Italian actress who was labeled “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World” after the sex symbol appeared in a U.S. movie with that title in 1955. 

Penske Media Corp. finalized a deal with Reed Business Information, part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, to acquire 107-year-old Variety, a daily must-read for people in the entertainment business, for about $25 million.  The deal also includes weekly Variety. 

PMC, founded in 2004, is a key player in digital entertainment media. 

It owns Deadline.com, TVLine.com, HollywoodLife.com and Movieline.com. 

“We plan to rapidly build upon Variety’s foundation while extending this invaluable brand’s presence across the Web, broadcast, mobile and international markets," says PMC chief executive Jay Penske.

Newspaper publishers optimistic about future…but

While newspaper publishers are optimistic about the future and digital platforms, more than 40 percent see declining staffs as a serious threat, finds a survey from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, notes Grumpy Editor.

As the latest example of staff cuts, MU released survey results on the day U-T San Diego publisher Douglas F. Manchester finalized purchase of North County Times, Escondido, Calif., from Lee Enterprises and announced the layoff of 80 Times staffers --- one third of the payroll --- including two dozen from the newsroom. 

In what is described as the largest survey of its kind, with in-depth interviews of publishers, presidents, senior vice presidents or other senior managers from more than 450 U.S. daily newspapers, optimism remains about the future of the newspaper business, finds Michael Jenner, the Houston Harte Endowed Chair at MU’s School of Journalism and Reynolds Journalism Institute at MU. 

Nearly two-thirds of responding publishers express optimism for the future, while only four percent of respondents are negative about the industry, notes Jenner who joined the MU faculty two years ago from The Bakersfield Californian, which he joined in 1993 as managing editor and later became the daily’s top editor.  Earlier, he was M.E. of the Hartford Courant.

Jenner’s survey also finds that despite declining print circulation numbers in recent years, more than 60 percent of publishers do not envision a time in the future when their publications will no longer issue print versions.

The survey also shows 90 percent of publishers expect revenue increases for their digital news renditions in the next year.

“Publishers are definitely feeling a sense of urgency to embrace digital platforms,” says Jenner. “Even though most publishers see a future in printed newspapers, most know that digital platforms, such as websites and mobile applications, are where the potential for increased revenue exists.”

Many newspapers have been "forced to implement large cuts to their staffs in recent years" stemming from the poor economy, adds Jenner.  "This makes it very difficult for papers to innovate and develop new revenue models, particularly in the digital sphere.  If newspapers want to survive in their current form, they are going to have to find ways to maintain enough resources to find new forms of revenue."

Washington Post. Co. moves into health-care services

With steady declines in its newspaper circulation and advertising revenues in recent years, the Washington Post Co. is diversifying into an area far afield from the publishing category --- home health-care and hospice services, notes Grumpy Editor. 

The Post Co. agrees to acquire a majority stake in Celtic Healthcare, Inc., founded in 1996, a relatively small player in the health-care business. 

Celtic operates in nine locations in Pennsylvania and Maryland. 

With the move, the Post Co. adds to its non-publishing operations that include Kaplan education services, Phoenix-based Cable ONE, and television stations in Detroit, San Antonio, Houston, Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville. 

The company also is “investing in a number of digital initiatives that are evolving our ability to better serve advertisers and reach consumers."

These include Trove, a personalized news aggregation service, and SocialCode, a full-service Facebook advertising agency. 

USA TODAY marks 30th year with front-page blue dot

USA TODAY reached its 30^th year on Saturday and marked the occasion by unveiling a big, blue dot logo on Friday’s front page --- that featured only three stories, plus “refers” to inside content  --- along with new designs for its website and mobile apps, notes Grumpy Editor. 

The newspaper’s overhaul is “designed to showcase USA TODAY's prowess in visual storytelling and bring stronger voices to its stories" and "the new logo reflects the pulse of the nation," points out the company. 

Gannett Co., Inc., parent of USA TODAY, launched the newspaper on Sept. 15, 1982, with the mission of providing news and information that was clear, concise and presented largely without opinion or unsubstantiated analysis.  Gannett owns more than 90 daily newspapers, nearly 1,000 weeklies and 23 television stations. 

In its debut and onward, few USA TODAY stories jumped to other pages.  Entertainment and sports grabbed many readers.  Stories were short.  Pages were splashed with color. 

Original core readers were baby boomers, sports fans, singles and travelers, reminds John K. Hartman, journalism professor at Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, in an Editor & Publisher article.  But “all four groups largely have gone elsewhere for their news,” he adds, as “smartphones and tablets are the reading platform of choice.” 

Hartman sees USA TODAY running into choppy waters.  “More likely,” he envisions, it “will be shuttered in the next three years, a product of the collective turning away from print and from the concept of being fully informed about national issues (even sports and entertainment) that has swept the country.” 

However, Larry Kramer, USA TODAY president and publisher, declares:  “We are making a real investment in USA TODAY, and putting a major focus on reinvigorating the value of print media while introducing new digital products.  We want to provide our readers with a unique perspective and relevant context on a full range of issues, across all mediums. We are revolutionizing the way we cover and distribute the news in relevant ways that inform and entertain our readers."

Hit by Isaac, Times-Picayune uses Ala. backup for printing

Nothing shakes up a newspaper operation more than a power outage, especially during a major news event, such as when Hurricane Isaac hit New Orleans this week, cutting off power for the Times-Picayune, notes Grumpy Editor. 

The newspaper, in the Advance Publications Inc. family with daily circulation of about 141,000, called on the Press-Register, a sister publication in Mobile, Ala., 130 miles away to handle the printing. 

Isaac grew into a hurricane as it reached Louisiana and was downgraded to tropical storm on Wednesday afternoon. 

The howling wind and heavy rain cut power for 83 percent of the New Orleans metropolitan area.

Those able to access the Web kept up with news developments via NOLA. com.

Andrew Beaujon, writing at Poynter.org, reported an email from Ricky Mathews, Times-Picayune publisher, explained the newspaper has not missed a day of publication.  Mathews pointed out:

“We printed in Mobile, Alabama last night (Wednesday) since we have no power at the plant in New Orleans. Our drivers braved high wind and rain to get the papers back to Louisiana. Of course, there will be spotty delivery, but subscribers will get deliveries when conditions permit. We also enabled free access to the e-edition of the Times-Picayune via NOLA.com and communicated that access in advance of the storm.”

Meanwhile, the Times-Picayune, established in 1837, continued with plans to shift to a non-daily in the fall, printing three days a week.

Mathews earlier said the switch was necessary by the upheaval in the newspaper publishing industry and the future focus will be on boosting online news.

Kiplinger: Skip latte, put cost toward print subscription

With business and finance publications running into choppy waters, as advertisers and subscribers abandon ship, Knight A. Kiplinger, editor in chief, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, wonders why some people who “gladly pay $4 for a latte at Starbucks --- sometimes every day --- balk at paying even $1 for an issue of a useful magazine,” notes Grumpy Editor. 

Under his “The Power of Print” message to readers in the October issue, he points out “falling advertising and subscription revenues are plaguing many excellent magazines these days, including this one,” and cites  SmartMoney, “a worthy competitor,” that is ceasing its print edition with the September issue. 

Founded in 1947, Kiplinger’s was the first magazine to offer money management advice. 

In his message, Kiplinger mentions, “our readers are among the most highly educated and affluent of all magazine readers.  They tell market researchers that they really trust this magazine, and they spend a lot of time with each issue.” 

He adds that advertisers “don’t seem to acknowledge the print audience” and “they are abandoning magazines at a steady pace, apparently believing that they can reach you more effectively on Web sites, including ours.” 

Kiplinger observes that out of a half dozen personal finance publications competing in the 1990s, only Money and Kiplinger’s continue to roll off presses. 

“We’re gratified that our Web audience continues to grow, but we love the business of print publishing, and we’re committed to it,” he concludes.