The first restructuring occurred in September 2016 when the
NJMG announced the elimination of about half of its 426 employees, and this second round will result in the lay-off of an additional 141 staff
positions.
In the midst of these lay-offs NJMG president, Nancy A.
Meyer, stated that "Our top priority is serving our readers, advertisers and
communities across North Jersey ...." and ".... to continue to deliver
award-winning journalism and highly effective sales and marketing solutions to
the region.”
While this mission statement is laudable, the reality is that
the NJMG newspapers no longer meet the needs of Little Falls nor the needs of
the entire Passaic Valley community.
It is time for the NJMG to reconnect to its readership.
In the past the NJMG held periodic "Eggs and Edit" sessions
during which NJMG readers had the opportunity to met with the newspaper's
editorial page editor Alfred P. Doblin, to discuss concerns and ideas about the
newspapers direction.
What NJMG should do is initiate focus groups for readers so
they can express their ideas and enable the NJMG to balance its digital news
media objective with the needs of its print readership.
Just subscribed to the Record yesterday. The online version is almost as expensive as the print version (strange). but a 7 day subscription gives you an online subscription. Hello recycling.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason to get a local newspaper is for the local news, otherwise you're just as well off watching the boob tube. Gannet might as well just start delivering USA Today and get out of the local news business.
ReplyDeleteOne big upside though, is that politicians will be able to do their dirty work in total transparency(?)when every local paper is gone. Look at who would be sitting in Washington, D.C. now if the Record hadn't investigated and reported on Bridge-gate.
Local news coverage is no longer what drives the Herald News, the Record or the Passaic Valley Today.
ReplyDeleteThe Passaic Valley Today is getting leaner and leaner. Local news is virtually non existent.
The Gadfly needs to continue its coverage of Little Falls news.
It's dangerous to have printed news die out. Serving the public with both online & printed news outlets is best way to reach the public . Otherwise , politicians will have no transparency at all.. investigative journalism protects our democracy & it is threatened with extinction.
ReplyDelete