Newspaper Dying
What does it say about the newspaper business today when a major daily paper will now outsource its printing?
The Cincinnati Enquirer will end 172 years of history by outsourcing its printing to Columbus, the Enquirer is reporting.
In the process 97 loyal Enquirer employees will be let go.
“Together they have 2,544 years experience putting out the Queen City’s last daily newspaper,” reported the Enquirer. “That’s an average of 26 years per person.”
The Enquirer is the nation’s 41st largest newspaper with a circulation of 293,151.
McCLATCHY PRINTING
I’d bet money (if I had some to spare) that if McClatchy had the Star when the decision was made on a new printing plant instead of Knight-Ridder:
1. The plant would have been built in a cornfield in Desoto, instead of K-R’s decision to “Make a statement” with the vastly under-used and expensive downtown Kansas City facility.
2. Helped Lawrence Printing upgrade, and print it there.
NOT THE RIGHT DECISION
Wow, just wow. Regarding the Star’s presses, I think Art Brisbane lobbied hard to keep the presses downtown instead of going to a suburban industrial site, which would have saved millions. At the time both Knight Ridder and the Star were making substantial profits, but in retrospect it was certainly not the right decision, especially when you factor in the cost of the acquisition of the real estate and the expense of razing all the buildings.
A lot of us questioned the decision. A lot of people don’t like the press facility. Personally I like the building but I don’t think it is in the right setting. It just doesn’t fit in downtown.
A friend of mine, who was the project manager on the printing facility, told me Tony Ridder was the one who insisted it be built downtown, which was far more expensive. There was an alternative site in Parkville that had been the first choice, but Ridder had received heat for building a facility outside the central city in San Diego and thought he would avoid controversy in KC.
RIDDER WAS DRIVING FORCE
I was speaking with a former Star exec today and he confirmed that Tony Ridder was the driving force behind the press facility staying downtown.
GHOST TOWN
If it wasn’t for the business from USA Today and Wall Street Journal, it would be a ghost town.
RIDDER FOLDED LIKE TENT
It is telling that, a few months later, Knight-Ridder folded like a tent in a thunderstorm. Art cashed out,and headed to the NYT as “Public Editor” (just retired).
RETROSPECT
In retrospect they would have been hypocritical. But the Star is definitely paying the price now.
STAR BRASS GOT IT RIGHT
Before the press plant was built, The Star had taken a justifiably strong stance on the need to revitalize Downtown. The printing presses at the time were woefully antiquated and, despite the advent of the Internet, the presses had to be replaced. For The Star to have moved their printing presses to Parkville or some other place in the suburbs would have been highly hypocritical.
I know that today many people ask why did The Star build this huge facility. But considering the circumstances, this is one time that The Star’s brass got it right.
ENTIRE PRINT INDUSTRY FAILING
“What does it say about the newspaper business today when a major daily paper will now outsource its printing?”
It could say that our presses are falling apart and it would be real stupid to invest millions of dollars on new ones.
As for the Star’ new plant Macolm’s statement is correct. Art was the reason the plant was built downtown. The other option which most people wanted, and was cheaper, was closer to Worlds of Fun. That site had railroad access for newsprint.
Just another point, the entire printing industry is failing not just newspapers.