Jackson Jambalaya

The analogy of a dying patient was apt. If a business is hemorrhaging (money), is there really any choice other than cauterizing the gash, or even amputating? Of course there were emotional reactions---that was certainly to be expected. But where, pray, was the magical money to come from, to continue the daily T-P as before?

The elegant philanthropist lady, the archbishop, and that reporter were quite sincere, and their concerns were valid, if a bit pie-eyed---but again, if the paper was headed for financial ruin, the Newhouses did what they had to do. End of story. Reality sucks, but it's reality nonetheless.

At least the diminished T-P still stands for something of quality. I'm afraid our local effort could go by the same initials, but would reference the paper product popularly used in the outhouses of yesteryear. (Exceptions: Sherry Lucas and Annie Oeth. Bright jewels glittering in the dung heap, they are.)

A big part of the expense of the newspaper business is delivery. The Times-Picayune could have continued to publish the four "unprofitable" days and made these relatively thin days available through counter sales only. For big news days people could still go out and buy a newspaper, just as they did in the "Extra, Extra" days. Visitors to the city could buy a paper. People who just wanted to read a paper every daycould get one if they wanted it.

The Baton Rouge Advocate now has a circulation in New Orleans of more than 20,000. Newhouse could have stopped this from happening by publishing a counter-sales-only edition. They could even have made these four days a 12- to 16-page paper and sold it for a quarter and actually brought in new readers instead of chasing them away.

Think of the single-copy sales the T-P could have had in the CBD alone. If a newspaper wanted to cut expenses, is there a better way than to limit circulation of some editions to the business district and other areas with desirable economic characteristics?

In order to cut costs there is always the option of going deep on free intern labor. Interns will do most anything for trite parties, Falcon awards and the occasional karaoke shindig where middle-agers lavish them with praise for their singing.

Newspapers are reaping what the sow. They continue to cut local talent and coverage and continue to run AP feeds. The stuff they run is the stuff you read on the internet yesterday. Hard copy papers that focus on local issues continue to find a niche. The very liberal JPF is doing very well, mainly because they focus locally. I'm not paying for home delivery to read about Nascar and read USA Today editorials.

Of course Annie Oeth and Sherry Lucas don't bring us 'the news'. They may brighten our day like three ripe strawberries on a breakfast plate, but they really have nothing to do with a NEWSpaper. The more of 'those people' a newspaper has on the payroll, the more whacks will be taken at the profit pinata. And they must be laid off or the paper goes broke.

Earth-Hugger columnists, overpaid editorial geniuses, people who write about tire planters and flamingos, cartoonists, those who are employed to gin up racial disharmony and interns who sit around having never been on the street are all part of a dying industry. On one hand we enjoy their drivel but on the other, a paper can't afford their, ah, contributions.

It seems the CL realized this a few years ago. Question now is will they continue to cut the fat or go to a three-day paper? Or will it matter?

The problem is "cutting the fat" who makes that cut and where. The CL has been cutting fat since 2008.

Once the "fat" is cut here and there, where do they go for the next cut? Their big problem is who is making the "fat cutting choices". Not long ago in the middle of all the cutting the Publisher and Finance Director was having fancy harwood floors put down in there offices, cutting?

The list of stupid things that have gone on since 2008 would fill volumes. When the local paper has to report to its own botton line, the regional and of course the mother ship in Virginia, there is little left to cut except the paper itself.

And yes there are still a few good eggs there today, fighting the good fight.

The demise of The Fourth Estate is a threat to our democractic republic.

Already, " cliff notes", news as entertainment with pretty faces trumping " smarts" and firing reporters that actually understand government in favor of cheap labor to cut costs has had an effect.

In the days of Cronkite and Murrow , Congress would never have been able to engage in insider trading unnoticed for so long.

This is another example of the inability in our society to understand that money and profit aren't everything.

To put it in business terms, we kill our cash cows everyday.

Ms. Lucas aside, I'm not really sure the CL feature (non-news) writers are paid much, if anything, at all. I'm fairly sure their contributions are just about voluntary. Robert St. John, Felder Rushing, and that pudding-faced blonde who does the awful canned-soup-and-Cool Whip recipe column probably do it for free. St. John does it to promote his books/restaurants/causes, of course, but I'm not sure why "Failed-A-Russian" (as my grandmother pronounced his name) and whazzername show up weekly, if not for $$. Goodness of their hearts, I suppose. But none of these are straining the Gannett budget.

Ophelia; I suppose you might have said the same about the cartoonist whose hours were slashed and his benefits flushed. The value of Marshal Ramsey died with Governor Fordice. Haley's gap-tooth just never captured what was lost when our only real governor died. And the paper will never be able to replace Hampton's particular brand of editorial misfeasance. Shat happens.

Newhouse has no, ZERO, clue of how to run a newspaper company in these changing times. The amount of lies the keep producing abiut their digital platforms will catch up with them--one such lie is to the local advertisers. The local on-line advertisers are only served up at the quarter hours and then very limited--the national advertisers are served up the rest of the time making local advertising spots hardley ever seen. As for the print, Newhouse believes the digital platforms are the way to go and that is where they can make the most profit; Newhouse still lives in the world where they want to earn 25 to 50% margins.