Tuesday, April 24, 2018

The shrinking Mississippi media

The capitol will have one less watchdog.  The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal laid off an editor and reporter yesterday but the reporter is the one who covered the state capitol, Bobby Harrison.  Readers may cheer at the sight of a shrinking "liberal media" but the good ole boyz will have one less set of eyes watching their shenanigans in what is already the most corrupt state in America. Mr. Barksdale should consider replacing a couple of his reporters with Mr. Harrison.  He would be able to double the workload at half the price.   Hmm...... just had a thought.  If NEMDJ is laying off staff, what about it's sister publication, the Mississippi Business Journal? Will it face any cutbacks? 

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh gosh. Bobby Harrison has been there forever. I hate that for him. I hope he lands on his feet.

Anonymous said...

These damn computers, tablets, & smartphones are destroying everything. Now, newsprint is dying. Everyone just what's to tweet now a days! Oh oh.

I heard you on the wireless back in 52
lying awake intent a tuning in on you
if I was young it didn't stop you coming through

They took the credit for your second symphony
re-written by machine and new technology
and now I understand the problems you can see

Oh oh -- I met your children
oh oh -- what did you tell them
video killed the radio star
video killed the radio star

pictures came and broke your heart
we can't rewind we've gone too far

And now we meet in an abandoned studio
we hear the playback and it seems so long ago
and you remember the jingle used to go

Oh oh -- you were the first one
oh oh -- you were the last one

video killed the radio star
video killed the radio star
in my mind and in my car
we can't rewind we've gone too far

Video killed the radio star
video killed the radio star
in my mind and in my car
we can't rewind we've gone too far


Anonymous said...

Bobby had become a complete shill for the Democrats. This is a big loss for them. While the other reporters do a decent job of reporting on bad politics and policy (sometimes on both sides), Bobby had become a complete hack. He isn't a bad guy - just bad at his job. The DJ shouldn't drop their reporter at the Capitol, but they were right to replace Harrison.

Anonymous said...

on May 1 the Clarion Ledger will increase to $51 plus tax per month. At $612 a year it has crossed the tipping point....after 65 years as a subscriber.

Kingfish said...

Damn. More than I'm paying for WSJ.

If you haven't figured it out, Gannett is letting newsprint die on the vine.

Anonymous said...

Harrison was no more a shill than any of the other shills fronting for both sides of the aisle in this state.

Anonymous said...

Next time 9:55 how about just providing the link.

Anonymous said...

Damn, who will fawn now over Jim Hood in 2019?

Anonymous said...

I am sad to see Bobby Harrison go, even though his reporting slants left bigly. However, my sadness is balanced by my Laugh of the Day: A guy from Louisiana calling Mississippi the most corrupt state in America.

Anonymous said...

Wyatt Emmerich did away recently with Monday editions at four of the daily newspapers he owns...the Greenwood Commonwealth, the Delta Democrat-Times (Greenville)and the dailies in Clarksdale and McComb. Home delivery costs, however, remain the same even though subscribers are receiving fewer papers, and the Commonwealth just raised its newsstand price to $1 on weekdays and $1.50 on Sundays. And at none of the websites for these papers can one read a single story for free...not so much as an obituary.

Kingfish said...

If someone would like to email me a copy of the new rates or bill, it would be appreciated. The CL website only gives a promotional rate and doesn't tell you the real rate until you sign up.

Anonymous said...

Right now it is $13 a month for 3 months for new subscribers. Then the regular rate of $29 a month. So, $300 total. Or $348 for regular subscribers. This is 7 day a week print and online access. Just confirmed with an agent. Still pricey!

pjm said...

seeing how MTV doesn't play music videos anymore doesn't that mean that video didn't kill the radio star after all?

Anonymous said...

Despite how we currently feel about the media only representing one side of the story, the media are necessary to serve as the fourth estate to help keep bureaucrats and elected officials in check. At the same time, the media must be held in check and made accountable for their reporting. Simply labeling that which we disagree with as "fake news" does nothing to further the need for transparency in government and from the media. It only alienates us from each other and does not correct a problem. Sometimes it is good to have our beliefs challenged and hear out other viewpoints without labeling someone as a liberal or conservative. Debate and discourse help build a strong democracy and a well run media outlets are vital to that discourse.

Anonymous said...

That's a lot for bird cage liner.

Anonymous said...

Anyone who doesn't get the promotion rate is not too bright.

Anonymous said...

...the media must be held in check and made accountable for their reporting.

How? What is your suggestion? Be specific.

Anonymous said...

Newsprint is almost obsolete. Advertising revenues have plummeted and suspbscritions are below break-even margins. Digital is much less expensive and has a far greater range. Alas.....it is the 2018 version of Feldsteins's Law.....no matter what they say they are talking about, what they are REALLY talking about is M-O-N-E-Y!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I called to cancel due to a letter regarding a rate increase of almost 100%, and they left my rate where it was.

Anonymous said...

Just saying back in 2000 the CL employed about 650 folks and the paper was relatively cheap. Today, I believe the CL employees about 200 folks, could be wrong but think I am close. So with less employees, less benefits, less newsprint used, less coverage we pay more. Remember the home delivery and single copy carriers are 1099's and by the way there are less of them too. It could be worse The Greenville News (SC) in now printed and produced in Ashevile, NC and trucked in to some very unhappy people that feel the paper is no longer a Greenville or SC paper.

Yep KF death notices went out when they separated TV and called it TEGNA. It will all collapse into USATODAY online just click your state tab and read what they want you to.



Anonymous said...

The Emmerich papers are in the dying areas of the state where the population is rapidly declining. None of those areas will ever come back.

Anonymous said...

Kingfish posted, "If someone would like to email me a copy of the new rates or bill, it would be appreciated. The CL website only gives a promotional rate and doesn't tell you the real rate until you sign up."

I tried for two months to cancel. Nobody would answer the phone. I even called the local so-called publisher (Master Hall) and he said he would have someone call me to cancel. Nobody called.

I finally called my credit card company and told them to stop honoring the charge. The did. Then I got calls and emails telling me I owed the Clarion Ledger money.

Next I got a call from a woman in Jackson asking me to reconsider and she said she'd cut the monthly rate from FIFTY THREE dollars to TWENTY. I asked her why it had gone up to $53 and she said mainly because there are so few in my geographic area who subscribe and they have to factor in gasoline costs for throwing my paper. I told her 'Fuck That'.

Anonymous said...

In the near future, Gannett will be THE case study in business schools as to how not to run a business. In every way.

Print news is suffering, but Gannett is pouring gas on a grass fire. And adds more gas every 6 months or so.

Ghost of Katharine Graham said...

I welcome the death of newsprint. Toting out the recycle bins is much easier now that everything is online. And if I do need lots of newspaper, say, to put underneath a piece of furniture I am painting, those badly-edited, pointless Northside Suns are available free at lots of places around town. Pay money to subscribe? Who in their right mind...??? And enough has been said about the laughable Clarion Ledger.

Anonymous said...

Mississippi is “the most corrupt state in America”, KF? Really?

Anonymous said...

My CL driveway rate went up to $53 a month and I paid that for six to eight months, then cancelled. $636 a year for the Clarion Ledger?

The 'introductory rate' is sorta like the high school boy who says "I'll only stick it in half way". Then WHAMMM!

(And after the Clarion Ledger got it in all the way, they told me they loved me.)

Anonymous said...

One way to help restore credibility in media would be to strengthen our slander and libel laws.

Any outlet publishing false stories and unverifiable conspiracy theories should be held legally accountable and that should include comment sections on the internet.

Once upon a time, news was " who, what, when and where". If someone were quoted saying something false, the reporter followed immediately with why it was false or that the person could offer no verification nor could the reporter verify the story. Print news actually had fact checkers before there were computers and checking was more difficult. There was even a movie starring Hepburn and Tracy where Hepburn was head of the fact checking dept. and Tracy was the reporter.

Now the news is a means of rapidly conveying the meanest gossip the town shrews and curmudgeons and crooks can invent.

It would also be helpful if lawyers could be disbarred for falsely testifying on cases and public matters whether under oath or not. They should be able to be sued for slander of libel if they falsely accuse a plaintiff or victim of unsavory motives or behaviors outside of court or inside of court other than questioning those persons on the stand or presenting evidence.




Anonymous said...

6:35 am Based on academic research Mississippi is indeed the winner of " most corrupt state".

You can actually look up the research and see what the determining factors were.

To read the research might help you be a better citizen and focus on the laws in Mississippi that sorely need to be changed and strengthened.

Anonymous said...

Huge loss to quality journalism in Mississippi. Bobby could be counted on to work tirelessly, input information from all sides of a political issue or controversy and boil the issues down succinctly and eloquently. Now our legislators have one (significantly) less watchdog they have to account to. I cannot imagine this resulting better state government. I hope some lucky outlet corrals Bobby and takes advantage of his enormous talents (which include a very personable demeanor that makes you want to cooperate).

Stog said...

Something being overlooked is newspapers, other publications, TV, Internet websites, blogs and on and on stand a better chance of succeeding when they deliver enough eye balls (viewers/readers/listeners) to have an advertiser get enough response from their effort to justify using the particular media.

Give the public the type information that is factual (when it is to be news) thoughtful and insightful (when it is commentary) and whatever media is doing so good enough to get the audience advertisers need will be able to have free online and maybe even 'conrolle circulation' print

Too many media want to charge viewers/readers for the medium delivering the ads.


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This is definitely a Beaver production.


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If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

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