Hard Times at The Times
By Don | October 14, 2009
The penny pinching continues at the New York Times with the elimination of newspaper subscriptions at the metro desk.
From the New York Observer
The metro desk at the Times was informed today that all magazine and newspaper subscriptions have been canceled. If reporters want to check out the competition in the Post or the News, they can buy their own copies. The reason is obviously to save money, and the Times claims it can put the saved money toward freelancers.
Here's the memo sent to the metro staff by metro administrative manager Gloria Bell, (Take a look how quick-to-the-point this note is; these days, explanations for these sort of cuts are pretty unnecessary).
Folks,
You all know how tight budgets have become. They are getting tighter. Because of that we have decided to cut all subscriptions to newspapers and magazines that come in from the news dealer. If you wish to read any of the tabloids or out of town papers, either purchase your own or share with co-workers who purchase them to read on their way to work.
Please note, too, that any subscriptions you have regularly purchased and expensed may not be reimbursed anymore. Please check with me before you pay for anything. Most periodicals, including the tabloids and other daily newspapers, are available online through Ebsco masterfile which you can get to through the Research Dept's web page.
Sorry about this but the money we spent on these papers can be put to better use like paying freelancers. As always, thanks for your cooperation and understanding.
Later, a follow-up note was sent out, with the subject line, "Good Suggestion."
Please put any newspapers or magazines that you care to contribute to our "share and share alike" system, on the cabinet tops that used to house the Metro stacks. Thanks.
That makes me wonder about the subscriptions we have in our office. The cost of seven day a week home delivery of the Times is now over $700 a year which is a 50% increase from a year ago. The Washington Post runs about $500 per year. Compare that to the Washington Times which must be even more desperate for readers than any paper in America because we are paying just $15 per year.
The future for the printed page isn't very bright and with a major newspaper like the Times cutting back on office subs it is a little bleaker.
Post #2397
7 Comments | Post a Comment
Makes me very happy to hear this—-They deserve it after all they did to sabotage this country over the past few years—
Was in NYC in Aug and got a chance to give the
“Dying Gray Lady” my “salute”!!!!
Credibility eroded, readership declining, advertising fading… now the Times needs a federal bailout to finish it off.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer newspaper!!! When’s the funeral? ~molly~
Virtually every legitimate newspaper in this country has fallen on hard times. Partly this is the economy and partly the fact that more and more people get their news online or on TV (which i.m.o. is not a healthy thing).
“Accuracy in Media” may be paying $15 a year for the Washington Times, but obviously it is being virtually comped by its right-wing fellow-traveler. The new/trial home delivery subscription price for us regular folk is $104 a year (I’m not sure if that includes Sundays):
http://www.washingtontimes.com/products/
Granted, that’s still considerably less than what the Times and the Washington Post charge, but consider that A:) they ARE more desperate for readers, as its daily circulation is one-eighth that of the Washington Post and its Sunday circulation is one-twenty-second; and B:) the paper is heavily subsidized by the Unification Church (and probably other moneyed right-wing ideologues).
If you chose to give your services to B.O., to be
part of his propaganda team, you didn’t expect
to be paid, did you?
If your sales graphs have slidden down the
slippery liberal slope and ended in the tank..
swish, glub, glub…..glub.
Personally, I wouldn’t throw you a Candy-Life
Saver.
Jeffie says that every “legitimate” newspaper has fallen on hard times.
The NYT sold out to the far left (George Soros call your office)long ago and hardly qualifies as a “legitimate” newspaper any longer.
October 14 at 1:08 pm | #1 | Link
Am I missing something or does this memo really say, “Dear Staff, soon we will no longer need you because, as I have stated, we will be hiring freelancers. Oh, we don’t pay freelancers any benefits so that savings will go to hire more freelancers.”