Dayhoff Soundtrack: Newspapers

Showing posts with label Newspapers. Show all posts

Monday, October 25, 2010

Bryan Sears has left the virtual building for a Patch of greener pastures

Bryan Sears has left the virtual building for a Patch of greener pastures

Monday, 25 October 2010

By Kevin Dayhoff

Today, Oct. 25 is Bryan Sear’s first day as Patch.com’s assistant regional editor for Maryland region one and the politics and government reporter in Baltimore County.

Join me in wishing him the best on his new adventure in journalism.

It was on Friday, October 15 that Sears, the award-winning political writer succinctly announced on Facebook “Today was my last day at the Towson Times.”

It was an uncharacteristic short missive for Sears, the well-known and well-read prolific peripatetic political editor for Patuxent Publishing Co.'s eight Baltimore County community newspapers.

(For more on Sears, see: “COUNTY COUP — Patch puts Patuxent Publishing's political pundit on payroll,” written by Alan Z. Forman and of which, I contributed.)

For the last nine years, Sears have covered “government and politics in Baltimore County and state government and politics as it relates to Baltimore County,” according to a brief bio on his newspaper blog, “Strange Bedfellows.”

His blog, on the Explore Baltimore County website, is considered by many political junkies to be must reading for anyone who wants to know anything about Baltimore County – and Maryland politics.

Sears, who is also the president of the local Maryland Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, is also known in the close-knit Maryland area family of journalists as a student of the ever-changing 24/7 world of newspapers in the age of the Internet, Twitter, Facebook and blogs.

He frequently posts newspaper and media news and analysis on his Facebook page, always has time on the phone for inquiries from various other writers, and has constantly pushed the envelope of encouraging the Internet presence of newspapers both vertically and laterally.

According to his personal writer’s blog, “Baltimore County Politics,” he is “also a political contributor on the Maryland Morning News program on Thursdays on WBAL 1090 AM…

“[A]s well as a frequent guest on many of the station’s shows, a co-host on Jay Liner’s ‘All Politics is Local’ show on WCBM 680 AM, and [has] appeared on State Circle on Maryland Public Television.”

As readers quickly filled his Facebook page with best wishes and surprise, folks slowly coaxed more information out of Sears about the abrupt change of venue.

“I'm sure I’ll probably repeat this a few times but for you early birds... I'm going to Patch.com here in Baltimore County where I will continue to cover county government and politics,” wrote Sears.

Later, Sears revealed even more insight into his new job, “I'm the assistant regional editor for Maryland Region 1 (mostly Baltimore County) and I'll be covering Baltimore County government for the Patch.com sites in Baltimore County…”

“There's a lot more to say about this and I'm sure it will all be said but it's important to start with noting that I spent about 1/4 of my life (about 9 years) here at Patuxent and loved the work. I love my home county and what I covered and was honored to work with the reporters and staff that came and went during my time.

“The work I did at The Towson Times was the best of my career (so far -- stay tuned) and it is in no small part due to the people around me who helped me become a better reporter every day.”

Saturday, on his personal writer’s blog, Sears elaborated more, “It’s been a whirlwind week here at the home office in Towson,” said Sears in “Leave? I live here.”

“In case you haven’t heard, I left the Towson Times and Patuxent Publishing Co. Friday. (Well, technically Thursday but what’s a few hours among friends?)”

Sears went on to explain that his tenure with Patuxent “ended Thursday when I gave notice of my intention to leave and go to Patch.com and was subsequently let go a day later. It’s an odd feeling to be let go from a job where you work from home.

“I’d be escorted out of any other office under the same circumstances. This time, everything was done by phone and e-mail and when it was over I simply hung up the phone and let my dog in…

“I start the new gig on Oct. 25 where I’ll be Patch.com’s assistant regional editor for Maryland region one and the politics and government reporter in Baltimore County.

“Patch.com is a hyper-local news source that has sites around the country

including 27 in Maryland. Four of those are in Baltimore county — Catonsville, Lutherville-Timonium, Perry Hall and Towson.

Since the beginnings of newspapers in

Germany

in 1615, newspapers have always been changing, adapting – and controversial.

Many historians accept that 1960 was the first year more Americans got more of their news by watching TV than reading the newspaper. Recent historians believe that the year 2000 was the first year that more Americans get their news from the Internet than from the television.

Enter into the fray, Patch. Jay Yarow wrote in Business Insider on May 2, 2010, “AOL plans to spend $50 million to build hundreds of Patch sites… this year according to its 10-K.”

For those who have been around the block several times, in the last decade, in which the newspaper industry has labored under a bad case of the flu, there have been plenty of newspapers that have come and gone.

Who can forget the short life of the print edition of the Baltimore Examiner that lasted from April 4, 2006 until February 15, 2009? Today, the Baltimore Examiner continues an online presence; of which many with 20/20 hindsight suggest is where it ought to have concentrated its energies from the beginning.

However, Patch is going to be only an Internet newspaper and not have to deal with the expense and aggravation of printing presses and newspaper delivery.

The data migration from newsprint to website media has been ugly. So much so, that several years ago, a younger colleague who was an early adopter of advocating for a strong Internet presence for newspapers, once said, in a moment of total frustration, that if he had his way, no-one over the age of 45 should be allowed to be newspaper management.

Sears is 42 years-old.

Photo of Bryan Sears Courtesy of Baltimore County Politics

20101024 sdosmKED Sears has left building

Labels:Journalists Sears-Bryan, Media Patch, Newspapers, Newspapers Explore Balto Co

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/10/bryan-sears-has-left-virtual-building.html
*****

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net Explore Carroll: www.explorecarroll.com The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com

Saturday, October 16, 2010

“Latest News”

Kevin Dayhoff October 15, 2010

[20101015 newspapers]

*****

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C., is seeking an energetic and innovative edito

The News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C., is seeking an energetic and innovative editor to lead this award-winning newspaper's state government and politics team. This is an assistant metro editor position. Experience covering politics and state government is a plus; a passion for watchdog journalism is essential. Our team is responsible for breaking news online as well as compelling Page 1 enterprise for The N&O and our sister paper, The Charlotte Observer.
The editor also supervises a reporter in McClatchy's D.C. bureau. Send a cover letter and resume to Metro Editor Thad Ogburn, The News & Observer, 215 S. McDowell St., Raleigh, NC, 27601.

It's a great newspaper / Kevin Dayhoff

LABELS: EMPLOYMENT, JOURNALISM, JOURNALISM EMPLOYMENT, NEWSPAPERS,NEWSPAPERS EMPLOYMENT
*****

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Owner of the Baltimore Sun, Tribune plans $16 mln in bonuses on bankruptcy exit

Tribune plans $16 mln in bonuses on bankruptcy exit

Wed May 26, 2010 Total program less than originally proposed By Tom Hals

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2621196520100526

WILMINGTON, Del., May 26 (Reuters) - Media conglomerate Tribune Co plans to pay top managers $16.2 million in bonuses and incentives when it exits bankruptcy under its plan of reorganization, according to court documents.

About $10.3 million of the payments will go to the company's top 20 managers for hitting the top of the company's 2009 cash flow projections, according to documents filed on Monday in the Delaware Bankruptcy Court.

The company, which owns the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times as well as radio and television businesses, also plans to pay $4.6 million to 19 managers that head the company's operating units, based on last year's performance.
Five of those managers are also getting bonus payments under the cash flow-based program.

The company has been operating in bankruptcy since 2008 and has enjoyed a rebound with the stabilizing economy. Only two managers of operating units will not receive a bonus payment for the 2009 performance.

[…]

Read the entire story here: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2621196520100526

20100526 Tribune plans 16 mln in bonuses on bankruptcy exit

In other Reuters stories:

WRAPUP 4-BP fails to plug oil well with 'top kill'
6:53pm EDT
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4:34pm EDT
Stocks slide, euro falls after Spain downgrade
28 May 2010
Bankruptcy talk spreads among Calif. muni officials
27 May 2010
Berkshire confirms Buffett subpoenaed to testify
28 May 2010
BP fails to plug oil well with "top kill" | Video
7:56pm EDT
BP well disaster stuns hardened oil men
27 May 2010
BP "top kill" fails | Video
10:06pm EDT
Israel rejects call to join anti-nuclear treaty
2:35pm EDT
China fakes beg for attention as Apple's iPad goes global
28 May 2010

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Sunday, May 23, 2010

How Newspapers Lost Their Mojo by Damon Kiesow in Poynter

How Newspapers Lost Their Mojo

by Damon Kiesow May 18, 2010

http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=134&aid=183008

Chuck Myron thinks newspapers might have lost their mojo. The last time he saw it was in 2006 somewhere around Fort Myers, Fla.

That was the year Gannett began field-testing their mobile journalism project at a handful of papers around the country. Myron and a dozen of his colleagues at the Fort Myers News-Press were given laptops, cameras and wireless Internet cards and told to go forth and report from on-the-road around the paper’s 811-square mile coverage area.

Myron’s summation of the project and of the industry since then is brief and to the point: “I think there has been too great an emphasis on technology and not enough on journalism.”

That is also the thesis of his book-in-progress that argues the pursuit of technology is overshadowing the practice of journalism at many newspapers. The working title is appropriately enough "How Newspapers Lost Their Mojo" and focuses on his time at the News-Press from 2005 to 2007.

Read the entire story here: http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=134&aid=183008

via Poynter Online 5/18/2010 Damon Kiesow How Newspapers Lost Their Mojo

20100518 sdsom Poynter How Newspapers Lost Their Mojo by Kiesow

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Sunday, May 16, 2010

"Telling Our Stories" The Days of the Baltimore Sun

http://wbng.org/stories/index.html

In the spring of 2009, The Baltimore Sun laid off about 60 people, including about a third of the newsroom staff.

This Web site records the bittersweet memories of many of those people. Some recall the pain of being fired; others the challenges, joys and spirit of newspaper work.

I particularly appreciated the following vignettes:

Behind the lens
The stories behind the pictures By Monica Lopossay I love sharing stories, but I'm not a writer. I usually tell stories with my photographs or orally. Nonetheless, here are a few stories dealing wit...

'You have a minute?'
'You have a minute?' By Danielle Bradley I never thought that I would be present for my own funeral. But it happened. April 29, 2009, in the middle of The Baltimore Sun newsroom. It was in the air. ...

Lopossay bio
Monica Lopossay Daughter of a truck driver and a mill worker, Monica Lopossay grew up in rural North Carolina. At 16, she raised enough money to buy her first camera by dressing in a 20-pound chicken ...

Behind the lens, page 2
> By Monica Lopossay I love sharing stories, but I'm not a writer. I usually tell stories with my photographs or orally. Nonetheless, here are a few stories dealing with things that happened behind m...

Behind the lens, page 3
> By Monica Lopossay I love sharing stories, but I'm not a writer. I usually tell stories with my photographs or orally. Nonetheless, here are a few stories dealing with things that happened behind m...

Behind the lens, page 4
> By Monica Lopossay I love sharing stories, but I'm not a writer. I usually tell stories with my photographs or orally. Nonetheless, here are a few stories dealing with things that happened behind m...

For other stories click on:

Steve Auerweck

Paul Bendel-Simso

Chiquita Bolden-Heath

Deborah Lakowicz- Dramby

*****

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

This is one of the best newspaper corrections ever

This is one of the best newspaper corrections ever - but I can't put it on this website - go here: http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/post/590481375/in-our-saturday-post-about-the-california

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Thursday, April 01, 2010

April 1, 1974: Community Reporter Is The Mt Airy Newspaper

Community Reporter Is The Paper With The Most News Of Mt. Airy

The Community Reporter, April 1, 1974

NO MATTER WHAT OTHERS MAY CLAIM: Community Reporter Is The Paper With The Most News Of Mt. Airy—

Quite recently a neighboring newspaper, the County Courier, carried a statement that their paper had 61% more Mt. Airy news than any other newspaper, including the Community Reporter.

A close comparison with that paper, measuring inch by inch, indicates what we already knew, and that is that the statement made in the Courier is not only grossly unfair, it is definitely untrue.

It is truly quite difficult to understand why the County (Montgomery) Courier is so interested in news in Mt. Airy when it really is outside of their area and the news is already in print in the Community Reporter.

Do we really need this duplication?

The Community Reporter, April 1, 1974.

19740401 Community Reporter Is The Mt Airy Newspaper

*****

Monday, January 18, 2010

Carroll County Times News Update: NFL Playoffs: Jets Upset Colts

NFL Playoffs: Jets Upset Colts, Vikings take care of Cowboys Posted 9:15 p.m.

San Diego – Maybe Rex Ryan already knows the score of the AFC championship game, too.

Click here for a larger image: http://twitpic.com/ymcz2 or here: http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/post/340465840/carroll-county-times-news-update-nfl-playoffs

I was fortunate enough to pull this screen grab off the Carroll County Times web site minutes after the Times’ staff discovered it and minutes before they pulled it.

Off course I have never-ever made a mistake in my copy. Well, maybe not. My favorite was the time I wrote Paul of Taurus – err, um, instead of Paul of Tarsus…

Anyway, it seems that right after the Times’ staff discovered it, they decided to have some fun with it just before they pulled it.

Too funny. I happen to like folks who can roll with it. For those who are not aware, the Carroll County Times has one of the best sports departments and sports reporters in the Mid-Atlantic region… Bookmark and check it out: http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/sports/

However, as good as its sports reporters are; I am not under the impression that they can see into the future. Or maybe they can?

Of course, they could always use a few more semi-colons…

The Carroll County Times does a really good job of posting news updates on their site frequently during the day. It is really smart web management on their part.

I’d love to know the rest of the story as to the news feed with the incorrect headline…

Apparently, it was also linked to a news story with the incorrect headline also. But I wasn’t quick enough to grab it.

Meanwhile we certainly hope they kept the headline copy available for next week’s Jets versus the Colts game. I sure do not want the Colts to win and would love to see the Jets do it again; as they did when they beat the Colts 29-15 on Sunday, December 27, 2009…

If you will recall, that was the game when the headline from an AP article said it all, “Caldwell pulls starters in third with 5-point lead; Jets rally for win.” http://espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=291227011; when “The first-year coach (Jim Caldwell) pulled Manning & Co. with a 15-10 lead and 5:36 left in the third quarter.”

The upset spoiled the chances of the Colts from having a perfect season, and ended “the Colts' pursuit of perfection and their NFL-record 23-game winning streak with a 29-15 victory that had fans serenading Lucas Oil Stadium with boos and Manning, the three-time MVP, offering support for his coach's decision.”

The “Fast Facts” in the article explained:

“Peyton Manning was removed from the lineup in the third quarter with the Colts up 15-10. The Jets then scored 19 unanswered points to snap the Colts' 23-game regular season win streak.

“The Colts had fewer than 100 rushing yards for the fourth straight game; they have failed to reach the mark in 12 of 15 games this season.

“Peyton Manning (14 for 21, 192 yards) became the fourth player in NFL history with 50,000 passing yards for his career.”

Whatever. We should have been so lucky as to have had such a disappointment here in Baltimore with the Ravens.

[20100117 CCT News Update Jets Upset Colts] Humor, Journalists sports, Newspapers, Newspapers Carroll County Times, Sports, Sports Football NFL

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/01/carroll-county-times-news-update-nfl.html http://tinyurl.com/yeoqonu http://twitpic.com/ymcz2

Carroll County Times News Update: NFL Playoffs: Jets Upset Colts http://tinyurl.com/yeoqonu #sports #NFL http://twitpic.com/ymcz2 http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/post/340465840/carroll-county-times-news-update-nfl-playoffs

*****

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/

Friday, January 15, 2010

You write what you’re told

Corporate News: “You write what you’re told”

Click here for a larger image: http://twitpic.com/y5nqa or here: http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/post/335500126/corporate-news-you-write-what-youre-told

April 22, 2009

Posted January 15, 2010 – it’s a long story…

[20090422 YouWriteWhatYoureTold] Dayhoff on writing, Media Commentary, Newspapers

Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff

http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/2010/01/you-write-what-youre-told.html http://tinyurl.com/y8s4hxs

Corporate News: “You write what you’re told” http://tinyurl.com/y8s4hxs http://twitpic.com/y5nqa

Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/) http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/

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Thursday, January 14, 2010

Howard Kurtz: A look at Tucker Carlson's the Daily Caller

Media Notes: A look at Tucker Carlson's political Web site, the Daily Caller

By Howard Kurtz Monday, January 11, 2010; C01

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/10/AR2010011002388.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns

"We need a roundup of the weirdness," Tucker Carlson shouted, walking past a row of young staffers hunched over laptops on the sort of cheap- looking teak tables that scream start-up venture.

The Fox News commentator launches his new Web site, the Daily Caller, on Monday. His partner is Neil Patel, a former Dick Cheney aide. His opinion editor is Moira Bagley, who spent 2008 as the Republican National Committee's press secretary. And his $3 million in funding comes from Wyoming financier Foster Friess, a big-time GOP donor.

But Carlson insists this won't be a right-wing site: "I don't feel guilty about or ashamed in any way of saying we'll cover the people in power," he says, dismissing the capital's Republicans as "totally powerless."

"Our goal is not to get Republicans elected. Our goal is to explain what your government is doing. We're not going to suck up to people in power, the way so many have. There's been an enormous amount of throne-sniffing," he says, a sly grin beneath the mop of brown hair. "It's disgusting."

When he announced the Daily Caller last spring, Carlson was more explicit about its ideology, telling Human Events the site would be "opposed to what's going on" under President Obama -- "a radical increase in federal power . . . a version of socialism."

Read Mr. Kurtz’s entire column here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/10/AR2010011002388.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns

20100111 Howard Kurtz: A look at Tucker Carlson’s the Daily Caller

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Thursday, December 24, 2009

The Marine, Republican, Harley Biker and the reporter

The Marine, Republican, Harley Biker and the reporter http://tinyurl.com/ye336js

Click here for a larger image: http://twitpic.com/uxcm0 or here: http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/post/298211820/newspaper-casualties-11sep08-by-kevin-dayhoff

2009 and media bias – another year of newspaper casualties: I received this from several colleagues in an e-mail… And yes, before you reach for the flame-on fingers on the keyboard, this is my chosen profession… That said, this story just about sums-up to what end much of the media has evolved. Read it and laugh – then weep:

A Harley biker is riding by the zoo in Washington, DC when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion's cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her, under the eyes of her screaming parents.

The biker jumps off his Harley, runs to the cage and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch.

Whimpering from the pain the lion jumps back letting go of the girl, and the biker brings her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly. A reporter has watched the whole event.

The reporter addressing the Harley rider says, 'Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I've seen a man do in my whole life.'

The Harley rider replies, 'Why, it was nothing, really, the lion was behind bars. I just saw this little kid in danger and acted as I felt right.'

The reporter says, 'Well, I'll make sure this won't go unnoticed. I'm a journalist, you know, and tomorrow's paper will have this story on the front page... So, what do you do for a living and what political affiliation do you have?'

The biker replies, 'I'm a U.S. Marine and a Republican.’ The journalist leaves.

The following morning the biker buys the paper to see if it indeed brings news of his actions, and reads, on the front page:

U.S. MARINE ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND STEALS HIS LUNCH

That pretty much sums up the media's approach to the news these days.

20091224 sdosm The Marine Republican Harley Biker reporter Dayhoff Art, Media Bias, Newspapers, Newspapers decline, Politics Liberal double standards

[20080911 Newspaper Casualties]

“Newspaper Casualties” September 11, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/12/marine-republican-harley-biker-and.html http://tinyurl.com/ye336js

http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/2009/12/newspaper-casualties.html http://tinyurl.com/ylkp3fl

Tumblr: http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
“Newspaper Casualties” 11Sep08 by Kevin Dayhoff http://tinyurl.com/ylkp3fl Also see: The Marine, Republican, Harley Biker and the reporter 2009 and media bias – another year of newspaper casualties http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/12/marine-republican-harley-biker-and.html http://tinyurl.com/ye336js http://twitpic.com/uxcm0

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