There is a brotherhood of newspaper, radio and television folks in San Diego that are in a twitter (the old definition) over the face of one of the city’s oldest institutions. — Its daily newspaper.
The San Diego Union-Tribune under new ownership last year chose this week to launch a Botox version of its former self. Both the print version and its on-line close cousin some knucklehead genius in the old days renamed to SignOnSanDiego.com was unveiled.
The reaction was mixed. Old newspaper salts slammed it. Some offered polite applause. A few must have roots in Missouri and held out for a “Show Me” response. Joe Gandelman of TMV welcomed it as you might read on these pages.
It is the long range public embrace or rejection what’s crucial for its survival.
As a reporter and assistant city editor for nearly 19 years on the now merged San Diego Evening Tribune, I have a myriad of feelings.
Seeing the newspaper die a slow death from hunger is akin to watching an ex-spouse you’re still fond of go through the same pangs.
The economic model of printed newspapers that made them rich and sometimes famous is gone. The model that goes on-line is a bastard child still groping for economic stability.
Readers and advertisers are taking their business elsewhere or at least spreading it around more.
I fear the extinction of newspapers in only one area. That is the vetting, editing and copy reading news and the fact checking that is built within the system. A communications site whether newspaper, television, radio or website is based on trust and credibility over the long haul.
I don’t receive the San Diego paper because I am outside its circulation delivery area. From what I understand, the cosmetic changes failed to live up to the hype and were launched prematurely before all the warts were removed. Few veterans survived the downsizing which banished almost all copy editors.Those remaining vets produce great stories but the low paid newbies can’t fill the void to provide decent copy for the rest of the white space to fill.
The SignOn on-line new look is more than adequate and offers more information than the old version. It will take some adjustments to find what your are looking for if it is there at all. But, that’s a matter of familiarity and breaking of old customs carries out by rote.
On the whole, readers are pretty damn discerning. They pick and chose their information sources. I would feel satisfied if something I hear going on in San Diego, then clicking on its website and finding it would be pretty fulfilling. If not, why ever return? That’s one of the problems with the San Diego makeover. Both printed and on-line versions are purporting to be one-stop info centers and they are not. If I want news on the last combat soldier leaving Iraq, the San Diego paper and website would be the last place I would look. A canned wire copy does not do the trick.
People are jittery and uncomfortable when change is shoved down their throat. I remember well the failed disaster of Coca Cola changing its formula to New Coke.
I’m afraid the new look at the Union-Tribune is mostly cosmetic as a disguise to hide the fact they downsized too far and lost the one ingredient that people come back for — good writing, good stories, good editing, good graphics and good journalism you can believe in from Page One to the last filler in the D section.
News folks put too much emphasis on graphics and design. Perception is fine but substance is better. The closest thing achieving those two goals in my lifetime was USA TODAY.
I can’t help putting emphasis on how important credibility is in this communications world we live in. Remember the blog and tweets that ran wild about the Mexican drug cartels taking over ranches in Texas? Absolute bunk. Who wants to return to those blogs and tweeters for information, boggles my mind.
And, therein lies the crux of today’s information search/gap. People tend to read and watch outlets that reinforce their own preconceived notions of how the world spins.
Translation: Don’t you dare take away my Medicare benefits you socialist bastards.
Jerry Remmers worked 26 years in the newspaper business. His last 23 years was with the Evening Tribune in San Diego where assignments included reporter, assistant city editor, county and politics editor.