Saturday, June 30, 2018

Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers buying paper, magazine

Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers is buying The Independent newspaper and South County Life magazine from GateHouse Media, The Newport Daily News reports.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The deal is expected to close July 1. Both publications’ staffs are being kept.

Read more....

Saturday Morning in the Blogosphere






For the Love of the Local Newspaper - The Atlantic

Gizmodo Media Group Staffers Take Buyouts - WWD

Tariffs toughest on small newspapers - Bainbridge Island Review

Trump-era tariffs are hitting this one industry especially hard - MarketWatch

RSF devastated by deadly shooting in local Maryland newspaper office - RSF

How Has Your Local Paper Helped Shape Your Community? - New York Times

Journalists’ campaign raises more than $130,000 for Capital Gazette newsroom - Poynter

The Capital Gazette Shooting and the True Value of Local Newspapers - The New Yorker

Maryland Newspaper Shooting Shatters Mystique of Newsroom Sanctuary - Editors Weblog

For Local Newspapers, Angry Readers Are a Given. But Killings Send shivers - New York Times


St. Louis Post-Dispatch lays off five in newsroom

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch laid off five newsroom employees June 18, according to the United Media Guild. The layoffs involved four reporters and one photographer at the newspaper Monday, according to the guild.

Iowa-based Lee Enterprises bought the paper thirteen years ago, taking on a large debt in doing so.

Read more....

tronc Announces The Capital Gazette Families Fund

No automatic alt text available.

The Michael and Jacky Ferro Family Foundation promises to match up to $1 million for the newly created Capital Gazette Families Fund that Tronc is creating to help victims of the shootings in Annapolis. Tronc is also providing 24-hour counseling services for the victims and their families.

Fund was established to provide immediate relief and long-term recovery

CHICAGOJune 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- tronc, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRNC) today announced The Capital Gazette Families Fund-established to provide immediate relief and long-term recovery support to those individuals affected by the tragedy in Annapolis, Maryland.
The Fund is managed through The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC). The Anne Arundel Foundation is a long-established community foundation based in Annapolis. Grants can be applied to grief and trauma counseling, medical expenses not covered by insurance, funeral expenses, and other associated expenses and services. The Michael and Jacky Ferro Family Foundation will match up to $1 million of amounts raised.  
“This tragic incident is unimaginable for our colleagues in Annapolis. Our hearts go out to the families, friends and co-workers of Gerald FischmanRobert HiaasenJohn McNamaraRebecca Smith and Wendi Winters, who died Thursday in the shooting at the Capital Gazette,” said Justin Dearborn, Chairman and CEO, tronc, Inc.
Dearborn added, “This painful loss of our esteemed colleagues will be remembered forever. They were outstanding people and journalists who we will continue to honor. We extend our deepest sympathy and wish a successful recovery to Janel Cooley and Rachael Pacella, who were injured on Thursday.”
The Company is currently providing confidential in-person crisis and grief counseling and have 24-hour counseling services provided by phone for staff at the Capital Gazette and their families.
Tax deductible donations can be accepted at The Capital Gazette Families Fund.

Adams Publishing buying Florida’s Sun Coast Media

Adams Publishing Group announced June 18 that it’s buying Sun Coast Media Group, based in Venice, Florida, including SCMG's publications on the west coast of Florida, according to Gary Greene and Randy Cope of merger and acquisition firm Cribb, Greene and Cope.

Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

Sun Coast Media Group newspapers to be included in the sale are The Venice Gondolier, The Arcadian, The West Villages Sun, The Englewood Sun, The North Port Sun, The Charlotte Sun and The Charlotte Sun Times.

Sun Coast Media Group is a family- and-employee-owned company founded by Derek Dunn-Rankin in 1976.

Continue reading....

Today in Labor History

Labor History June 30th
The Chicago Streetcar Strike began on this day and continued through July 7 – 1885
Following a series of speeches in which he condemned US involvement in World War I, labor leader Eugene Debs was arrested in Cleveland, Ohio for violating the Espionage Act with the “intent to interfere with the operation or success of the military or naval forces of the United States.” At his trial, Debs said, “I would oppose war if I stood alone.” He was found guilty and sentenced to ten years in prison. – 1918
Alabama outlawed the leasing of convicts to mine coal, a practice that had been in place since 1848. In 1898, 73 percent of the state’s total revenue came from this source. Twenty-five percent of all black leased convicts died. – 1928
The Walsh-Healey Act took effect today. It required companies that supply goods to the government to pay wages according to a schedule set by the Secretary of Labor. – 1936
The storied Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, a union whose roots traced back to the militant Western Federation of Miners, and which helped found the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), merged into the United Steelworkers of America. – 1967
Up to 40,000 New York construction workers demonstrated in midtown Manhattan, protesting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s awarding of a $33 million contract to a nonunion company. Eighteen police and three demonstrators were injured. “There were some scattered incidents and some minor violence,” Police Commissioner Howard Safir told the New York Post. “Generally, it was a pretty well-behaved crowd.” – 1998
Nineteen firefighters died when they were overtaken by a wildfire they were battling in a forest northwest of Phoenix, Arizona. It was the deadliest wildfire involving  firefighters in the US in at least 30 years. – 2013

Friday, June 29, 2018

GateHouse, Savannah Morning News acquire Georgia print facility

GateHouse Media and the Savannah Morning News have acquired printing operations in Savannah from Morris Communications Company, the Morning News reported.

“The Savannah printing operation is equipped with some of the best and most efficient printing and inserting equipment available to the industry,” said Savannah Morning News Publisher Michael Traynor when he announced the acquisition June 18. “The versatility of the equipment and the skills of the production team give us an opportunity to evolve, grow and further diversify our revenue streams.”

Continue reading....

Friday Morning in the Blogosphere

Image by Saul Loeb/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

“Late Thursday night, the dead were identified as Gerald Fischman, 61, the newsroom’s editorial page editor; Rob Hiaasen, 59, an editor and features columnist; John McNamara, 56, a sports reporter and editor for the local weekly papers; Wendi Winters, 65, a local news reporter and community columnist; and Rebecca Smith, a sales assistant.







‘A new front’ in America’s epidemic of mass shootings - Poynter

Shooting at Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis - USA Today

How The Quint is tackling misinformation in India - Editors Weblog

Tribune tightens security ‘out of abundant precaution’ - Robert Feder

ITM's Kim Aiello Considers Future Of Newspapers, Advertising - MediaPost

Five dead in 'targeted attack' at Capital Gazette newspaper - The Baltimore Sun

5 People Dead in Shooting at Maryland’s Capital Gazette Newsroom - NY Times

Maryland shooting shakes local newspapers that cultivate community ties - Reuters

'We will honor our colleagues' memories by continuing our mission' - The Baltimore Sun

Capital Gazette journalist: 'We are putting out a damn paper tomorrow.' Here it is - Poynter


Newsprint running short in Germany

A newsprint shortage has hit Germany, making it tough for buyers to negotiate effectively on price, EUWID Pulp and Paper reports.

Buyers are finding it hard to secure enough paper in time, market experts say.

Newsprint stocks at paper mills aren’t big enough to fill the gap, although usage levels are generally falling.

Continue reading....

The eNewspaper is now in a category of its own – read it for FREE



Try our eNewspaper for 4 FREE WEEKS

The Los Angeles Times eNewspaper is a digital edition of the paper, emailed daily. It’s perfect for:
  • Laptops, tablets and smartphones
  • Quickly navigating to your favorite sections
  • Downloading to read offline when you're on the go
Cancel anytime

UK newspaper starts digital ad sales platform

Competitors News UK, the Telegraph and The Guardian are offering joint digital ad sales in an effort called The Ozone Project, Mediatel reports. The initiative is meant to counter Facebook’s ad success. 

The three publishers said advertisers and agencies will have the ability to go to one spot to buy digital inventory and get audience data on The Sun, The Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian.

Read more....

tronc, Inc. Statement on Shooting in Annapolis, Maryland

No automatic alt text available.

CHICAGOJune 28, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- tronc, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRNC) today released the following statement regarding the shooting in Annapolis, Maryland. 
“We are deeply saddened today by the attack in our Capital-Gazette newsroom. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We are focused now on providing our employees and their families with support during this tragic time. We commend the police and first responders for their quick response,” said Justin Dearborn, Chairman and CEO, tronc, Inc.

Great Northern Paper’s bankruptcy case ends

Great Northern Paper Co.’s bankruptcy case came to an end June 18.

Chapter 7 trustee Gary M. Growe turned in his certification on the estate’s assets and funds and asked the court to release him from further duties, the Bangor Daily News reports.

The case was filed in early 2003.

Chief Judge Peter Cary of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maine approved Growe’s requests. He ordered the proceeding closed in 30 days.

Read more....

Today in Labor History

Labor History June 29th
What was to be a 7-day streetcar strike began in Chicago after several workers were unfairly fired. Wrote the police chief at the time, describing the strikers’ response to scabs: “One of my men said he was at the corner of Halsted and Madison Streets, and although he could see fifty stones in the air, he couldn’t tell where they were coming from.” The strike was settled to the workers’ satisfaction. – 1885
Michael Schwab, who was convicted for the Haymarket bombing, died from tuberculosis, having been pardoned and released from prison just a few months prior. – 1898
An Executive Order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the National Labor Relations Board.  A predecessor organization, the National Labor Board, established by the Depression-era National Industrial Recovery Act in 1933, was struck down by the Supreme Court. – 1934
IWW struck Weyerhaeuser and other Idaho lumber camps. – 1936
Jesus Pallares, founder of the 8,000-member coal miners union, Liga Obrera de Habla Esanola, was deported from the US as an “undesirable alien.” One hundred miners were arrested during the 1934 La Liga strike against the Gallup American Company in New Mexico. – 1936
The Boilermaker and Blacksmith unions merged to become International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers. – 1954
The US Supreme Court ruled in CWA v. Beck that in a union security agreement, a union can collect as dues from non-members only that money necessary to perform its duties as a collective bargaining representative. – 1988

Thursday, June 28, 2018

Group led by Chicago Crusader publisher buying Reader

The Chicago Sun-Times is selling Chicago alternative weekly the Chicago Reader to a group led by Chicago Crusader publisher Dorothy Leavell, the Reader reported. The Sun-Times has owned The Reader since 2012.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The deal is expected to close in the next month.

Sun-Times CEO Edwin Eisendrath made the news of the sale public June 15 at the Rainbow PUSH Convention in Chicago.

Continue reading....

New York Times Printing Plant 2012



Florida Times-Union staff take step toward unionization

Journalists who work as reporters, photographers, copy editors and desk editors in the The Florida Times-Union newsroom in Jacksonville have signed cards stating that they want to be represented by The NewsGuild-CWA, the guild announced.

The cards were filed June 19 at the Tampa regional office of the National Labor Relations Board. The cards will trigger an NLRB-monitored election by Times-Union staff members in the next 20 to 40 days.

Continue Reading....

Vendor Connections for 2018

Connecting readers with the vendors who continue to innovate and support the newspaper industry
Koenig & Bauer – we’re on it. Offering offset, sheetfed, digital, waterless presses, parts and service.
Goss International – Goss drive and controls upgrades available for all Goss and third-party equipment.
Perretta Graphics – Remote ink, closed loop register and cutoff, motorization packages.
Dart/PCF – Offering delivery solutions that manage growth, improve service and verify delivery via mobile devices.
QIPC-EAE Americas Ltd.– Develops and supplies automation solutions and automation technology for newspaper printers.
SLP – Offering printing plates, CtP, prepress and pressroom support.
SOURCE: News and Tech

Soon-Shiong wants seat on Tribune board

Biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong’s $500 million buy of the Los Angeles Times and other California News Group holdings was completed on June 18.

Soon-Shiong told the Los Angeles Business Journal that he’ll hold onto his 24 percent stake in tronc (which may change its name back to Tribune) and wants a seat on the company’s board.

Read more....

Thursday Morning in the Blogosphere

Merly and I experiencing jet lag - ouch




The Great Facebook Crash - Slate

Protect jobs at newspapers and paper mills - Herald Net

Ashland newspaper may be up for sale - Ironton Tribune

Robservations: Jerry Springer calls it a day - Robert Feder

Women and people of color in local TV and radio news - RDTNA

The Daily Beast pivots to paid with $100 membership program - Digiday

Back from the brink, the Guardian charts its course forward - Editors Weblog

Norman Pearlstine named executive editor of the Los Angeles Times - LAObserved

Top executives at Digital First and GateHouse step out from behind the curtain - Poynter

Warren Buffett loves his newspapers, he just wants someone else to manage them for him - CNBC

Colorado Independent: We welcome competing venture

The editor of the Denver-based Colorado Independent, Susan Greene, has written a letter to readers welcoming the upcoming launch of The Colorado Sun.

Both publications have staff who used to work at major papers in the region, which include The Denver Post, The Rocky Mountain News and The Boulder Daily Camera.

Read more....

Today in Labor History


Labor History June 28th
This date marked the birthday of machinist Matthew Maguire, who many believe first suggested Labor Day. Others believe it was Peter McGuire, a carpenter. – 1850
President Grover Cleveland signed legislation declaring Labor Day an official US holiday. – 1894
The federal government sued the Teamsters to force reforms on the union, the nation’s largest. The following March, the government and the union signed a consent decree requiring direct election of the union’s president and creation of an Independent Review Board. – 1988

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Tronc buys Virginian-Pilot

Tronc has bought The Virginian-Pilot Media Companies, including TheVirginian-Pilot, PilotOnline.com, and Pilot Targeted Media, from Landmark Media Enterprises, tronc announced May 29. The cash purchase price was $34 million.

The Virginian-Pilot is the largest daily paper in Virginia.

As part of the transaction, tronc also acquired The Virginian-Pilot’s real estate portfolio (approximately 460,000 square feet), including its headquarters in downtown Norfolk, its printing and distribution facilities in Virginia Beach and a number of satellite offices in Norfolk and North Carolina.

Continue reading....

Amelia Saiz Rest in Peace

Image may contain: 1 person, closeup and outdoor

Los Angeles Times press-woman, Amelia Saiz, passed away on May 30th, 2018, unfortunately I received this news while traveling, and currently have no further information.

Tronc name likely history

Tronc may change its name back to Tribune Publishing, according to The Chicago Tribune.

The 2016 name change from Tribune to tronc was widely mocked. Former chairman Michael Ferro advocated for the name tronc, which stands for Tribune Online Content. The company owns The Chicago Tribune and the New York Daily News.

Continue reading....

Joe Plazola Rest in Peace

Joe Plazola, 2nd from the right.

Joe Plazola, a four decade pressman at the old downtown printing facility and finishing his career at the Olympic Production Facility for the Los Angeles Times. Rest in Peace Brother Joe.

San Francisco Chronicle goes live on Enclosure.io real estate platform

The San Francisco Chronicle has gone live on the new Enclosure.io platform as its online real estate solution for the San Francisco area, Enclosure.io announced.

The Enclosure solution is cloud-based and built on the patented Transparensee Discovery Search Engine that uses geography, relevancy, and user-based customization.

Read more....

John Kane Rest in Peace

RIP Mr John Kane, you were always a gentleman to work for and you'll be missed , I as a lot of us too will miss the cool supervisor with the bright red shiny sports car and can't forget the pony tail and eating. RIP brother.
Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, beard and closeup

Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, outdoor

Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, beard

Site Impact, Diane Hayes Sales Training & Consulting partnering

Florida-based Site Impact and Diane Hayes Sales Training and Consulting are embarking on a partnership to provide training services and products for direct marketing clients by way of providing in-person sales training nationwide.

Read more....

‘Journalists are our lifeblood,’ new Los Angeles Times owner says

Patrick Soon-Shiong, a multi-billionaire surgeon, entrepreneur and part owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, finalized his ownership of the Los Angeles Times this week. Judy Woodruff talks with him about how his upbringing in apartheid South Africa drove his love of newspapers and his vision for the future of the organization despite significant past struggles.


Paxton Media acquires The Batesville Daily Guard

Paxton Media Group bought The Batesville Daily Guard (Batesville, Arkansas) from the Jones family on June 1, according to Randy Cope of merger and acquisition firm Cribb, Greene and Cope, who represented the Jones family.

Paxton Media, a family-owned company headquartered in Paducah, Kentucky, owns more than 36 daily newspapers, a television station and numerous weekly publications across Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee. Fourth- and fifth-generation family members manage Paxton Media.

Continue reading....

The Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful’s 4th Annual ‘Taste of Eagle Rock’


For Immediate Release                                                           email// info@cerb.us

The Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful’s 4th Annual ‘Taste of Eagle Rock’ Returns 7/8

Eagle Rock, CA June 11, 2018 – The Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful (CERB) is excited to present it’s fourth serving of Taste of Eagle Rock. An incredible display of the latest, and most outstanding steadfast favorites from around the neighborhood. The annual Taste of Eagle Rock returns to its splendid location on the corner of Hill Drive and Eagle Rock Blvd Sunday, July 8th from 4pm to 7pm.

Jumping off the Summer season, the Taste of Eagle Rock presents tastes, treats and all sorts of eats for the entire community. Featuring delicious bites from the likes of Max City BBQ, Red Herring and The Capri just to name a few. You’re guaranteed to leave satisfied and with a host of new “must visit” restaurants on your list. In addition to the outstanding spread of food and beverages, the event features live entertainment. This event is sure to leave you with lasting memories with family and friends.

Tickets are $45 for adults that includes 2 drink tickets. Designated drivers and children 13 to 20 are $35, kids 6-12 are $15, under 5 free, additional drink tickets $5. All proceeds from Taste of Eagle Rock will benefit the Collaborative Rock Beautiful in support of their annual projects as they continue their local efforts of neighborhood beautification.

Gather up your family and friends - Purchase Tickets at: http://www.cerb.us/taste-of-eagle-rock
Event Details:
Sunday, 7/08/2018
4pm to 7pm
2154 Hill Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90041

For more than two decades, the Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful has solidified its status as a local resource while working towards lasting change throughout the neighborhood. Yearly projects include  the maintenance of the Eagle Rock Canyon Hiking Trail and promotion of drought resistant landscaping through active work on major street medians like Eagle Rock Boulevard, Sierra Villa and Delevan Dr.

For additional information on CERB and Taste of Eagle Rock, connect with us on social media:
Website| Facebook| Twitter

About Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful
The Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful engages neighbors, groups and businesses to work together to add value to the community by planting, preserving and beautifying our environment.

Lee to manage BH Media operations in 30 markets; CEO stepping down

Lee Enterprises will manage Berkshire Hathaway’s newspaper and digital operations in 30 markets, beginning July 2, Lee announced.

BH Media Group chairman and CEO Terry Kroeger is stepping down, the Omaha World-Herald reported. Kroeger is also publisher of that BH Media paper, a position he will also leave.

Kroeger told the paper he would stay with BH Media for a transition.

Continue reading....

Wednesday Morning in the Blogosphere

The new home of the Los Angeles Times in El Segundo, California




LA Times gets a moving date - LAObserved

Tim Cook on Why Apple News Needs Human Editors - The Wrap

European readers still blocked from some US news sites - BBC News

‘Journalists are our lifeblood,’ new Los Angeles Times owner says - PBS

Bob Gibson, former L.A. Times foreign editor, dies at 89 - Los Angeles Times

Lee Enterprises to manage Berkshire Hathaway newspapers - Chicago Tribune

Top executives at Digital First and GateHouse step out from behind the curtain - Poynter

Blockchain – it's early days but never too early for publishers to get involved - Editors Weblog

Press Freedom Is Under Attack Across Southeast Asia. Meet the Journalists Fighting Back - Time

Instead of abandoning print, the 119-year-old MIT Technology Review is doubling down on it - NL

CNHI looks at selling newspaper operations

CNHI is exploring the sale of its newspaper properties in 22 states, the company says.

The announcement came on the heels of the news that Parent company Raycom Media has signed an agreement to be acquired by Atlanta-based Gray Television group.

Continue reading....

Today in Labor History


Labor History June 27th
Emma Goldman
Emma Goldman, women’s rights activist and radical, was born in Lithuania. She came to the US at age 17. – 1869
The Bureau of Labor, which will become the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), was established. Today, the BLS is a governmental agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates statistical data on employment, labor, and economics. – 1884
The Industrial Workers of the World, also known as the “Wobblies,” the radical syndicalist union, was founded at Brand’s Hall, in Chicago, Illinois. The Wobblies advocated for industrial unionism, with all workers in a particular industry organized in the same union, as opposed by the trade unions typical today. The Wobblie motto was, “An injury to one is an injury to all.” – 1905
Congress passed the Wagner Act, authored by Senator Robert Wagner of New York. Also known as the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the legislation created the structure for collective bargaining in the United States. – 1935
A 26-day strike of New York City hotels by 26,000 workers, the first such walkout in 50 years, ended with a five-year contract calling for big wage and benefit gains. – 1985
A.E. Staley locked out 763 workers in Decatur, Illinois. The lockout lasted two and one-half years. – 1993

We're Home From The Philippines

Our twenty-eight days in the Philippines was extremely busy and exciting, thought I would share a few of our photographs to get an idea of living in the country. The warm weather of Los Angeles is very bearable compared with the high humidity of the Philippines, where it rained once or twice daily. We return on November 20th for a six week stay this year, which we look forward to.