OPUBCO / Oklahoman Business Practices

[SoonerDave]

Ultimately, the newspaper is just a vehicle to sell ads and classifieds. News is (and always has been) secondary. So they don't care about print quality or timeliness, except to the extent it affects ad revenues.

Well, yes and no. There has to be at least a minimal value-add proposition such that you say, "well, I'm not selling *just* an ad vehicle," because few if anyone would buy it. News was that vehicle. Back when classifieds were still the primary means for selling things second-hand, it was a bias-neutral income source. The presence or absence of a $5-10 ad for your used car was of little relevance. But as bigger advertisers came in, those who bought quarter, half, or even full pages, that influence started skewing certain kinds of coverage - just like it did/does for TV news. So I get where you're coming from.

The key, however, was that back in the day, advertising revenue was so diverse that it was difficult (not impossible) for one kind of ad source to influence what was covered. Now *all* sources of ad revenue are fallling off, and subscriber revenue was never intended in that business model to be a substantial cover for production costs. With those rates going up, content dropping off as costs are cut, it's a deadly embrace without the print media embracing the web, but social media provides a legitimate, quicker, albeit unvetted source of rapidly disseminated information.

I would love to have been a sports writer/journalist (path not taken kinda thing), but in the midst of what looks like a dying industry, it probably worked out just as well that I went a different direction. I would imagine the stress of being a print journalist right now purely from a paying the bills and "how long will this job last" standpoint could be pretty miserable.

[jerrywall]

Well, yes and no. There has to be at least a minimal value-add proposition such that you say, "well, I'm not selling *just* an ad vehicle," because few if anyone would buy it. News was that vehicle. Back when classifieds were still the primary means for selling things second-hand, it was a bias-neutral income source. The presence or absence of a $5-10 ad for your used car was of little relevance. But as bigger advertisers came in, those who bought quarter, half, or even full pages, that influence started skewing certain kinds of coverage - just like it did/does for TV news. So I get where you're coming from.

The key, however, was that back in the day, advertising revenue was so diverse that it was difficult (not impossible) for one kind of ad source to influence what was covered. Now *all* sources of ad revenue are fallling off, and subscriber revenue was never intended in that business model to be a substantial cover for production costs. With those rates going up, content dropping off as costs are cut, it's a deadly embrace without the print media embracing the web, but social media provides a legitimate, quicker, albeit unvetted source of rapidly disseminated information.

I would love to have been a sports writer/journalist (path not taken kinda thing), but in the midst of what looks like a dying industry, it probably worked out just as well that I went a different direction. I would imagine the stress of being a print journalist right now purely from a paying the bills and "how long will this job last" standpoint could be pretty miserable.

I was being sort of glib, but yeah, I agree with you. I get more up to date and informed information and news from this website than I do on newsok. I mean, the featured article on newsok.com is "Metta World Peace Sexually Assaulted by Ghost at Skirvin?"

Hard hitting, that.

[Jim Kyle]

Just a FYI in case you didn't know: The subscriber list at any publication is NOT an asset, it's a liability! Seems counterintuitive, but when they accept your money for a subscription, they've entered into a contract that obligates them to deliver you their product -- and that obligation is obviously a liability!

Some 20 years ago the publisher of a magazine for which I was a columnist made that point to me. During my first 40 or so years in the business, though, I (like many of the general public) thought the subscription list was one of the most valuable assets of any publication!

EDIT: The conclusion is that the more of us cancel our subscriptions, the better will be the paper's bottom line!!!

[LakeEffect]

Just a FYI in case you didn't know: The subscriber list at any publication is NOT an asset, it's a liability! Seems counterintuitive, but when they accept your money for a subscription, they've entered into a contract that obligates them to deliver you their product -- and that obligation is obviously a liability!

Some 20 years ago the publisher of a magazine for which I was a columnist made that point to me. During my first 40 or so years in the business, though, I (like many of the general public) thought the subscription list was one of the most valuable assets of any publication!

EDIT: The conclusion is that the more of us cancel our subscriptions, the better will be the paper's bottom line!!!

Isn't there a law of diminishing returns? If too many cancel, no advertisers will want to spend their money, therefore revenue will drop and the paper will need to add subscribers or fold?

[stick47]

I like the change. The paper is better quality, less mangled and the print seems fine. On that point I think some of you aren't giving the company time to get the wrinkles smoothed out of this huge transition. So bottom line, if you're missing the details on the late college games I guess you'll have to subscribe to the Sunday version too.

[ljbab728]

I like the change. The paper is better quality, less mangled and the print seems fine. On that point I think some of you aren't giving the company time to get the wrinkles smoothed out of this huge transition. So bottom line, if you're missing the details on the late college games I guess you'll have to subscribe to the Sunday version too.

I do subscribe to the Sunday paper and it had very limited information about the evening OU football game. Much more information about it was finally available on Monday. And the print quality on my paper is not good. Much of it looks dim or faded instead of dark and sharp.

[SoonerDave]

I like the change. The paper is better quality, less mangled and the print seems fine. On that point I think some of you aren't giving the company time to get the wrinkles smoothed out of this huge transition. So bottom line, if you're missing the details on the late college games I guess you'll have to subscribe to the Sunday version too.

The printers aren't some new kid in town; they already print the Tulsa World. The paper looks terrible. And the coverage issues aren't changing. Tramel was talking about their new deadlines as if that's a settled issue. The point is there really arent any kinks to resolve. The new level of suckage is apparently permanent, and I think the folks who run the Oklahoman now are grasping at straws as ad revenues continue to disappear for newspapers.

Wish I had a link to a story I read not two days ago about another *huge* round of cuts getting ready to hit the venerable Wall St Journal. They're coming, and no one thinks it'll be anything less than draconian. If the WSJ is hemorrhaging, imgine what a paper like thr Oklahoman is dealing with.

[stick47]

So Walmart haters now have a new challenge. DOK Haters. <LOL>

Prior to the change it felt like I dug my paper out of a dumpster and now it arrives & comes out of the bag and lays flat on the breakfast table. The pages are thicker and I've never had to squint my eyes b/c of faded print.
$182 for 365 newspapers. I'll take that deal.

[turnpup]

We went all-digital when we moved to a different house last winter, about the time our subscription expired. I was afraid it wouldn't be the same as having the physical paper, but it's been really easy. Hubby likes the crossword puzzle, and we just print it out.

[Pete]

I'm sure their physical print distribution is dying off pretty quickly and thus the selling of their former plant along with the office structure.

I stop taking the print paper a long time ago, starting in L.A. I'm one of those people who always looked forward to the morning paper but it became so obviously wasteful... This huge stack of paper you quickly read through than trash.

And of course, all the news is at least a day old anyway.

I don't miss the hard copy paper one bit and enjoy collecting info from lots of sources.

[jn1780]

Can't really beat the speed and efficiency of digital. Moving printing operations across the state is literally doing the opposite of digital media. The Oklahoman staff must be feeling like door to door encyclopedia sales people in the late 90's/early 2000's.

[jerrywall]

Can't really beat the speed and efficiency of digital. Moving printing operations across the state is literally doing the opposite of digital media. The Oklahoman staff must be feeling like door to door encyclopedia sales people in the late 90's/early 2000's.

I feel sort of guilty when the guy at Crest asks me if I want a free paper and I reply "no thanks, I have the internet". Then I remember it's not 1985 and don't feel as bad. Buggy whips.

[SoonerDave]

I feel sort of guilty when the guy at Crest asks me if I want a free paper and I reply "no thanks, I have the internet". Then I remember it's not 1985 and don't feel as bad. Buggy whips.

Great stuff. I remember a very brief stint a few years back when I think I took a promotional deal for maybe a couple of months (3? don't remember). Thought I'd give it a try. Then I realized as I left for work every morning I'd forgotten to read it, decided I'd read it that night, then realized the stuff in it was mostly stale. Then I just skipped reading it, and then caught myself just tossing the thing in the trash to get it out of my way when doing yard work most days. That demonstrated the waste no matter how I sliced it.

[Pete]

I'm sure almost no one under 45 takes the physical paper any more.

[HangryHippo]

I posted about this in the Uptown Theatre thread, but is anyone else having trouble opening articles from NewsOK.com on an iPhone? I tap the article I want to read and it looks like it's opening the link and then it says HTTP/1.0.403 Forbidden and I can never get the article to open.

[SoonerDave]

Heck, I'm 52 and don't take it.

But the key for me was tha the *content* started failing before the web onslaught hit. Both together made the paper a complete waste for me.

[ctchandler]

Heck, I'm 52 and don't take it.

But the key for me was tha the *content* started failing before the web onslaught hit. Both together made the paper a complete waste for me.

I'm 73 and don't take it. I do subscribe to the online version though.
C. T.

[Pete]

There is also a tremendous amount of waste in moving in all the raw materials to manufacture the paper and then deliver it.

It's all just a holdover when there were no other options and it really makes zero sense in the modern world.

[ctchandler]

It's all just a holdover when there were no other options and it really makes zero sense in the modern world.

Pete,
Eventually, you will be right, but I live in an independent living facility (old folks home/retirement home) and I am one of about three people out of thirteen apartments that own a computer. Part of my facility is an assisted living center with probably fifty small apartments and I have not talked to anyone that had a computer, so the print media is still important to them. But I do understand/know the need for the paper is dwindling and will not be around much longer.
C. T.

[SoonerDave]

Pete,
Eventually, you will be right, but I live in an independent living facility (old folks home/retirement home) and I am one of about three people out of thirteen apartments that own a computer. Part of my facility is an assisted living center with probably fifty small apartments and I have not talked to anyone that had a computer, so the print media is still important to them. But I do understand/know the need for the paper is dwindling and will not be around much longer.
C. T.

You know, some smart apple could come up with an app that does an "auto pull" of a "new" print version of a "paper" that could then just be routed to a local printer - all automatically. All someone like you would do, C.T., is visit your printer each morning and it would be sitting there in the output stack, ready to pick up and read at your leisure. ..

[Pete]

You know, some smart apple could come up with an app that does an "auto pull" of a "new" print version of a "paper" that could then just be routed to a local printer - all automatically. All someone like you would do, C.T., is visit your printer each morning and it would be sitting there in the output stack, ready to pick up and read at your leisure. ..

Even without a computer an electronic reader (like a Kindle) is generally better for the elderly because you can increase the print size, etc.

They are super inexpensive these days (well under $100) and you can check books out from the library for free and the library also offers lots of magazines on-line for free.


I used to work for a company that operated retirement communities; everything from independent living to skilled nursing. And as volunteer work, I set up computer labs at many of our facilities then taught people how to use them.

The elderly often feel more isolated than most and therefore connecting them through electronics is more important in many ways than the general population.

I remember the face of an older man once I set up his email account that allowed him to stay in touch with his grandkids! There are also tons of on-line support groups and medical info that is very valuable to the aged.


I know not all people of older generations are willing to embrace technology but my experience was that most embrace it once you demonstrate how it can expand their world.

[SoonerDave]

Even without a computer an electronic reader (like a Kindle) is generally better for the elderly because you can increase the print size, etc.

They are super inexpensive these days (well under $100) and you can check books out from the library for free and the library also offers lots of magazines on-line for free.


I used to work for a company that operated retirement communities; everything from independent living to skilled nursing. And as volunteer work, I set up computer labs at many of our facilities then taught people how to use them.

The elderly often feel more isolated than most and therefore connecting them through electronics is more important in many ways than the general population.

I remember the face of an older man once I set up his email account that allowed him to stay in touch with his grandkids! There are also tons of on-line support groups and medical info that is very valuable to the aged.


I know not all people of older generations are willing to embrace technology but my experience was that most embrace it once you demonstrate how it can expand their world.

Absolutely true - I was simply thinking that, sometimes, having just a physical piece of paper to read provides a kind of traditional use that nothing electronic can duplicate.

[ctchandler]

Even without a computer an electronic reader (like a Kindle) is generally better for the elderly because you can increase the print size, etc.

They are super inexpensive these days (well under $100) and you can check books out from the library for free and the library also offers lots of magazines on-line for free.


I used to work for a company that operated retirement communities; everything from independent living to skilled nursing. And as volunteer work, I set up computer labs at many of our facilities then taught people how to use them.

The elderly often feel more isolated than most and therefore connecting them through electronics is more important in many ways than the general population.

I remember the face of an older man once I set up his email account that allowed him to stay in touch with his grandkids! There are also tons of on-line support groups and medical info that is very valuable to the aged.


I know not all people of older generations are willing to embrace technology but my experience was that most embrace it once you demonstrate how it can expand their world.

Pete,
Good point about the Kindle. You are absolutely right about older generations, but I'm 73 and as I mentioned to SoonerDave, over forty years in IT. I have a 27" IMac and I have macular degeneration (vision problems) so I have had to increase my font size to read thinks like OKCTalk. I will definitely look into the Kindle.
C. T.

[ctchandler]

You know, some smart apple could come up with an app that does an "auto pull" of a "new" print version of a "paper" that could then just be routed to a local printer - all automatically. All someone like you would do, C.T., is visit your printer each morning and it would be sitting there in the output stack, ready to pick up and read at your leisure. ..

SoonerDave,
What's an "App"? Ok, I'm a retired IT man with over forty years in information technology, so I know what an app is, but believe it or not, I don't have a "Smart Phone" so without my computer, I'm out of luck. I have a flip phone that doesn't have texting capabilities. Lots of folks where I live don't even have a cell phone. By the way, I'm not one that receives a hard copy, I have been reading the DOK online since they brought it online in the early 2000's. Really nice, when I was traveling to Europe, my friend would shower and do her thing while I read the paper.
C. T.

[ctchandler]

Pete and SoonerDave,
Have either of you seen the "Print Replica" option at the DOK web site? The paper is scanned and loaded daily and you can see about ten versions of the paper, today's and the previous nine days. It's pretty good for people like me that want to read the paper like we/I have since the 50's.
C. T.