Yesterday -- as far as I can tell -- was the first time that Kansas City Star editor Mike Fannin spoke to readers since becoming editor in May 2008. Fannin weighed in on his shrinking newspaper. In these situations, we usually get publisher Mark Zieman spouting some less-than-reassuring gibberish about Ernest Hemingway and penetration. Instead, Fannin pulled on his big-boy pants, whipped out his pen and gave readers a pep talk about the smaller Star.
Fannin called the contraction "belt-tightening" and part of a cyclical change (remember the 1932 stock market crash? 1979?). "We have been here before -- and survived because of the quality of journalism we produce every day," Fannin wrote, and then bragged about the national awards won by the Star in the last month. "Our commitment to ambitious journalism is unwavering; it will not suffer," he promised.
The commitment rings a bit hollow after four rounds of layoffs and a publisher who in staff meetings has compared his reporters to roadkill ("You never know when it's your time") and workers trapped in a mineshaft collapse.
Fannin spoke of growing readership, strong circulation and pageview numbers. "Bottom line: We are not dying," Fannin declared. "We are transitioning our company to thrive in the digital age, and we are adapting to economic conditions, as we always have. ... Today's reorganization gives us a bridge to those
brighter days ahead."
After reading Fannin's message, I didn't feel so bad about the new, awkward, jumbled-up look. Then I got home. Opened my mail and found out my subscription rate is going up
by 15 percent. It was a nice "fuck you" for my "patience, loyalty and
readership."
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I got the price increase mailing. The last straw, netbook here I come. The nice person who answers the phone when you call to cancel your Star subscription is a little flustered when she tries to enter into the computer your reason. Apparently "The Star sucks" is not one of the options. I used to have a two a day habit(started reading the local rags in 1980), I'm going cold turkey starting the 30th. BTW, the funnies are easier to read online and lots of them are in color weekdays too.
To quote Mr. Fannin: "We are transitioning our company to thrive in the digital age." Really? Do you suppose he has visited kansascity.com in the past day? Week? Month? Year? It's the same shiteous site The Star's been putting out there for years. If The Star was serious about surviving, it would be taking control of its website TODAY and working hard to build an online community that delivers the best local news and information bar none. Until they do that, this is all just talk from someone who's about to join the ever-growing ranks of the unemployed.
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