More proof clueless pulp media is committing suicide

Here’s a shocker for you: The embattled L.A. times is merging web and print operations. Redundant staff to be released. Why would any rational person operate them separately to begin with? Rational is the key word. The irrational refusal to to evolve and learn to work in an interactive world still plagues print journalism. When the world changes you adapt or die. Clearly, the LA Times has chosen a slow and painful death. I predict their  furloughed employees will blame bloggers for their misfortune at the hands of inept management.

The LA Times also plans to merge its Web and print departments into one operation with a single budget.

Editor editor Russ Stanton was quoted as saying: “We’re great about putting out a paper; we’re getting a lot better at putting up a Web site. We’re not very good on TV or radio, and we don’t do mobile at all. We need to do all of those things going forward.”

And how are they going to do that with less of a staff? I’m not sure that old-line print media ever will “get it.” It is still virtually impossible, for example, to enter reader comments on news articles on major newspaper sites. People want to talk back, to have a say, to join the conversation. (Poynter Online)