Page 1 of 28

KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:54 pm
by Pastense
Is there a KC media blog? What are people hearing about the STAR layoffs? If there are 20 (of 120 total) leaving the newsroom, it certainly will effect the coverage of local news, something the STAR was weak on already. Who is gone?

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 7:07 am
by Mr. Cranky
It's the Newspaper Death Spiral.
Newspapers will be forced to lay off staff in order to maintain margins. Cuts in services will lead to cuts in editorial coverage, making papers less relevant to subscribers. As circulation declines, advertising rates will have to come down to remain competitive. This will put more pressure on margins, leading to more layoffs, more cost cuts, more circulation declines and more pressure on margins. Once this spiral begins, it will accelerate with breathtaking speed.
Sound familiar? If The Star can get out from under its corporate ownership (Florida and California is dragging McClatchy down the drain) it might be all right, since it obviously still is profitable, especially if you can send a reporter to Las Vegas to cover Women's Olympic Wrestling trials.

Anyway, John Landsberg keeps an eye on The Star over at bottomlimecom.com (the extra com is for communications). He had a post about it here. (no names yet sorry)

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:53 am
by Czar
Lets all contribute $10 a piece as part of the early retirement program to fund the "Get Rid of Yael AbouFUNKha"

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:03 am
by ignatius
The Star needs a better proportion of reporters who live in the city.  Over 1/5 of the metro lives in KCMO.  Seems that nearly all reporters live in the burbs and KCMO is therefore talked about as an outsider.  Getting rid of Yael would be a good start to begin the balance.  Hendricks too.

But this medium is in trouble in the long haul.  By the time the speed texting teens hits their 30s, carbon-based media will longer be needed and news blogging will rule.

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:09 am
by lock+load
ignatius wrote: The Star needs a better proportion of reporters who live in the city.  Over 1/5 of the metro lives in KCMO.  Seems that nearly all reporters live in the burbs and KCMO is therefore talked about as an outsider.  Getting rid of Yael would be a good start to begin the balance.  Hendricks too.

But this medium is in trouble in the long haul.  By the time the speed texting teens hits their 30s, carbon-based media will longer be needed and news blogging will rule.
Without traditional media to provide real news, there won't be near as much to blog about.

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:23 am
by KCMax
ignatius wrote: The Star needs a better proportion of reporters who live in the city.  Over 1/5 of the metro lives in KCMO.  Seems that nearly all reporters live in the burbs and KCMO is therefore talked about as an outsider.  Getting rid of Yael would be a good start to begin the balance.  Hendricks too.
I could be wrong, but I thought Yael lives in Kansas City. The suburban part of Kansas City, but I believe he lives in the city limits, near Raytown.

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:27 am
by ignatius
^Ah, if so, he belongs in Phoenix or Florida.  Seems to fit his sensibilities.

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:33 am
by chrizow
the point is still that there needs to be more urban KC voices in the Star.  living out near raytown or way up north does not equal "living in the city" even if the address is technically KCMO.  the suburban fringes of KCMO have much more in common with the areas of grandview, raytown, liberty, independence, etc. the city abuts than the urban core. 

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:47 am
by Pastense
chrizow wrote: the point is still that there needs to be more urban KC voices in the Star.  
Unfortunately is sounds as if there will be fewer voices period in the STAR, KCMO residents or not.
And a shrinking newshole providing even less information about local and regional issues.
The Business Journal may have the opportunity step in and become a more diversified paper?

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:49 am
by lock+load
Pastense wrote: The Business Journal may have the opportunity step in and become a more diversified paper?
The Business Journal is great a repurposing press releases.

The Star is trying to make money and the money is in the suburbs.  Sad but true. 

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:11 am
by Maitre D
KCMax wrote: I could be wrong, but I thought Yael lives in Kansas City. The suburban part of Kansas City, but I believe he lives in the city limits, near Raytown.
I thought he lived in Brookside, by 70th & Oak or so?



At any rate, I've said for years that the Star's political slant (ultra-left) has alienated 1/2 the metro area.  There's no balance in their edit board.  So all I ever read is the Sports.  But I can get that online, on chat boards, on the TV, and even on sports talk radio.



Whitlock is the only content the KC Star has, that I want.

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:13 am
by chrizow
Maitre D wrote: At any rate, I've said for years that the Star's political slant (ultra-left) has alienated 1/2 the metro area.  There's no balance in their edit board. 
i have never once read anything "ultra-left" in the Star.  if you think the Star is ultra-left, you are crazy.  i don't doubt it skews "mainstream liberal," but that's about it.  the syndicated pieces in there from michele malkin, on the other hand...

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:14 am
by GuyInLenexa
I am not sure where HE lives.  On one of the panel TV shows he is on he mentioned his children going to Raytown schools.  They could be from a previous marriage.

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:17 am
by lock+load
GuyInLenexa wrote: I am not sure where HE lives.  On one of the panel TV shows he is on he mentioned his children going to Raytown schools.  They could be from a previous marriage.
If you want to know where someone in Jackson County lives, go to http://www.jacksongov.org/content/1177/ ... fault.aspx, click on Tax Search and Payment, and search by last name.

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:48 am
by KCMax
chrizow wrote: i have never once read anything "ultra-left" in the Star.  if you think the Star is ultra-left, you are crazy.  i don't doubt it skews "mainstream liberal," but that's about it.  the syndicated pieces in there from michele malkin, on the other hand...
And George Will. And Kathleen Parker. Not to mention local columnist Tom McClanahan.

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:19 am
by Mr. Cranky
And the first name is...classical music critic Paul Horsley.

Over at TV critic Aaron Barnhart's web site which is actually a Star blog anyway. He's also set up a farewell site here for the others who allow use of their name, but no one's on it yet. 

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:21 am
by ignatius
I wonder if The Star will use freelance writers to replace those they cut?  Or will there no longer be any coverage of classical music?  Or worse, written up by someone who knows nothing of the subject?

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 10:08 am
by DaveKCMO
screening your employees based on their place of residence isn't a good idea. their staff probably reflects the locales of their paying subscribers anyway; such is the reason for a "johnson county" edition. it's silly for anyone to expect more from a newspaper that serves a mostly-suburban metro.

to ignatius' comment, there's absolutely no reason to have a staff full of salaried writers these days. most magazines don't (except the biggies), they just have editors.

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 10:21 am
by lock+load
DaveKCMO wrote: such is the reason for a "johnson county" edition.
The separate JoCo edition was discontinued with the redesign two years ago.

Re: KC STAR Layoffs?

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 11:14 am
by Maitre D
chrizow wrote: i have never once read anything "ultra-left" in the Star.  if you think the Star is ultra-left, you are crazy.  i don't doubt it skews "mainstream liberal," but that's about it. 
Obv you'd think that.


Anyway, I think in the 2004 elections, I posted their endorsements.  In something like 11 of 12 races, they endorsed the Democrat.  Adn the only Republican was Kit Bond.  Kit Bond!  And in the article, they denounced his "racist" past of denying that Fed Judgship for that black STL guy, and said they only favor him b/c he brings Pork to the area.

That's balanced?