Watch documentary about Press online

Want to watch the Emmy-awarding documentary that focused much attention on the near demise of The Bristol Press? It's online here.Warning: it contains a lot of me talking on camera.
Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

CPTV documentary on Press airs again Tuesday at 11 p.m.

If you missed it the first time around, you have another chance this week to see the CPTV documentary that used the near-death of The Bristol Press to talk about the meaning and future of newspapers. It's actually pretty interesting even to non-news junkies and it's extremely well done. Check it on CPTV at 11 p.m. Tuesday.

On Deadline - :30 PROMO

Uploaded by jeffyoung. - News videos hot off the press.

Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Don't forget to watch TV tonight

You can see a well-crafted, interesting and enlightening documentary on the Bristol Press and the fate of newspapers for one hour on CPTV at 8 p.m. (it airs again at 10 p.m. Friday).
Watch it and you'll see my editor, Bill Sarno; my wife, Jackie Majerus; City Planner Alan Weiner; Chris Bailey from the American Clock and Watch Museum; state Rep. Frank Nicastro; me and a cast of thousands, including cameo appearances by the city assessor and his staff, some familar Korean War vets and even former Mayor Bill Stortz.
I met a guy who put me to music. And another who edited out my ums and ahs.
These are strange times.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

I'm never going to be a star

Here's my conclusion after watching myself on the big screen at the Mark Twain House's auditorium last night: It's a good thing I never dreamed of hitting it big in Hollywood.

But I give the makers of "On Deadline: Is Time Running Out for the Press?" credit for making all of the people I knew in the CPTV documentary look better and sound more eloquent than they usually are in real life. Filmmakers John and Rosemary O'Neill certainly did that for me.

Anybody who cares about The Bristol Press should make sure to watch this solid, interesting and professional hour-long special on Connecticut Public Television this week. It airs at 8 p.m. Thursday and again at 10 p.m. Friday.

The panel discussion about the future of newspapers and news outlets that followed the documentary last night, which included both the Press owner, Michael Schroeder, and me, wasn't bad either. I think you can hear highlights from it on WNPR's always excellent "Where We Live" radio program at 9 a.m. Thursday.

I am sure that time is not running out for the press, or the Press, but what the future will bring, I have no idea. The days of newsprint are, clearly, drawing to a close, whether it's two years from now or 10. But that doesn't signal the demise of the press because I'm equally sure we'll be pushing ever more news online and searching out ways to get our work to readers however they want to receive it. 

There's still this touchy issue of how we get paid, of course, but that will ultimately get sorted out. As I've said lots of times, we're in a time of rapid change. The trick is to survive the rocky period so that we can share in whatever the future brings.

For Bristol, that's what important.

And I'm so glad that the efforts we made to keep this newspaper alive in its darkest days made it possible for it to survive, if not yet to thrive. 

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Don't miss the CPTV documentary about the Press

Be sure to put on your calendar for this week to watch John and Rosemary Keogh O’Neill's documentary On Deadline: Is Time Running Out For The Press? It airs at 8 p.m. Thursday on CPTV and again at 10 p.m. Friday.
It's heavily focused on The Bristol Press and its near demise a year ago. The only downside? Too much of me in it. The bright side? Jackie Majerus of the Press and Christine Stuart of CT News Junkie are also in it.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Documentary featuring Bristol Press to air on CPTV next month

FILM SCREENING, PANEL OF JOURNALISTS AT THE MARK TWAIN HOUSE & MUSEUM FOCUSES ON THE FUTURE OF THE PRESS

“The Death of My News May Be Exaggerated,” a Collaboration with Connecticut Public Broadcasting, Includes Screening of Important New Documentary, On Deadline; Panel Discussion Follows with Key Local Media Figures

WHEN: Tuesday, March 2, 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: The Mark Twain House & Museum, 351 Farmington Ave., Hartford

Join The Mark Twain House & Museum and Connecticut Public Broadcasting for a screening of a critical new documentary on the future of newspapers by John and Rosemary Keogh O’Neill, On Deadline: Is Time Running Out For The Press? followed by a panel discussion led by WNPR's John Dankosky with some of those involved in this changing trade.

Participants will be:

Michael Schroeder, Editor and Publisher, The New Britain Herald and The Bristol Press

Steve Collins, Staff Writer, The Bristol Press

Naedine Hazell, Editor, The Hartford Courant

Christine Stuart, Editor/Owner, CTNewsJunkie.com.

Mark Pazniokas, Capitol Bureau Chief, CTMirror.org

TICKET PRICES: Tickets are $15 ($10 for Mark Twain House & Museum and CPTV members) and can be purchased by calling 860-280-3130.

(On Deadline runs on CPTV Thursday March 4 at 8  p.m. with a repeat on Friday March 5 at 10 p.m.) 

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Documentary film about Bristol Press nearing completion

Last winter, when it appeared The Bristol Press would close, some documentary filmmakers began producing piece for CT Public Television about the demise of the paper. Focusing on the Press, it aimed to tell the larger story of the industry's troubles, and what they mean for cities like Bristol.
Other than making the hideous mistake of putting me on camera -- which good editing could still solve - they seem to have done quite well. You can see some clips here.
The producers are interested in finding potential funders so if you've got some cash sitting around that you can afford to give away -- and you don't feel like giving it to me - then this could be a nice thing to support.
Drop me a line if you're interested in helping them and I'll get you in touch.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Filmmaker looking for Bristol Press readers

Here's one thing I haven't mentioned yet: A television producer has been making a documentary about The Bristol Press and the future of newspapers for the past month or so.

John O'Neill, a Glastonbury resident, even convinced me to drag myself into the office on Christmas Eve -- a rare day off for me! -- to talk about the Press on  camera for awhile. I'm not a TV sort of guy, but I went because, well, he sounded nice. And at that point I was willing to do anything that might somehow help save the paper, though it was hard to see just how that would help.

Anyway, O'Neill's documentary for CPTV is no longer going to have the closure of the newspaper as its centerpiece -- whoo-hoo! -- but it's still focused in some way on this old but still vibrant daily and its place in our changing world.

What he needs now is to find more everyday readers willing to talk about what the newspaper means to them, warts and all.

This is your chance to have a say, to tell O'Neill's and his crew about why you read the paper, how things have changed with the paper over the years, and anything that's related to your experience as a reader.

He's setting up at Crystal Luncheonette at 43 Main St. -- just down the block from the Press -- between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27 to tape interviews with readers who are willing to appear on camera.

After that, he told me he's going to talk to our soon-to-be new owner, Michael Schroeder.

He's already interviewed to a bunch of people - my editor, other reporters, city officials, business owners, newspaper experts and plenty of others I don't even know about.

I hope some of you who care about our newspaper will be among those who show up to have a short say on camera about why you give a damn. And I don't mind if those who hate the paper show up, too, as long as you read it (and this blog is part of the paper, too, so you do read it).

You probably won't be on camera for long since, with luck, there will be others waiting for their chance to speak out, but if you can make it, do!

I found O'Neill a thoughtful and interested observer. I really don't have much doubt the documentary he's making will be interesting, particularly if I'm left on the cutting room floor. This is your chance to be a little part of a little slice of history. Take it.

While you're there, get something to eat and a cup of coffee. Support the diner, too.

If you have any questions, O'Neill's cell phone number is (860) 930-6456.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com