Press release from state Rep. Chris Wright, a Democrat whose 77th District encompasses northeastern Bristol:
State Representative Chris Wright (D-Bristol) was sworn in by Connecticut’s Secretary of the State today as the new State Representative serving the 77th General Assembly District in Bristol.
The ceremony took place at the State Capitol in Hartford during the opening day of the 2009 session of the state legislature.
Rep. Wright, now serving in his first term has been appointed by the newly elected Speaker of the House Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden), to serve on one of the power committees in the legislature, the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. The committee has oversight over tax policy, fees and bonding. Rep. Wright will also serve on the Insurance and Housing Committees.
“I am very grateful to the residents of the 77th District for giving me the honor of representing them in the General Assembly,” Rep. Wright said. “As a first term legislator I want to thank Speaker Donovan for appointing me to one of the key committees in the legislature, the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. Because of the challenges we face, this will be an historic legislative session and I hope to live up to that challenge while representing the interests of Bristol and my constituents.”
The membership of the state legislature serves two-year terms. The 2009 legislative session ends on Wednesday, June 3.
Rep. Wright can be contacted by calling his office at the State Capitol, toll free, at 1-800-842-8267. E-mail is Chris. Wright @cga.ct.gov.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
January 7, 2009
Anyone in the housing market?
One of the great homes of Bristol -- heck, anywhere -- is for sale. Beleden is on the market for $999,000. Whew, if it was a million it would be out of my price range.
For comparison's sake, the city values the Bristol Press building at more than twice that figure.
Here's the music room inside, with its pipe organ:
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
January 6, 2009
Buyer emerges for Bristol Press
With much relief, I can point you to this story just posted on The Bristol Press website announcing the imminent sale of The Press and the New Britain Herald.
What it means for employees is clear enough. We keep our jobs, for now at least.
What it means for Bristol, though, is that its newspaper will keep coming out as it has for the past 137 years, chronicling our community day in and day out.
It's wonderful news.
Here's part of the story:
As the new owner [a group headed by Michael Schroeder] settles in, he said he expects few changes to be noticeable over the short term, but expects some change will be inevitable as the papers reemerge to a position of dominance in their communities.
“I’m a big proponent of continuous improvement,” Schroeder said.
Schroeder said he expects the areas covered by the papers to stay the same, but with an increased depth and emphasis on local news, sports and community events. His aspiration for the papers is that they regain their place as the newspapers of record in their communities.
“I’m not saving the papers — the community is going to save the papers,” he said. “Readers are going to support it by buying the paper and advertisers are going to support it by realizing it is the voice of their community.”
“I’m a big proponent of continuous improvement,” Schroeder said.
Schroeder said he expects the areas covered by the papers to stay the same, but with an increased depth and emphasis on local news, sports and community events. His aspiration for the papers is that they regain their place as the newspapers of record in their communities.
“I’m not saving the papers — the community is going to save the papers,” he said. “Readers are going to support it by buying the paper and advertisers are going to support it by realizing it is the voice of their community.”
Really, that is the key now. Bristol has its paper, but now it must rise to the occasion and save it for future generations.
PS: Here's a Journal Register Co. report on the sale:
Buyer purchases two Connecticut newspapers
HUNTINGTON, N.Y. – Central Connecticut Communications has entered into a letter of intent to purchase the assets of The Bristol Press, The Herald of New Britain and The Sunday Herald Press from Journal Register Company, parent company of the New Haven Register.
The acquisition is expected to close within two weeks.
The sale includes the assets of the papers’ Web sites and of three nearby weeklies: the Wethersfield Post, the Newington Town Crier and the Rocky Hill Post.
Central Connecticut Communications, a corporation formed to facilitate the sale, is owned by Michael E. Schroeder, most recently publisher of the short-lived free daily BostonNOW and a long-time newspaper and magazine industry executive. He previously held editorial and management positions at Long Island’s Newsday.
Once the acquisition is finalized, Schroeder will become president, publisher and CEO of the group, and will manage all operations from the newspapers’ offices in New Britain and Bristol. The papers will continue to publish on their current schedule.
“We look forward to building upon the rich history of these properties as local business people,” said Schroeder. “We plan to work with current staff, readers and advertisers to produce papers, Web sites and other media that successfully educate, inform and entertain the communities they serve.”
“We know that the papers will be in good hands under Michael Schroeder’s leadership,” said Scott Wright, Journal Register president. “He came into this situation very recently and demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the business, a willingness to learn about the community, and a positive attitude toward the future of the properties.”
“Journal Register worked hard to find a good home for these papers under very trying circumstances, and insisted on fair treatment of their employees. We appreciate them working with us, along with the efforts of the current publisher, Ed Gunderson, to get us up to speed,” Schroeder said. “We also received substantial support from mayors of both towns, Tim Stewart in New Britain and Art Ward in Bristol.”
The Bristol Press and The Herald of New Britain have been published continuously for over 130 years. They employ a combined staff of over 90 in their two offices, publishing six days each with a combined Sunday paper.
The acquisition was brokered by Phil Murray of Dirks, Van Essen and Murray of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
HUNTINGTON, N.Y. – Central Connecticut Communications has entered into a letter of intent to purchase the assets of The Bristol Press, The Herald of New Britain and The Sunday Herald Press from Journal Register Company, parent company of the New Haven Register.
The acquisition is expected to close within two weeks.
The sale includes the assets of the papers’ Web sites and of three nearby weeklies: the Wethersfield Post, the Newington Town Crier and the Rocky Hill Post.
Central Connecticut Communications, a corporation formed to facilitate the sale, is owned by Michael E. Schroeder, most recently publisher of the short-lived free daily BostonNOW and a long-time newspaper and magazine industry executive. He previously held editorial and management positions at Long Island’s Newsday.
Once the acquisition is finalized, Schroeder will become president, publisher and CEO of the group, and will manage all operations from the newspapers’ offices in New Britain and Bristol. The papers will continue to publish on their current schedule.
“We look forward to building upon the rich history of these properties as local business people,” said Schroeder. “We plan to work with current staff, readers and advertisers to produce papers, Web sites and other media that successfully educate, inform and entertain the communities they serve.”
“We know that the papers will be in good hands under Michael Schroeder’s leadership,” said Scott Wright, Journal Register president. “He came into this situation very recently and demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the business, a willingness to learn about the community, and a positive attitude toward the future of the properties.”
“Journal Register worked hard to find a good home for these papers under very trying circumstances, and insisted on fair treatment of their employees. We appreciate them working with us, along with the efforts of the current publisher, Ed Gunderson, to get us up to speed,” Schroeder said. “We also received substantial support from mayors of both towns, Tim Stewart in New Britain and Art Ward in Bristol.”
The Bristol Press and The Herald of New Britain have been published continuously for over 130 years. They employ a combined staff of over 90 in their two offices, publishing six days each with a combined Sunday paper.
The acquisition was brokered by Phil Murray of Dirks, Van Essen and Murray of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Other links:
Note: A news conference has been scheduled at the state Capitol for 4 p.m. with the new owner and state officials. I'll post more details later.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Meriden paper axes 45 employees
The Meriden Record Journal announced today it was laying off 17 full-time and 28 part-time employees along with outsourcing the printing of its paper, according to the paper's own website.
The carnage continues.
*******Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Larson nominates Pelosi as House speaker
Press release from U.S. Rep. John Larson, the East Hartford Democrat whose district includes Bristol:
LARSON NOMINATES PELOSI FOR SPEAKER, LAYS OUT SWEEPING PLANS FOR ECONOMY
Washington, DC – The 111th Congress was opened today with the swearing in of new members and the election of Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House. Congressman John B. Larson in his role as Chairman of the Democratic Caucus, nominated her for the post. Following the swearing in, he said:
“I am humbled today to have taken the oath of office for my sixth term as the Congressman from Connecticut’s First District and to have placed the honorable Nancy Pelosi’s name in nomination as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“There is much to do and I am happy to welcome the new freshman class as they join in our efforts. I am particularly excited to have Congressman Jim Himes joining the Connecticut congressional delegation.
“We have great challenges before us – first and foremost the struggling economy. American families are feeling squeezed by the tough budget choices they face in order to make ends meet. Too many are losing their homes, jobs and hopes for the future.
“I am honored to have been elected by my colleagues to serve as Chairman of the Democratic Caucus at this pivotal time. I will work with the other members of leadership and my colleagues from around the country to provide short term help and long term solutions for our country’s economic problems.
“America’s middle class and small businesses are the bedrock of our communities and the engine of our economy. That bedrock has been badly shaken by the current economic crisis. For years, Democrats in Congress have been fighting for tax relief for the middle class and small businesses. Now, our Recovery and Reinvestment Plan will give us the opportunity to enact tax cuts that put them first. We can provide small businesses with the tax benefits they need to create jobs and families with the tax breaks they need to help make ends meet.
“We will invest in meaningful infrastructure projects that create jobs and spur economic growth in the short term while providing real value in the long term. Targeted investment in our schools, transportation system, cities and towns are critical. We will create the world’s most effective and efficient health care system that expands coverage and lowers costs for more Americans. We will build a comprehensive K-12 and higher education system that prepares all of our children for a new technologically advanced economy.
“And we must provide this all with the highest level of accountability. We need to restore Americans’ faith in government to spend their money wisely and responsibly. And, we must ensure that we are getting maximum return for every tax dollar we invest into these programs.
“This is a tall order. But, I believe with President-elect Obama and the new Democratic Congress we are poised to meet our goals.”
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Barbara Franklin pushing to restore confidence in American business
Reporter Jackie Majerus wrote this story:
Hoping to help bring back confidence in American business – and in the corporate boards that oversee them – Barbara Hackman Franklin will take over the leadership of the National Association of Corporate Directors in the spring.
"There's been a real loss of trust," said Franklin, a former U.S. Secretary of Commerce who lives in Bristol and Washington, D.C.
Elected vice chair of the 10,000-member association's board last October, Franklin will start a three-year volunteer term as chair of the national organization in March.
Franklin, who has decades of experience on corporate boards, said it's important to bring back faith in capitalism as well as the governance structure used by corporate boards across America.
Her experience on corporate boards and in the world of Washington will help Franklin with her new role in the directors' group.
"We are in a greatly uncertain economic time," said Franklin on Monday. She said she believes in better corporate governance.
"People are not sure where the bottom is," said Franklin. "There's been a huge loss of confidence in American business."
Directors, she said, "have to do their part" to restore it.
In a prepared statement issued Monday, Kenneth Daly, president of the National Association of Corporate Directors, said Franklin has provided "extraordinary leadership" in the organization.
"I couldn't think of a better person to serve as chair, particularly in this time of economic uncertainty," Daly said.
Franklin, who is president of Barbara Franklin Enterprises, a private consulting firm based in Washington, said members of corporate boards are
"in a heightened position of responsibility."
Congress and the public are taking a new interest in corporate boards in the wake of the meltdown in the financial sector, according to Franklin, and new regulations may be on the way.
"Boards are going to be under the gun more," she said, adding that there's a need to re-establish trust in the American way of doing business and "to help to govern companies right."
The organization is designed to serve the board members who belong to it, offering courses to help individual board members be more effective and can facilitate discussions within boards, according to Franklin.
"Our intent is to help directors do a better job," Franklin said, and "restore the trust that's been lost."
She said it can also help teach lawmakers and others about corporate governance.
"We're not lobbyists," said Franklin. "A lot of people don't understand what boards do. It's an education type approach."
Boards don't take direction from company executives, said Franklin, but rather provide checks and balances. They provide oversight, set policy and can hire and fire a chief executive officer, she said.
Franklin, who has served on the boards of 14 public companies in addition to private companies and non-for-profit corporations, has spent more than 20 years speaking and writing about corporate governance.
She said she wants the directors' organization to address four issues: risk, executive compensation, strategy for corporate growth and transparency, "so the investors and the public know" what boards are doing.
Companies are facing increasing risk in today's economy, so boards must learn to manage, assess and mitigate those risks, she said.
"It's a risky business environment," said Franklin.
The global financial collapse came about in part because some of the risks of doing business were overlooked, according to Franklin.
Executive compensation is likely to continue to be a hot topic in the coming year, Franklin said, that boards will have to face.
"There's a lot of public sector concern about that," Franklin said.
Franklin, who served as Secretary of Commerce under President George H.W. Bush, helped open American trade with China, Russia, Japan and Mexico. She is a commentator on the Nightly Business Report on PBS.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
School projects may be overseen by construction managers
Reporter Jackie Majerus wrote this story:
Having selected the architects for the two new K-8 schools, committee members for the schools planned for Forestville and the West End will next be hiring construction managers for the projects.
Steven DeVaux, the school district's business manager, said hiring a construction manager for each project "would be prudent."
It's like an "insurance policy," DeVaux said, for continuity and quality, because it means having someone who is paying close attention to the project. The construction manager would help organize, maintain and modify the budget, said DeVaux, create a timeline and coordinate what contractors are doing.
"I would recommend it," DeVaux said.
At a recent meeting, school building committee members agreed to send their recommendations for architects to city councilors for approval, and to have city Purchasing Agent Roger Rousseau solicit bids for a construction manager.
City councilors will consider architect selection at their meeting Tuesday.
The West Bristol committee selected the Windsor architectural firm of Drummey Rosane Anderson, Inc. to design the new school on Matthews Street.
In Forestville, the committee picked Tai Soo Kim Partners, LLC of Hartford to design the new Pine Street school.
Rousseau said hiring a construction manager would be advantageous because the district would have someone looking at "the big picture."
The architect will monitor work, Rousseau said, but not closely. A clerk of the works would keep a daily record of the project, he said, but a construction manager would do much more.
"They give you better methods to address the construction," said Rousseau.
In the end, the city could save money, according to Rousseau, because a construction manager could help prevent a lot of costly change orders.
Peter Roberge, a member of the Forestville school building committee, said a construction manager would keep contractors on their toes.
"With a construction manager, you probably would save money," said Roberge. "They know what to look for."
A construction manager is paid either as a fixed fee or on an hourly basis, said Rousseau, and costs about 2 to 3 percent of the construction cost, which he said in this case would be between $750,000 and $1 million.
A clerk of the works would cost about $90,000, said DeVaux.
Mike Audette, principal of O'Connell School and the chairman of the West Bristol school building committee, said a construction manager would cost more than a clerk but end up saving even more.
DeVaux said one drawback with a clerk of the works is that the project relies on a single individual.
Rousseau said the city has hired a clerk of the works many times, sometimes with great success. Other times, he said, there were problems.
"He primarily becomes your eyes and ears, but he doesn't become your brain," said Rousseau. "I think it's beneficial to have a construction manager."
If the committee opts not to hire a construction manager, Rousseau said, it will be their job to keep track of the project.
DeVaux said if the school projects are ready to go, there is an "outside chance" that they could get federal funding under new governmental initiatives expected from President-elect Barack Obama.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
A little note about The Tattoo's latest
We've had a couple of Tattoo issues that are well worth your time.
For instance, you won't want to miss Bristol Eastern High School senior Rachel Glogowski's piece for Youth Journalism International about former Sudanese slave Francis Bok:
For instance, you won't want to miss Bristol Eastern High School senior Rachel Glogowski's piece for Youth Journalism International about former Sudanese slave Francis Bok:
What began as any normal day for Sudanese man Francis Bok ended in the hell of being captured into child slavery that would change the rest of his life. Yet Bok is now seeking forgiveness for the people responsible for the nightmare.
Bok was only seven when his mother sent him to the local market to sell peanuts and eggs for the family and Northern Sudanese men raided the village, viciously slaughtering the men and capturing the women and children.
Bok, who could only speak his native tribal language as a child, said he couldn't understand why they hated him.
"I knew that I couldn't fight back, because if I do, I would get killed," Bok said at a recent appearance at the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury.
That terrible night in 1986, Bok's captors took him into Northern Sudan and forced him to be a child slave for an Arab family. He never saw his parents or sisters again, and learned years later that they were burned alive in the raid on his Southern Sudan village.
Although his masters were cruel and spat on and beat Bok daily, he never lost hope.
"I may not have anyone to talk to me and to love me but I know God does," he said.
Bok said he dreamed of being free and growing up to be like the man his father was. Read the whole article
You'll also want to catch Senior Cartoonist Justin Skaradosky's latest, The Life and Times of Peter Rabbit, and the review by West Hartford, Connecticut teens Wesley Saxena and Kiernan
Majerus-Collins of the play "The Seafarer" at Hartford's Theaterworks. Skaradosky is a senior at Bristol Central High School in Bristol, Connecticut.
For an inside glimpse into South Korea, be sure to read the travel pieces by Minnesota teen Minha Lee in our December 22nd issue. Lee also took some great photos.
Finally, New Jersey teen Shekinah-Glory Dhanie-Beepat wrote about the hit movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" in a review published this week.
We're working on a package of stories about the election of Barack Obama that features the views of teens around the globe. With luck, it will appear soon, certainly before Obama's January 20th Inauguration. I'll let you know when it's available.
Let us know what you think of our talented teens' work. We love constructive criticism, tips and any help you can offer. Feel free to tell any young people in your lives.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
January 5, 2009
Bristol is "Ground Zero in the fight to save American newspapers"
Bristol has become “Ground Zero in the fight to save American newspapers,” according to an Alabama columnist writing in Monday’s Opelika-Auburn News.
While columnist Jennifer Foster may be putting a little too much spin on her piece, there’s no denying that the fate of The Bristol Press has garnered attention far beyond the reach of its carriers, including some media heavyweights.
The Poynter Institute’s Rick Edmonds said shortly after the news of the possible closure broke in November that Bristol was on its way to the distinction of being “the first to lose its newspaper.”
News of the paper’s plight has appeared this year in dailies around the world, from Qatar to Canada, as well as serving as fodder for scores of bloggers to weigh in on the ethics of government officials trying to lend a hand to preserve The Bristol Press.
The corporate owner of the Press, the Pennsylvania-based Journal Register Co., has told employees it plans to shut down the Press , The New Britain Herald and 11 Central Connecticut weeklies by Jan. 16 unless a buyer turns up.
Though at least a half dozen potential purchasers have been talking with the broker hired to handle the sale, there’s no word yet on the likelihood of a deal going through.
If the 137-year-old Press is shuttered, it will likely be the first daily in the United State to close during the ongoing fiscal crisis that has sent the stock prices of newspaper companies plummeting as advertising revenues and circulations decline. A number of weekly papers have already bit the dust in recent months, including several dozen owned by the JRC.
Spurring the most recent spate of media attention was a New Year’s Eve analysis story by Reuters media reporter Robert MacMillan “about the opportunities and perils that could face struggling newspapers if they wind up surviving because of government help,” as he described it on his MediaFiles blog.
To tell the tale, MacMillan focused on the effort by a group of area lawmakers to push for state economic development officials to help find a buyer for the targeted papers, a move that some commentators, including syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin, misinterpreted as some sort of bailout.
His story found its way into hundreds of newspapers as well as a number of broadcasts.
Because he was featured prominently in the story, state Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat who has vigorously argued for the paper’s continued operation, said he started getting “phone calls from all over the country” beginning early on New Year’s Day.
Nicastro said he spoke with reporters in Georgia, Minnesota, Washington, Florida and elsewhere who wanted to quiz him about the effort to save the two Central Connecticut dailies.
Nicastro said he told them all that "I'm not recommending 5 cents to the current owner" of the papers.
Instead of a bailout, he said, he explained that the effort is focused on making sure any prospective new owner learns about state programs available to any business owner that might lead to tax breaks or low-interest loans to encourage development and preserve jobs.
But some interpret even that as too much government involvement.
The Colorado Springs Gazette, for example, described Nicastro in an editorial as “a John Ford hero arriving with the cavalry in the nick of time,” but went on to castigate his effort to help the targeted papers.
The Gazette said that Nicastro’s worry that news coverage will vanish in Bristol if the Press folds is “simply not true” because “modern journalism is delivered through numerous channels” that include TV, radio, neighborhood weeklies and bloggers.”
The paper said that government should not aid business, including papers.
“Better to have newspapers go under than become wards, and possibly instruments, of the state,” its editorial said.
The Newspaper Death Watch website said Monday that “Nicastro’s campaign has fueled an ongoing debate over whether newspapers are entitled to the same government support as airlines, banks and the automobile industry have received. Some people say newspapers are an essential public utility that a democracy can’t afford to lose. Others think the market will find a way to provide this service one way or the other. Almost everyone admits there’s a conflict-of-interest question when a government funds its own watchdog, kind of like letting the banking industry regulate itself.”
The Connecticut legislators involved in the bid to find a new owner for the papers uniformly say they are not offering anything that isn’t available to every other business owner.
As the New London Day wrote in an editorial Saturday that a paper getting government aid “would lose all credibility.”
But, it said, “the response from the state Department of Economic and Community Development that it would do nothing extraordinary to save the Journal Register newspapers is assuring.”
“There will be no special help, no extra effort. And as difficult as it may be to lose community newspapers, that is the way it has to be,” The Day’s editorial said.
The wave of media attention shows no sign of letting up.
Fox News plans Tuesday to have Nicastro on the air to take up the cause of the Press once again.
A few further thoughts:
I don't have room to include everything for a printed story, especially background material, but I do want to lay out quite clearly here that The Bristol Press remains a viable newspaper.
It's easy for outsiders to think the Journal Register Co., which is worth less than my house but owns the paper, is simply dumping an unprofitable rag. That just isn't the case here.
What we really have is a dysfunctional company ridding itself of papers it ransacked, leaving them for dead after taking everything possible.
What they couldn't grab, though, was the papers deep roots in the community or the core of a longtime staff that managed to love The Bristol Press while loathing its owner.
While I am not privy to financial details, I've heard enough to leave me quite sure that the Press is not losing gobs of money. It's probably breaking even or falling only a little short.
So why should anyone buy it?
Because it is run right now by the worst newspaper company in America. The JRC has a long track record of gross mismanagement, running its papers into the ground, failing to invest hardly anything over the course of many years, cutting staff and resources well into the bone and generally behaving with a ruthless stupidity that gutted a stable of thriving community newspapers that it bought in many states over the course of nearly two decades.
Though I hope the papers it continues to own will find that new corporate managers are better than those of years past, I am certain that The Bristol Press will fare better with a new owner, if only because any owner is better than the JRC.
I really have no doubt that management that could deliver the papers people order, process advertising checks without error and treat its employees, customers and communities with respect would find a groundswell of support that would easily push the paper into profitability.
This is, of course, just my opinion. But I know it is shared by nearly everyone who works for the JRC. They mostly feel they can't speak out. I can, because the JRC hired me as a reporter to tell the truth to my readers. So I will. It's easier to tell all, though, when you know that the end is coming soon, one way or another.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
While columnist Jennifer Foster may be putting a little too much spin on her piece, there’s no denying that the fate of The Bristol Press has garnered attention far beyond the reach of its carriers, including some media heavyweights.
The Poynter Institute’s Rick Edmonds said shortly after the news of the possible closure broke in November that Bristol was on its way to the distinction of being “the first to lose its newspaper.”
News of the paper’s plight has appeared this year in dailies around the world, from Qatar to Canada, as well as serving as fodder for scores of bloggers to weigh in on the ethics of government officials trying to lend a hand to preserve The Bristol Press.
The corporate owner of the Press, the Pennsylvania-based Journal Register Co., has told employees it plans to shut down the Press , The New Britain Herald and 11 Central Connecticut weeklies by Jan. 16 unless a buyer turns up.
Though at least a half dozen potential purchasers have been talking with the broker hired to handle the sale, there’s no word yet on the likelihood of a deal going through.
If the 137-year-old Press is shuttered, it will likely be the first daily in the United State to close during the ongoing fiscal crisis that has sent the stock prices of newspaper companies plummeting as advertising revenues and circulations decline. A number of weekly papers have already bit the dust in recent months, including several dozen owned by the JRC.
Spurring the most recent spate of media attention was a New Year’s Eve analysis story by Reuters media reporter Robert MacMillan “about the opportunities and perils that could face struggling newspapers if they wind up surviving because of government help,” as he described it on his MediaFiles blog.
To tell the tale, MacMillan focused on the effort by a group of area lawmakers to push for state economic development officials to help find a buyer for the targeted papers, a move that some commentators, including syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin, misinterpreted as some sort of bailout.
His story found its way into hundreds of newspapers as well as a number of broadcasts.
Because he was featured prominently in the story, state Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat who has vigorously argued for the paper’s continued operation, said he started getting “phone calls from all over the country” beginning early on New Year’s Day.
Nicastro said he spoke with reporters in Georgia, Minnesota, Washington, Florida and elsewhere who wanted to quiz him about the effort to save the two Central Connecticut dailies.
Nicastro said he told them all that "I'm not recommending 5 cents to the current owner" of the papers.
Instead of a bailout, he said, he explained that the effort is focused on making sure any prospective new owner learns about state programs available to any business owner that might lead to tax breaks or low-interest loans to encourage development and preserve jobs.
But some interpret even that as too much government involvement.
The Colorado Springs Gazette, for example, described Nicastro in an editorial as “a John Ford hero arriving with the cavalry in the nick of time,” but went on to castigate his effort to help the targeted papers.
The Gazette said that Nicastro’s worry that news coverage will vanish in Bristol if the Press folds is “simply not true” because “modern journalism is delivered through numerous channels” that include TV, radio, neighborhood weeklies and bloggers.”
The paper said that government should not aid business, including papers.
“Better to have newspapers go under than become wards, and possibly instruments, of the state,” its editorial said.
The Newspaper Death Watch website said Monday that “Nicastro’s campaign has fueled an ongoing debate over whether newspapers are entitled to the same government support as airlines, banks and the automobile industry have received. Some people say newspapers are an essential public utility that a democracy can’t afford to lose. Others think the market will find a way to provide this service one way or the other. Almost everyone admits there’s a conflict-of-interest question when a government funds its own watchdog, kind of like letting the banking industry regulate itself.”
The Connecticut legislators involved in the bid to find a new owner for the papers uniformly say they are not offering anything that isn’t available to every other business owner.
As the New London Day wrote in an editorial Saturday that a paper getting government aid “would lose all credibility.”
But, it said, “the response from the state Department of Economic and Community Development that it would do nothing extraordinary to save the Journal Register newspapers is assuring.”
“There will be no special help, no extra effort. And as difficult as it may be to lose community newspapers, that is the way it has to be,” The Day’s editorial said.
The wave of media attention shows no sign of letting up.
Fox News plans Tuesday to have Nicastro on the air to take up the cause of the Press once again.
A few further thoughts:
I don't have room to include everything for a printed story, especially background material, but I do want to lay out quite clearly here that The Bristol Press remains a viable newspaper.
It's easy for outsiders to think the Journal Register Co., which is worth less than my house but owns the paper, is simply dumping an unprofitable rag. That just isn't the case here.
What we really have is a dysfunctional company ridding itself of papers it ransacked, leaving them for dead after taking everything possible.
What they couldn't grab, though, was the papers deep roots in the community or the core of a longtime staff that managed to love The Bristol Press while loathing its owner.
While I am not privy to financial details, I've heard enough to leave me quite sure that the Press is not losing gobs of money. It's probably breaking even or falling only a little short.
So why should anyone buy it?
Because it is run right now by the worst newspaper company in America. The JRC has a long track record of gross mismanagement, running its papers into the ground, failing to invest hardly anything over the course of many years, cutting staff and resources well into the bone and generally behaving with a ruthless stupidity that gutted a stable of thriving community newspapers that it bought in many states over the course of nearly two decades.
Though I hope the papers it continues to own will find that new corporate managers are better than those of years past, I am certain that The Bristol Press will fare better with a new owner, if only because any owner is better than the JRC.
I really have no doubt that management that could deliver the papers people order, process advertising checks without error and treat its employees, customers and communities with respect would find a groundswell of support that would easily push the paper into profitability.
This is, of course, just my opinion. But I know it is shared by nearly everyone who works for the JRC. They mostly feel they can't speak out. I can, because the JRC hired me as a reporter to tell the truth to my readers. So I will. It's easier to tell all, though, when you know that the end is coming soon, one way or another.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
More stuff to read about The Bristol Press and its failing owner
Those Disappearing JRC Weeklies (Business New Haven, Jan. 5, 2009)
Government bailout of newspaper tempting, but dangerous (Opelika-Auburn News, Jan. 5, 2009)
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Government bailout of newspaper tempting, but dangerous (Opelika-Auburn News, Jan. 5, 2009)
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Colin on public radio? It works.
Since WTIC has chosen to turn itself into an outlet for old, white, conservative men -- an odd choice in Connecticut -- perhaps it's best to give up on convincing it to return Colin McEnroe to the airwaves. McEnroe himself makes it clear in this blog entry that he'd rather be on public radio. And that's what his friends and and listeners should push for. Maybe somebody with intenet savvy can set up a site that collects pledges that will only be paid whe WNPR hires McEnroe.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
January 4, 2009
What's happening this week?
Well, it's a new year. But it always takes awhile for things to get rolling after the holiday slow season.
Wednesday looks like the busiest day, with the new Republican registrar, Sharon Krawiecki, taking the oath of office in a little ceremony at 1 p.m. in the City Council chambers. The outgoing registrar, Ellie Klapatch, will swear her in.
That evening at 7 p.m. the Board of Education meets.
That same day, of course, the General Assembly gets underway. That's the way these things usually go. There will be nothing, nothing, almost nothing, then Crazy As It Can Be, then nothing again. Ah, the news biz....
Anyway, anything else happening that's noteworthy?
I'll probably spend some time this week trying to come up with a few things that we could use for a final paper, if, God forbid, it comes to that. It should have something special.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Wednesday looks like the busiest day, with the new Republican registrar, Sharon Krawiecki, taking the oath of office in a little ceremony at 1 p.m. in the City Council chambers. The outgoing registrar, Ellie Klapatch, will swear her in.
That evening at 7 p.m. the Board of Education meets.
That same day, of course, the General Assembly gets underway. That's the way these things usually go. There will be nothing, nothing, almost nothing, then Crazy As It Can Be, then nothing again. Ah, the news biz....
Anyway, anything else happening that's noteworthy?
I'll probably spend some time this week trying to come up with a few things that we could use for a final paper, if, God forbid, it comes to that. It should have something special.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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