The
San Francisco Chronicle has now
published its own story about
Arizona Republic Editor
Ward Bushee bolting Gannett for the top job in Baghdad by the Bay. Among the 39 comments so far on the
Chronicle's story, this from a reader with the screen name
Ailanthus: "If you look at the
Arizona Republic online, the entire front page, is taken up with crime, entertainment and sports. RIP the
San Francisco Chronicle."
Don't you
love comments? And yet! As I post this, the
Republic isn't allowing comments on
its story about Bushee's replacement. The same thing happened with that
gushing account of
Sue Clark-Johnson's impending (threatened?) return to Phoenix. Surely, a coincidence!
Crime Central? Judge for yourselves with this fresh screen shot from the
Republic's website;
click on it for a much bigger view.
From E&P,
ReplyDeletehttp://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003700529
Time spent on website:
SFGate.com/San Francisco Chronicle -- 0:17:17
Azcentral.com -- 0:28:16
Give the people what they want.
Of the top 30 newspaper websites, only the NY Times does better.
The Republic's web site isn't really an accurate gauge of the paper. The web site is a lot less serious and a lot more salacious than the print product (not that the print product is that serious). I don't think Ward will turn the Chronicle into the police blotter, but neither do I think the Chronicle will do much ground breaking journalism.
ReplyDeleteBushee is all about towing the company line and the bottom line. In this case, since Hearst is privately held and not beholden to shareholders, perhaps there will be a bit more flexibility. But he has been in Gannett virtually all his career, and Gannett has a certain way, and it is not about hard-hitting, shoe-leather reporting, investigative or otherwise. Talk to reporters at the Republic. If they are honest, they will tell you. The whole "Information Center" has been a bust, and as usual Gannett is scrambling to come up with its next vision to shove down all the newspapers' throats. Trying to impart Gannettoidism to Chron employees will be difficult. I predict some departures, and some of Ward bringing in his own people. I agree with the above post. There will be no ground-breaking journalism; Ward simply does not have the stomach for ruffling feathers and digging dirt; he is all about making nice with the powers that be, and he does not stand up for his reporters.
ReplyDelete