Ramping up its sports coverage even more, The Wall Street Journal apparently broke the news last night that the Pittsburgh Steelers' owners have secretly shopped the pro-football team to potential buyers. The story (paid subscription usually required) is more evidence Rupert Murdoch is remaking the WSJ as a more general-interest national newspaper -- taking aim at USA Today's bread-and-butter: sports news. As near as I can tell, the WSJ beat USAT, The New York Times, The Washington Post and ESPN.I couldn't find a follow-up on USAT's website this morning -- even though the Steelers' owners released a statement last night confirming they've been considering ownership changes. (Then again, it might be USAT's laughably bad search engine.)
Just how much of USAT's franchise is Publisher Craig Moon going to give away before the paper loses what little advantage it has over better-resourced rivals? Murdoch -- whose News Corp. bought WSJ owner Dow Jones & Co. last year -- has got to be giddy over USAT's cutbacks.
Earlier: Murdoch fires another shot across GCI's bow
Related: Murdoch reportedly offered to buy USAT for $1 billion
[Image: this morning's WSJ, Newseum]
Moon will give away everything, because he has no choice. The marching orders from the other tower are to cut, cut, cut. In the end, Gannett will likely cut itself right out of the market it created.
ReplyDeleteUSA TODAY can no longer compete on a high journalistic level. Too many cutbacks. Too much low morale and fear in the print newsroom. Too little true leadership and honesty at the top. The merger with online has been the nail in the coffin. The web site can't pay the bills and the newspaper can't compete because the online people have sucked up all its resources. Most see the wrting on the wall. In a better economy, many would have abandoned ship, even without a buyout offer. The web site is awful. Everyone knows it. It feeds off of the reputation the paper built, but once the paper goes away (or is killed by the execs), do you really think young readers are going to give a darn about usatoday.com? It only does as well as it does because of the brand. The brand built by the print staff. Within the USAT newsroom, however, the web site folks walk around like the print people are a thorn in their side. The merger is a failure. Both sides are suffering. At this rate, there's going to be nothing left in the crystal palace worth salvaging. It's time to take a new approach so that both the paper and web site can survive and thrive without all the underlying deceit and backstabbing.
ReplyDeleteJim! I thought your WERE an investigative reporter? Did you not check the source of the book written about USA TODAY, by Hartman. If you go to Amazon, your going to see Hartman,'s first book was SELF PUBLISHED. His second book was published by a text book publisher.Stipes Publishing L.L.C . Who I did call. What strange about that is the copyright , is owned by Hartman,not Stipes. You draw your own pictures.
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