Iwas handed another donation to Above The Fold Publishing last Thursday, another in a long line of generous gifts to our business. Having people give us money is humbling, but it’s not easy, either.
We don’t have our hands out asking “more please,” even though that might seem like that’s what we’re doing. The recent push by the Minnesota News Institute to offer people a chance to donate to their favorite publication resulted in a refreshing reminder that people still value their news and their paper. And it should remind everyone that we’re not getting rich in doing what we do — we’re keeping the lights on.
This has become more difficult than ever, and it’s not going to get any easier, as word has it that postal rates will go up again this summer.
If you want a perfect example of how newspapers are struggling, look no further than the Minnesota Star Tribune.
The state’s largest paper last week announced that it is cutting 15% of its workforce — that’s 65 employees gone in a combination of buyouts and layoffs, leaving 430 workers. That includes a reduction in the newsroom from 200 to 175, although none of those employees are classified as “news-gatherers,” — reporters, photographers and videographers, according to Bring Me The News.
The paper laid off 125 people a year ago when it closed its Minneapolis printing plant.
Long story short: The Strib, slowly but surely, is becoming a digital media company. You might have noticed there are fewer businesses around here that don’t carry that paper on a newsstand. Pretty soon, you can bet there won’t be any.
But will the Strib’s moves help? The cuts have been condemned by the Star Tribune Newspaper Guild that chided Strib big shots’ claims that they will help the organization.
“The argument made by Star Tribune management that these layoffs are going to improve our company in any way, shape or form lacks any foundation in reality,” the union said. “This is a direct attack on the staff that just won a Pulitzer Prize for our work and has been widely praised – including by management – for its efforts.”
The Strib won a Pulitzer in April for its coverage of last summer’s Annunciation Church and School mass shooting.
I hate this. I grew up reading the Strib, back when papers were the only source of statewide news and pro sports. We’re watching as the paper version dies a slow death. The Strib itself isn’t going anywhere, but its print product is.
Now you’re asking yourself: What’s the future of the Headlight?
Well, for starters, we’re not cutting any staff, because except for Tara’s mom and a part-timer, we don’t have any.
More hands does make for less work, but that doesn’t apply here. We’ll never have “more hands” than we have right now. But we make it work, because we know you love your Headlight, and we love you for that. We’re not giving up. We’re not throwing in the towel. We’re not going all digital, at least not now. To the contrary —we just bought three papers! Who knows what we’ll look like in 10, 20 years, but we’re going to do everything we can to keep your paper coming each and every week.
Doing so is a relentless, seven-day-aweek grind.
The second we think we have a second to breathe, something else comes up — another Sailor, a community guide, a special section, etc. The second we deliver all the papers on a Thursday, we’re thinking about next week’s edition.
But this is what we signed up for. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
Thanks for reading. I mean that!
Music makers will be missed …
We say good-bye this week to two great men who shared the love of music: Bill Roemer and Bill Veit. The former, known by many is in these parts as “Billy Elvis,” was well-known for entertaining people with his karaoke business. Veit, meanwhile, was a bluegrass man and performed at nursing homes and hospitals, entertaining to a much different crowd than Roemer. These two men will be missed for their talents and generosity.
