http://www.sjguild.org Representing employees of the San Jose Mercury News and Monterey County Herald Copyright 2011 Pacific Media Workers Guild en-us Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:30:37 -0400 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:30:37 -0400 http://www.sjguild.org/rss/jpg/GuildNews.jpg http://www.sjguild.org 140 55 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/23/BU931KR0NC.DTL#ixzz1VxpNV9ac As newspapers nationwide struggle to evolve viable business models, Bay Area News Group said Tuesday it will consolidate 11 local newspapers in the East Bay into two regional newspapers and lay off 8 percent of the staff. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/23/BU931KR0NC.DTL#ixzz1VxpNV9ac http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-what-readers-want-to-read-next/ We’d all like to know what comes next. That can be a spiritual quest, a political one, or in the case of news publishers, one that would help them know what it is readers who land on their site would like to read next. http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-what-readers-want-to-read-next/ http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/28/3800244/mcclatchy-second-quarter-profits.html The McClatchy Co. today reported lower profits and revenue in the second quarter, as The Bee’s owner continues to struggle with a weak economy and structural changes in the newspaper industry. http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/28/3800244/mcclatchy-second-quarter-profits.html http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-netflix-newspapers-and-forcing-the-digital-shift/ Netflix CEO Reed Hastings says he is surprised that customers weren’t more upset with Netflix’s digital shift. After all, he expected more upset, in his role as a pioneer, early in the game of forcing the digital shift. http://newsonomics.com/the-newsonomics-of-netflix-newspapers-and-forcing-the-digital-shift/ http://paidcontent.org/article/419-who-is-randall-smith-and-why-is-he-buying-up-newspaper-companies/ Even in the close-mouthed world of hedge fund investment, Randall Smith, the principal of Alden Global Capital, gives new meaning to the euphemism "low profile." Smith’s Alden bought out fellow hedge funds earlier this month and now owns Journal-Register Co. outright. http://paidcontent.org/article/419-who-is-randall-smith-and-why-is-he-buying-up-newspaper-companies/ http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/22/business/media/times-company-posts-loss-on-write-down.html?_r=2 The New York Times Company reported on Thursday an overall loss in the second quarter as print advertising continued to struggle, dragging down growth in online advertising. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/22/business/media/times-company-posts-loss-on-write-down.html?_r=2 http://www.suntimes.com/business/6598126-417/sun-times-media-chicago-tribune-enter-into-print-production-contract.html The Chicago Tribune will begin printing the Chicago Sun-Times and seven of its suburban sister newspapers under an agreement announced Tuesday. http://www.suntimes.com/business/6598126-417/sun-times-media-chicago-tribune-enter-into-print-production-contract.html http://newsonomics.com/schadenrupe-murdoch-woes-others-joy-and-what-the-wsj-editorial-misses/ Schadenfreude is the word of the day, as the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page points out that "the Schadenfreude is so thick you can’t cut it with a chainsaw." http://newsonomics.com/schadenrupe-murdoch-woes-others-joy-and-what-the-wsj-editorial-misses/ http://newsonomics.com/new-news-corp-strategy-become-an-even-more-american-company/ We’d all be ready to shell out pay-per-view prices (those for boxing, not a simple movie) to peek in on the House of Commons’ questioning of Rupert Murdoch, James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks Tuesday. http://newsonomics.com/new-news-corp-strategy-become-an-even-more-american-company/ http://www.newsguild.org/index.php?ID=11654 Connie Knox, a life-long Guild member who stepped down as the union’s international chair just one week ago, has died. Her body was found at home Saturday by her daughter; further details about her death are unknown at this time. http://www.newsguild.org/index.php?ID=11654