The Dirty Little Secret

Mark Potts, the Recovering Journalist, says:

The dirty little secret of big-paper newsrooms is that, well, they aren't all that productive.

Potts also quotes William Dean Singleton, CEO of MediaNews:

Too many whining editors, reporters and newspaper unions continue to bark at the dark, thinking their barks will make the night go away. They fondly remember the past as if it will suddenly re-appear and the staffing in newsrooms will suddenly begin to grow again.

Well, as a former journalist, I also wish for the past, but it’s not coming back. The printed space allocated to news and newsroom staffing levels will continue to decline, so it’s time to get over it and move to a print model that matches the reality of a changing business.

It strikes me that Bob Norman is one of those who is barking at the dark.