If you haven’t picked up a copy of La Socialista (a.k.a. The State newspaper) lately, things have been looking a bit thin.
And while losing weight is a New Year’s resolution many of us have made (ahem, Speaker Harrell), it’s the last thing you want to happen if you’re a newspaper because it means you’re selling fewer ads.
And yes, we know people can’t be newspapers. That’s a device called “personification” we just used.
Anyway, just how bad is it over at The State? Well, we hear the paper is unlikely to make it through the year, which could portend any number of things for the Columbia media market.
All of them good as far as we’re concerned.
Seriously, people. When you suck up to the status quo for as long as La Socialista has, you become it.
Who knows? Maybe President Obama will propose a “media bailout” to rescue them.
After all, everybody else is getting them …
Editor’s Note: Hat tip to our buds at The Voice for the cool photoshop.
By lou January 23, 2009 at 8:11 am
The State does not report the news. You do a much better job FITS.
*hat tip*
By Toyota Kawaski January 23, 2009 at 9:15 am
Dont like to see folks get run but will this be the end of Ron “i know it all”Morris?
By Whippersnapper January 23, 2009 at 10:33 am
I let my subscription (weekends only) run out just last week. When it only takes 15 minutes to read the complete Sunday paper, the game is over.
If the Free Times expanded its USC sports coverage by a couple pages a week, the demise of The State would occur even more quickly.
What is disappointing (as a longtime pro-newspaper person) is that The State made strategic decisions based on cutting costs versus increasing revenues. Dropping Monday and Saturday editorial pages was a huge mistake. Putting the same tired format out (lead editorial, staff editorial, Araial cartoon, letters from partisan idiots, etc.) is not how they should have responded to the digital age.
Here’s the list of the Most Read stories on The State online this morning. It pretty much sums up the readership of the paper these days. Five sports stories and five crime stories.
o A million for an assistant? Pay up
o Miracle finish not over yet
o Pete Carroll visits Calhoun County High on recruiting trip
o Suspect in ATM slaying arrested
o Two found shot to death in SC home
o Students invited to football walk-on orientation meeting
o Nye: Fredrick’s bucket quells football talk for a while
o SC man charged with killing wife
o Missing Ohio teen found in South Carolina
o 22 pounds marijuana seized, two arrested
By Randy January 23, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Yes, Drugs, gays and football, that is what the State is all about.
By Tom January 23, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Part of the big problem is that the editorial writers and columnists sit in an ivory tower oblivious to the real world. Consequently they write pieces as if they were gods,telling everyone how they should do this or that. The public is tired of their holier than thou crap which is why many have stopped buying it.
By Toyota Kawaski January 23, 2009 at 5:24 pm
i take the gay part Randuy would be Pete Carroll?
By James the Foot Soldier January 23, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Ron Morris seems to know a lot more about USC football than its rabid fans who exclaim gleefully “thank you sir, may I have another” every time the athletic department tells them to bend over and take another blow (to their wallets).
By Todd January 23, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Sic: Let’s start a contest. Let’s guess the day they will shut down. The winner gets their choice of one item from your online store. I say June 30, 2009. That’s the end of the slowest ad quarter of the year. I hope Brad and Cindi with an i are the first to be let go. They are just stupid.
By James the Foot Soldier January 23, 2009 at 10:57 pm
what happened to my avatar??? :(
By BIN News Editorial Staff January 24, 2009 at 12:14 am
sic(k) willie,
You and the Voice for Voucher Scams make a great couple. Both paid by Howie’s carpet-bugger money. Both ignore the real issues facing public education.
You both ignore the poverty, the latent racism and the host of related social ills that the voucher scam would never address. You know that vouchers would only leave those who need help the most even further behind. You even ignore the shameful “minimally adequate” standard that keeps our children down.
But, you don’t care. As long as your can keep your snouts in Howie’s trough.
Show some integrity. Sign the petition:
http://www.goodbyeminimallyadequate.com/
By American January 24, 2009 at 9:39 pm
I think there is something going on over there: You have to turn into some sort of raghead and/or queer to keep your job.