Friday, January 2, 2009

Kansas City Kansan stops print publication, goes online only

The Kansas City Kansan, which covers Wyandotte County, is going Internet only. Click here for the story. Can the Kansan compete with the Kansas City Star and other competition? Uhm, not without major improvements. I looked at their web site earlier this AM and it was awful. Not much in the way of news or photos or opinion was available. They'll need to hire some talented bloggers, focus on local issues, and link to interesting news. And post some interesting photos and videos. Otherwise I don't see how they can last.
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The parent company of the Kansan is GateHouse Media, whose stock is essentially worthless. GateHouse was delisted by the New York Stock Exchange in 2008.
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Hat tip: comments
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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Re: “Can the Kansan compete with the Kansas City Star and other competition?”

Even if Kansan remains awful, it will still be considerably better than the KC Star. There are three KC bloggers I read everyday for KC news. The Red Scar is nearly useless. It regurgitates the AP crap, checks in with the DNC, Code Pink, the McClatchy boys in Cuba, and actually pays Lokeman to play the fool.

If you’ve seen one McClatchy paper, you’ve seen them all. Speaking Spoof to Power, and yellow journalism rules their presses today.
[Shouting] “Stop the Presses”
That famous phrase finally has some real meaning.

Anonymous said...

Mystery why adjacent Johnson County can not support a more balanced paper.

Anonymous said...

It is the AP cartel, which was effectively used to cut out all competition and eliminate any meaningful challenge to member ownership.

Also, because Johnson County is a very business astute enclave and one of the most successful counties in the entire country. Even their elementary schools rate MNI as the preferred Short in their Stock Market game, and the High Schools get the Wall Street Journal.

Anonymous said...

The Kansan has been on the ropes for years, now it is taking a standing eight-count. Read the Piper Press and Wyandotte West newspapers in KCK.

Anonymous said...

Please...the dinosaurs who work at the Wyandotte West bring bland and boring news.

Anonymous said...

Don't compare a news staff of 50 with a staff of five or with a staff of two.
Besides, purple dinosaurs like me are friendly, lovable, giving lots back to the journalism community and highly successful.
Barney