Some editors at The Dallas Morning News have started reporting directly to executives outside the newsroom who oversee advertising sales, under a restructuring that overturns longstanding traditions in American newspapers aimed at shielding news judgments from business concerns.
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A memo sent to employees on Wednesday explains the creation of new positions with the title of general manager, each responsible for ad sales in particular parts of the paper. “In the sports and entertainment segments, the senior news editors will report directly to the G.M. while retaining a strong reporting relationship to the editor and managing editor,” the memo said.
Hat tip: Fading to Black
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10 comments:
Hey Star Telegram watcha going to do? Now that you share everything from Restaurant Reviews to artwork are you going to implement this structure? Thought we would see something in this a.m.'s ST issue as it is newsworthy. But no. I guess DMN writes this section for you too.
Reporting to sales? The end is near for news you can trust. Or has honest journalism already passed?
If reporters and editors aren't gagging about this move, they don't deserve to be working in journalism. It's all over folks when you're reporting to the sales manager.
Reporting to sales...reporting to Rham...what's the difference. Is selling out to the local restaurant more corrupt than selling out to the DNC?
UNREAL. Years ago, Sales wasn't even able to fart in the general direction of news.... let alone being able to drink out of the same water fountain.
It is funny.... these puffy chested "professional journalists" actually think they are the reason papers exist.
Well, guess what folks. Your only purpose in life is to fill the space between ads. You are there to attract enough people to the paper so the sales staff can sell ads. Without ads, you are unemployed English majors.
The prime purpose of the paper is advertising revenue. Without revenue, there is no newspaper. Why is that so hard for the classically trained professional journalists to understand.
Don't fret everyone. Newspapers are just finally catching on to what's been done to televised news. TV and cable news has been largely the domain of entertainment and advertising arms of their parent companies for 2 decades now. Newspapers had this silly notion that readers want journalistic integrity but as long as things like Fox News and CNN continue to gain popularity, old-fashioned notions about news reporting will continue to fade.
Enjoy. It's what we've all asked for.
It's about damn time a smart decision is made. At least the sales department understands where the paychecks come from and how to generate jobs. Editorial, not so much.
All you got to do is report on and write about news people care about.
I sat with a reporter today in our paper and mentioned the hypocrisy of the global warming and the Climategate. He didn't have a clue as to what has transpired the last 14 days about the leaked memos. It was a true, glazed over look of WTF are you talking about?
Does anyone think DMN is alone in catering to the sales staff? MNI doesn't put the same structure into place but MNI publishers and editors kill stories that would offend big advertisers. Newsroom will deny it, heads stuck in the sand as always. Corporate will deny it and cough up the usual BS about speaking truth to power. But I know it for a fact.
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