Take a look at the subhead of this KC Star article from today’s paper. Either we’ve reached a point where “wusses” is considered a safe word for a family newspaper, or the old people who tend to approve copy are clueless as to the word’s origins.
In other large daily newspaper news, check out what an ACC reader thinks of Post-Dispatch content of late.
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The riff on the exploitation of North Korean women is a moving component of your boss’ stump speech.
But it’s only a matter of time before the part where he utters the phrase “sexual bondage” shows up on “The Daily Show” and/or mixed and re-mixed on YouTube, probably with some not-so-wholesome visuals.
So find another way for him to say “sexual bondage” (hint: don’t google it, at least not from a government computer). It may be an awkward conversation to have with your boss, but it’s one you need to have. Right now.
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I’ve been linking to MOHELA articles for what seems like an eternity now, and this week’s edition of the St. Louis Business Journal has the most in-depth coverage of the issue I’ve ever read.
Want to read it?
It’ll cost you $85.
That’s right — the kinds of articles you used to find linked on johncombest.com are now available only to STLBJ subscribers. The new policy started several weeks back.
Unlike the mandatory registrations required by some other papers — which require only an e-mail address for entry — the Business Journal is limiting the availability of its print edition stories to those who subscribe to the paper.
Of course, as a free-market guy, I think the Business Journal has every right to do so. But just because they can doesn’t mean they should, for three reasons:
1.) Taking content offline won’t lead to more subscriptions. Straight business news stories are the STLBJ’s entrees, and the political pieces and editorials are merely side dishes. Taking the political articles offline won’t encourage anyone to actually purchase a subscription just to read an article or two a week.
2.) It fails to maximize the paper’s potential influence. For years, the most influential political leaders in Missouri — namely, you — have read the STLBJ articles every week at johncombest.com. Not anymore. How many of you read last week’s editorial on the minimum wage? Or this week’s piece on MOHELA? Didn’t think so.
3.) It’s counterintuitive. With few exceptions, print media outlets are making more of their content available online, not less. The result is more exposure for their reporters and columnists. A win-win for everyone.
I know of at least one person at the St. Louis Business Journal that understands this; that person e-mailed me a couple weeks back, and I know that they understand the Internet well enough to know what their paper is missing out on.
Unfortunately, when it comes to large media outlets like the Business Journal, most decisions on matters like these take place in the national corporate office, not the local bureau.
In other words, we shouldn’t blame the folks at the St. Louis Business Journal — we should blame whoever in the national corporate structure decided to restrict access.
One of three things will happen:
1.) The Business Journal will continue its policy of limiting access to paid subscribers only, and miss out on reaching the most influential people in Missouri politics — namely, you.
2.) A blogger — who is not a subscriber, but who got his hands on a login and password because he’s resourceful like that — will begin distributing the paper’s content on his website anyway. Corporate BJers will send a cease-and-desist letter, which will subsequently be posted on the blogger’s website. Bloggers from across the country and across genres, long annoyed by mandatory registrations, will speak out in favor of said blogger and create a veritable, uh, spitstorm of negative publicity for the corporate suits.
3.) The people in charge of such decisions at the Business Journal will make more print edition articles, columns, and editorials available free of charge on the STLBJ website. The paper will reach more influential opinion leaders, those leaders will be grateful for the access, and everyone will benefit from the arrangement.
What will it be? Stay tuned to this space to find out.
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