Comments on: GateMouse Media buys JS

By: Peoria Illinoisan » 2007: A Blog Year In Review

Peoria Illinoisan » 2007: A Blog Year In Review — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 22:17:10 +0000

[...] Tavern on the Water reviewed (Eyebrows McGee) 13 – Gatehouse Media buys Peoria Journal Star (Peoria Pundit) 25 – And The Walls Come Tumblin’ Down: Landmark Peoria Barn torn down for a bank drive-up [...]

By: Chesty Puller

Chesty Puller — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:48:37 +0000

What about the lead paint series. That resulted in the federal government shipping 3 million here for abatement.

And the newsroom isn’t overstaffed when it comes to reporters. They are counting all the support staff that are vital to the daily functions but don’t gather information.

By: bwana

bwana — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:32:41 +0000

Bill,
What information do you have to back-up your statement “My understanding is that the pensions offered by Copley Press were not guaranteed, which means that Gatehouse isnâ€™t under a legal obligation to honor them, even though it supposedly gets control over the money.”
Are you claiming that Journal Star pensions will be lost? I am very interested in your inside information. Please tell me more.

By: justanobserver

justanobserver — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 14:56:29 +0000

Journal Star newsroom before reitrements/buyouts, 106; Springfield Journal-Register newsroom, 54. There WILL BE weeding and cutting. With all the other sources of information these days, including blogs, I don’t think it’s going to make much difference. The Journal Star gave up on enterprise reporting years ago. When was the last time they broke a scandal or other blockbuster story? I heard a reporter the other day bemoaning the fact they were “down 14 people” in the newsroom. Better get used to it, and then some.

By: Peo Proud

Peo Proud — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 13:33:55 +0000

Understand some of your concerns Billy — but come on — the PJS and the Canton newspaper aren’t even in the same league. Kinda hard to compare staffing and operational approaches on two papers so dissimilar.

From what I heard during the union saber-rattling about the sale of the PJS – it seems that the staffing levels could use a little weeding out to bring them more in line with other papers. I can personally think of several regular contributors to the paper that if their columns/articles/etc were eliminated would elevate the status of the paper without anything replacing them.

It’s the free market baby and newspapers have to position themselves to be competitive if they wish to remain in place for the long-term.

By: knightindragonland

knightindragonland — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 08:39:52 +0000

The JS might lose their reporter in Pekin that can’t even keep District 108 and District 303 straight in her articles? Ohhh darn. I’m heartbroken.

By: Marie

Marie — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 06:06:47 +0000

I think the Decatur Herald & Review is owned by the same people who own the Pantagraph.

Also, if any of these papers have a bureau in the Statehouse in Springfield, you can pretty much bet those will close.