Local Print Media Changes

PILOT RAMPS UP ELECTRONIC COVERAGE, REDUCES PRINT
Those of you who subscribe to the Daily Pilot, our newspaper of record for more than a century, found an interesting article along the bottom of the front page Sunday.  Editor John Canalis announced that changes were being made and that the Daily Pilot - which has not really been "daily" for some time now ever since they abandoned publication on Mondays - will now also forgo publishing a print edition on Tuesdays, as well.  That means those of us who rely on the print version of that fine newspaper will now only receive it Wednesday through Sunday, bundled inside our Los Angeles Times.  You can read Canalis' article HERE.

RESPONDING TO A SHIFTING MARKET
This move apparently stems from a desire to be more in step with the way many, if not most, readers receive their news these days - via electronic means.  And, as much as I enjoy getting ink smudged on my fingers as I thumb through the pages of four newspapers each day, I confess to being one of those who makes frequent online stops at the Pilot and the Orange County Register each day.

THE REGISTER GOES THE OTHER DIRECTION
This move on the part of the management of the Daily Pilot - and their parent company, The Los Angeles Times - stands in stark contrast with plans recently announced by the new owner and publisher of the Orange County Register, Aaron Kushner.   His plans, outlined HERE, are to ramp-up their print presence and he's been hiring reporters and other print newspaper specialists like crazy over the past month or so.  In fact, he recently hired the Daily Pilot's ace reporter charged with covering Costa Mesa, Mike Reicher, for the same beat.

WHICH ONE HAS THE RIGHT IDEA?
Only time will tell which tactic is the correct one, but it has me worried.  If the Daily Pilot diminishes as a reliable, timely news source in our area, I don't believe that's good for those of us who rely on it for important information.  If the Register has mis-calculated and this grand experiment - which flies in the face of every other major news outlet in the country - turns out to be wrong, we will be left with much less in the way of news coverage.

MARTIN AND ME?  PUH-LEEZE!
In my opinion, the gathering and reporting of local news simply CANNOT be left to those of us who blog about things happening in this city.  We provide some news and a lot of opinion - and admit that right up front.  And, we unabashedly fold in our own bias' as we provide information to you.  The residents of this area require reliable, professionally reported and edited, local news coverage.  And, that coverage needs to be timely - old news is no news, as the saying goes.

HOPING...
So, with fingers tightly crossed, I hope BOTH experiments work out - for all our sakes.   We'll see...