OPUBCO / Oklahoman Business Practices

[catcherinthewry]

The big front page story today was a company replaced the roof on the wrong house. SMDH

[Pete]

Many wonder why they continue to print and don't go completely digital.

I know from taking over the Gazette that all our revenue was from print ads. It wasn't because that format was superior, it was because the people placing those ads had always done print and didn't trust or value digital. You basically start with a big pool of advertisers dating back to the 80s when print was the only thing, watch them slowly but steadily shrink or completely eliminate their print budget, then hang on to the stragglers like grim death.

Also, the DOK makes a bunch from obituaries and the people paying that money want something they can see in the paper. So, you're stuck in a situation where it's crazy expensive to print and really a terrible news delivery system, but you can't stop without cutting the majority of your revenue.

Ultimately, the ads and obits drop to the point where you start losing tons of money due to printing, transportation (the Oklahoman is printed in Tulsa), and then delivery.

I bet they are getting very close to that tipping point, which is why they already cut the Saturday print version.

[Dob Hooligan]

I think they are a "Legal paper" and get good money from printed Legal Notices.

[Pete]

I think they are a "Legal paper" and get good money from printed Legal Notices.

As does the Journal Record.

[jn1780]

What counts as "Legal Notice" these days? Seems like more people would see my x or Facebook post than on a medium that is on the verge of going away.

[mugofbeer]

Legal notices like this? "I am not responsible for anyone's debts other than my own." Lol

[Midtowner]

What counts as "Legal Notice" these days? Seems like more people would see my x or Facebook post than on a medium that is on the verge of going away.

Legal notices in the newspaper are sometimes authorized when we can't ascertain the whereabouts of people entitled to notice of court procedings. Back in the olden times, many lawyers would read the entire legal notices section every day looking for notices affecting their clients' concerns. It's anachronistic today, but it's what we have.

[Urbanized]

The thing is, the printed page is an unchangeable record. Websites and apps are not.

[Pete]

Just saw in its 2023 10-K filing, Gannett is down to 10,000 employees in the U.S.

When it merged with GateHouse in 2019, the employee count was 24,338.


They have cut almost 60% of already struggling newspaper staff in just 5 years and the trend continues sharply downwards.