Can it be the Content? Nah!

Today my (news)paper led with a story that its owner, The New York Times Co., is going to close the Boston Globe unless unions agree to $20 million in concessions. (Times Co. threatens to shut Globe, seeks $20m in cuts from unions, April 4, A1).

The sub-title was, “Paper reported to face $85m loss this year, as recession, Internet growth batter news industry.”

The article goes on ad nauseam blaming declining ad revenue.

A few facts:

The article is 1,437 words but it never mentions the Boston Globe’s declining circulation.

For the last year reported, 2008, new numbers will be out later this month with the first look at 2009, the Boston Globe had an 8.0% decline in its weekday circulation and a 6.4% decline in its Sunday circulation.

Its parent, The New York Times, experienced a 3.8% decline in daily circulation and a 9.2% decline in Sunday circulation.

The number one and number two newspapers, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal, respectively, were both up for the same period by 0.3%. Apparently the recession and the internet are not battering all participants in the news industry equally.

The letter:

Editor,

It’s the content, stupid. (End of letter.)