Sunday, January 11, 2009
Housekeeping Re: Where (the Hell) Is the Print Edition of The Stranger?
Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on Sun, Jan 11, 2009 at 12:34 PM
When Seattle became an island last week, the truck full of copies of The Stranger got stuck on the other side because the paper is printed in Yakima. Does this make us union-busting environmental-hate-criminals, per some comments here? Our production manager writes:
Yakima is a union press, owned by the Seattle Times and loosely affiliated with Rotary Press in Seattle, but under separate management. A few years ago we advertised for printers to submit bids to us, and went through a long process of weighing the pros and cons of each. We considered price, quality, scheduling, color capacity, paper size (some presses would have required us to change to a smaller format), geography, and management. There are not actually many presses large enough to handle our paper. Of those, some couldn't work us into their schedule with the turn-around and delivery time we needed, some lacked color, and one withdrew their bid because of moral objections. Yakima has a great press, they upgraded some of their imaging equipment to meet our quality requirements, they offered a great price, and they were willing to work with our schedule.
To those who offered to send a few bucks to defray the expense of re-printing last week, feel free. We could use a drink.
More importantly, what the hell are we going to do with all those copies of the paper when they finally get here? The best idea so far: Build a fort in Cal Anderson park. Crenellations! (And then, yes, RECYCLE THE FORT.)
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4
You still haven't reconciled the fact that your carbon footprint of trucking tons of papers over the pass is ignored for profit/gain.
How are you different than any other company on earth who does the same of which you deride on the very paper you import from across the state?
This was clearly left out of your little face-saving post.
So what say you?
How are you different than any other company on earth who does the same of which you deride on the very paper you import from across the state?
This was clearly left out of your little face-saving post.
So what say you?
5
@4, then start a printing press that meets all of The Stranger's requirements and solicit their business. If there isn't one locally that meets their needs, what are they supposed to do?
6
If anything, this point highlights how fucked up it is to scream and wretch about how horrible companies are for not focusing on ~ZOMG BEING GREEN~ while ignoring a whole host of other factors, laterite
7
I prefer reading The Stranger online. For those ho miss all the hooker and band adds and you can produce an all pdf version of the print edition down loadable when you are done. Maybe you should find out how much and who your audience is that reads you on line versus in print. The only people I think benefit from the print edition is vagrants and people packing things up to move.
8
@5: The post doesn't say there were *no* printers in the Puget Sound region that met the requirements. Note the line, "they offered a great price...".
I don't begrudge The Stranger making an intelligent business decision. Just stop being holier than thou when other businesses do the same.
I don't begrudge The Stranger making an intelligent business decision. Just stop being holier than thou when other businesses do the same.
9
@7--I like reading the paper on the bus on the way home and it will likely be a long time before I can afford a handheld Internet device. Besides, I spend enough time at my job sitting and staring at the computer. It's nice to sit and flip through something to get the news.
11
I hope nobody complaining about a paper printed in Yakima eat apples. In the grand scheme of things, something in-state is pretty local. Get off your high horse.
13
I'm sad that you discontinued delivering to Federal Way. Kept me sane during my lunch hours. I know no one reads the Stranger there but me, so it was the logical decision. But could you consider stocking just one paper at the Borders in Sea-Tac Mall?
16
Whether the carbon footprint would be less if the paper is printed in Seattle depends on the source of the substrate on which the Stranger is printed. Arguing that less shipping is required just because something is produced locally ignores the shipping of its component parts.
17
Aha, like everyone else, the Stranger needs carbon based mobility to save money.
Funny thing; the Stranger writers addressing roads, viaduct and similar issues, often talk about other folks who use carbon based mobility to save money, as if they were simply liars, jerks, Luddites, Neanderthals, etc.
Pot/kettle/"C2" -type pun, etc.
Funny thing; the Stranger writers addressing roads, viaduct and similar issues, often talk about other folks who use carbon based mobility to save money, as if they were simply liars, jerks, Luddites, Neanderthals, etc.
Pot/kettle/"C2" -type pun, etc.
18
The Stranger could reduce its carbon footprint by making ECB distribute the print edition on bicycle. She could hook up a Chariot to the back of her bike and haul them around town.
19
When I read @2, I thought, "Crap. How am I gonna read it on the train?" Then I realized that I was reading/posting this on my phone.
20
The stranger would have a lot more readers if it left all the sex and porn articles and ads off the print edition and only put them online.
I don't know how many times I've attempted to read the print edition and had to fold your tabloid like a piece of origami so that the article on "Sticking Beets Up your Butt: A New Downtown Art Exhibit" doesn't show while I'm trying to read the movie reviews....
I don't know how many times I've attempted to read the print edition and had to fold your tabloid like a piece of origami so that the article on "Sticking Beets Up your Butt: A New Downtown Art Exhibit" doesn't show while I'm trying to read the movie reviews....
22
Speaking of where (the hell) is the print edition of The Stranger: Where the hell is the the print edition of the Stranger in Bellingham? We haven't seen our favorite liberal rag since the Thursday before thanksgiving up here in the North Country. The trusty paper box on Railroad Ave. & Magnolia even disappeared with the paper from every coffee shop in town. Save us from all those scary people in Lynden, and our own boring weekly.
23
Fuck paper, no one reads that anyway except for 94 seconds in the cafe before they think of something better to think about. The tele-whore ads are never looked at by anyone. No one will miss it.
24
Spock, your logic has left the building. I do not foresee either a long life or much prosperity at the moment. Check back later.
26
I think the old ways are best. Print the Stranger on giant clay tablets and exhibit it in the middle of the town square for all to read.
In cuneform.
In cuneform.
27
I'm betting the print edition brings them critical ad revenue income which won't be replaced by going online only, and that's what keeps the print version being printed.
28
Dan,
Will the Stranger be announcing layoffs this year?
Print revenue is down. Print cost is up. Online revenue is nearly non-existent. Craigslist gives tranny hooker ads away for free.
How is your model any different from the Times/PI? Because you can say fuck?
Does saying fuck bring in more revenue?
Will the Stranger be announcing layoffs this year?
Print revenue is down. Print cost is up. Online revenue is nearly non-existent. Craigslist gives tranny hooker ads away for free.
How is your model any different from the Times/PI? Because you can say fuck?
Does saying fuck bring in more revenue?
29
I am your mother @ 27.
BINGO!
Print Ad revenue is the primary source of funding for The Stranger (as well as any form of print/web media). Every form of print media has a website... and 9 times out of 10, the advertising on those websites are thrown in for dollar added value for continued print advertising.
If The Stranger were relying on web based ad revenue they would be out of business within the week. Why? Because the business models of all publications factor in the fixed costs associated with running an actual business in their print ad rates while web advertising rarely, if ever does.
It's just the nature of the business. Where the Strangers weekly draw is above the daily papers: Liquor, Music & Restaurants. Without a doubt, they are the best possible advertising medium for any of these businesses in Seattle.
As someone who is involved in print publishing let me say this; What the Seattle PI is going through is just the tip of the iceberg. Everyone in print publishing is facing the same struggles: Declining circulation numbers in print directly effect advertising rates. While a weak economy certainly does not help, it's not the reason print publications are dying a slow death. Look at the Layoffs at the NY Times, as well as local papers? How many magazines have gone out of business this year?
To be sure, to be involved in print publishing today would be compared to being a typesetter in the late 1980's when desktop publishing came onto the radar screen. The only certainty anyone in this industry knows is that we are all going to be working twice as hard, with fewer staff. Probably for the same or less money.
BINGO!
Print Ad revenue is the primary source of funding for The Stranger (as well as any form of print/web media). Every form of print media has a website... and 9 times out of 10, the advertising on those websites are thrown in for dollar added value for continued print advertising.
If The Stranger were relying on web based ad revenue they would be out of business within the week. Why? Because the business models of all publications factor in the fixed costs associated with running an actual business in their print ad rates while web advertising rarely, if ever does.
It's just the nature of the business. Where the Strangers weekly draw is above the daily papers: Liquor, Music & Restaurants. Without a doubt, they are the best possible advertising medium for any of these businesses in Seattle.
As someone who is involved in print publishing let me say this; What the Seattle PI is going through is just the tip of the iceberg. Everyone in print publishing is facing the same struggles: Declining circulation numbers in print directly effect advertising rates. While a weak economy certainly does not help, it's not the reason print publications are dying a slow death. Look at the Layoffs at the NY Times, as well as local papers? How many magazines have gone out of business this year?
To be sure, to be involved in print publishing today would be compared to being a typesetter in the late 1980's when desktop publishing came onto the radar screen. The only certainty anyone in this industry knows is that we are all going to be working twice as hard, with fewer staff. Probably for the same or less money.
30
So the stranger is printed in Yakima......I live in Yakima and have to go to Seattle to pick up the Stranger to read about what entertainment I might want to see. since it is free why cant i pick up the Stranger around Yakima??
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