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Wednesday, April 8, 2009

journalism / Statesman Former Statesman writers blog

Posted by Nathaniel Hoffman on Wed, Apr 8, 2009 at 11:19 AM

This week in news we wrote about the consequenses of downsizing in the local media on government agencies. After we went to bed (with the paper, that is) we got an email press release from Chad Dryden, former Statesman writer.

"Chad Dryden was laid off from the Idaho Statesman on Friday, April 3, after more than three years as an arts and entertainment, features and city reporter. Three days later, he launched www.laidoffloser.net."

In our story, strangely headlined Twitter-ganda, we mention Randy Stapilus' list of ex-Idaho journalists, many of them now flaks or PR reps. But now the trend for ex-Statesmanites is apparently to blog.

Dryden is the second that we know of. Jeanne Huff started her cheery Web log, First, the Good News after losing her Statesman writing gig. Everything there is all good and golly all the time.

Dryden's style is more raw and real, with R-rated video clips and everything (J.R. Simplot and Wayne Hammon interrogating the Dude).

"I've got information man. New shit has come to light."

"I know how to work the media," Dryden told citydesk this morning. "I wrote up a press release and sent it out."

Ex-journos blogging-as-resume sites are the new thing. Our former Contra Costa Times colleague Aaron Crowe started one and he seems to be picking up a some work from it, including some press releases, but that's ok...

Maybe we should write about journo blogs in the BW... wonder where we can find a freelancer these days...

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Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Statesman / media Statesman on Atkins (diet)

Posted by Nathaniel Hoffman on Wed, Mar 4, 2009 at 9:35 AM

citydesk bumped into an Idaho Statesman reporter last week who pointed out that BW had not been picking on the daily as much of late. We agreed it had been a few months, and offered that we had more important things to do.

But then, a few days later, the Statesman arrived on our tiled stoop a few inches shorter and thinner, complete with an explanatory pamphlet.

"Busy readers will find even more to like in the new Statesman," the top of the fold bragged.

In newspaper land, that is code for, "we're dumbing it down because we can't afford as much ink anymore."

click to enlarge

The Statesman confirms as much in an inside (inside the sports section, that is) business story sidebar: "The paper is 1 inch narrower and about 2 inches shorter, matching the emerging industry standard. It's the same size as USA Today and the Wall Street Journal."

So the Statesman aims to give us the cursory insights of the USA Today, without the fact checking; as you can see the Boise's paper is not the same size (height, width nor girth) of Wall Street's.

The Statesman has begun printing its paper in the back room of the Idaho Press Tribune, as we reported back in June. The Boise Weekly has been printing there for years... BW publisher Sally Freeman visited the presses yesterday to make sure everything was running smoothly and shot this video below. Press Trib Publisher Rick Weaver is giving the tour (if you have dramamine on hand you may want to pop one, Sally is testing out a new newsroom video camera, and she's so excited...):