Congratuations to Honolulu Weekly, which is celebrating it’s 19th birthday, but times are hard at the sometimes feisty alternative weekly.
Weekly Editor Ragnar Carlson spelled it out in excruciating detail in last week’s issue. If business doesn’t turn around, Carlson wrote, the Weekly could go under.
According to Carlson, the Star-Advertiser is picking off advertisers who previously reached their customers via the Weekly.
From what I hear, they are being told that now that the two daily newspapers have merged into one, they can reach virtually every reader on Oahu simply by putting their ads in the Star-Advertiser. This isn’t true, of course, but you can see how effective the pitch probably is.
As a result of these new rates and, perhaps, the narrative of a one newspaper town, advertising dollars that once went to other publications, like this one, are now being redirected to the Star-Advertiser. Many people expected that with the merger of the two dailies and the new higher rates, we would gain advertisers. As it turns out, we are losing them, which means that we are losing money. If we lose enough money, well…then all of this goes away. To be born again in some other form, I’m sure, but let’s not kid ourselves: less is not more in journalism. Less is less.
Kudos to Ragnar for laying it out so bluntly. It took some courage to expose the fragile state of the paper.
Carlson had questions for businesses who have relied on the Weekly’s calendar, features, and reviews to drive customers to their wares but have never gotten around to advertising in HW.
When I get an earful from somebody whose events have been featured in the paper nearly every single week for years now, and who nevertheless does not advertise with the Weekly, I always wonder where he gets the nerve. More to the point, I wonder what he thinks will happen to his bottom line if we are not around.
That one strikes a chord with me.
I started my own little monthly newsletter about Hawaii politics in 1990, while Honolulu Weekly publisher Laurie Carlson was laying the groundwork for her new venture. I sold subscriptions for $25, and delivered it via snail mail.
I distinctly recall at least two calls from people angry that they hadn’t received their latest issue, although their friends’ copies had been delivered. These were opinion leaders active in community affairs, people I had known for years. I thought I was caught in an embarrassing error.
In both cases, I consulted my list of subscribers to find out what had gone wrong with their issues, and discovered that they had never actually written a check and subscribed. As I recall, it was tough to deliver that message in a nice way that encouraged them to quickly take the plunge and subscribe. And, to be honest, I don’t recall if they actually did.
In any case, I think we need the Weekly. Without it, we’re another big step in the direction of a Star-Advertiser print monopoly. I want to see the Weekly survive this difficult economy. Pick up a copy, send readers and advertisers their way, if you can.
We just ran an ad for our 20th anniversary and Honolulu Woodturners show in the Weekly and had an excellent experience.
It’s interesting how OPI is trying to kill all it’s competition suck up as much money as it can. It will also be interesting to see how many former Tiser staffers get canned when their 4 month probation is up. I also wonder what all those supporters of the former Star Bulletin are thinking these days about how things are going now?
Yeah, the SA is just killing the Weekly by stealing all of their massage and porn ads….haha…that’s pretty funny. I think anyone with even half a brain can see there’s very little overlap of advertisers in both papers. The type of ads that are ran in the Weekly are never seen in the SA….for obvious reasons. Finally, why is there never a consideration that just perhaps it’s not all an advertising problem but perhaps….ummmm…..management and poor business decisions??? Just sayin….
I agree with CrazyTalk, and also want to say that it was very kind of Ian to point out the Weakly’s anniversary, especially after the way they treated him.
I’d like to see a list of all the bridges burned, the editors scorned, and staff in general treated like crap by the Weekly in those 19 years.
The thanks should really go to the freelancers who got paid pennies to keep Hawaii informed.
If I do say so, there’s more remarkable writing by the Weekly’s editor in the current issue: http://bit.ly/bYv6IE
The Honolulu Weekly is a valuable asset to the community. I just wish they could afford to do even more reporting.
The Advertiser, when operated by the Gannett chain, did exactly the same thing. They bought out community papers and killed them.
But SA management is busy these days hustling out their experienced Star-Bulletin veteran reporters and trying to demoralize the rest. This week three more well-known writers were given their walking papers.
Details on latest departures?
And don’t forget that those laid off at the time of the “merger” still have not received their severances.
I view the HW as representative of a community centered on progressive cultural and economic activity. It is the only publication, print or web, that I actively scan the ads for presence, content and style. The expectation is that I will learn information about cultural and art happenings, find things of interest and value and learn about others of like interest and values. Is this too much to expect from advertising in general?
Sorry to hear about departing staffers at SA, it’s not good when anyone looses their job.
3 “more” well known writers “shown the door”???? Ian, don’t bite at this. Helen Alton, Mary Adamski both probably with over 50 years EACH accepted a VOLUNTARY buy out and should recieve maximum severance according to their union contract. Don’t know about the third….[Note: comment slightly edited to remove unnecessary attack.]
Thanks for the additional info. It is interesting–and worrying–that the Star-Advertiser is already having to offer voluntary buyouts.
Papers do buy outs when they are in trouble and they want to force out older staffers that are usually paid top scale or more. I don’t think many who took the buy outs the Advertiser offered in the last year or so would have left on their own. Also interesting that they will probably get their max severance while Gannett and OPI are do all they can to deny all the Tiser staff their severance after they were terminated!
Geez, once again Ian, your glass is half full. These two folks are probably in their 70′s with all those years of service. Can’t someone just retire? Most people retire and get nothing. I hope the day I retire I get offered nearly a years worth of wages. That seems pretty generous. Did you miss the word, voluntary? They could have said no I suppose and kept working. I would hardly think 2 people of 5oo is “worrying”, unless your drinking glass is always half full. Aloha.
I’m not sure what you’re talking about. My glass, in this case, is neither full nor empty. My only comment has been that buyout offers are not routine and are typically a sign that the business is taking steps to cut costs, usually out of necessity. And I do find that worrying because I don’t want Honolulu to end up a “no newspaper town”.
These are experienced people and among the best reporters on the staff. Age should not matter. Doesn’t matter if they were offered severence to leave. There wasn’t a choice. Gone is gone. They were still there because they’re talented professionals and have loyalty to the product. But there’s no loyalty from the top down.
Spoke with one of the two, who seemed to have mixed emotions. My guess is that it’s hard to turn down a buyout offer that won’t come around again. Still, people want to retire when they’re ready, not before. A lot of institutional memory just walked out the door, as did when the Tiser offered buyouts.
First, what I’m hearing in the advertising community is nothing less than scorn at OPI’s arrogance in price hikes. This applies to commercial printing as well.
Folks are hungry for alternatives to the daily. And the daily is running ads that verge on the sound of desparation, to “show” their suite of products is better than lil’ old PBN, radio, TV, any other media.
Re HW I would caution that a presentation based on confidence of its audience and delivery method as nothing like OPI delivers would keep their advertisers and get others who as mentioned earlier, as hungry for alternatives.
They can talk about the appeal of their candid reporting (long known as a stamp of appeal to alternative press readers) and hopefully increase their revenue rather than lose it.
I hate to say it, but I fear their current problems are due to “operator error” and I’m so sorry about that.