Mitchell Schnurman of the FWST doesn't buy the story that the Belo layoffs have nothing to do with the circulation overstatement. I'd imagine most Belo-ites agree with him.
If Belo wants to regain some of its lost credibility, it could start by leveling with employees.
The Morning News needed to get leaner, but that's been the case for years. It was the circulation debacle that brought the issue to a head.
Belo is an ambitious media company for its size, venturing into regional cable news, foreign language dailies and a host of Internet plays. But it often fumbles the execution, and the Dallas company has written off tens of millions of dollars on the projects.
One problem is that Belo usually spends too much, whether it's on staffing The News' Washington bureau or launching a freebie paper for those who don't read newspapers. The approach extends to its advertising, too, where it once gave away classified ads to rack up linage. It still offers display space at prices lower than most in the industry.
One minor point: I've heard from reliable sources that the News has been selling pages to homebuilders for as little as $3,500.
One bigger point, one that I'll continue belaboring: Respect.
Link props to Brian D. Sweany at The Frontburner.
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