So The Bluffton Today is going to be free again, but at the cost of daily - to twice a week publication. I can only see things going down hill from here. Almost nobody is there from when it started 7 years ago. I guess we all knew it was going to happen, but now what? I feel torn about the whole thing. I want us, the people of Bluffton to have a paper, but I don't think it was really Bluffton Today's thing anyway.
I liked having someone I could oppose around. That is sort of why I started this whole blog, because I didn't want my words, what I wrote to become fodder for the paper to print whenever/however they wished, plus they went in and edited some things too, because they didn't want "Pool-pooping" a term that they came up with (it still ranks 6th when you google it). Oh well, that is the thing about trying to repress something... in trying to repress, you actually help it to grow. And I got more than a little fed up with their constant non-reporting even though they were a "newspaper". (like the school board/referendum or town/county issues or even issues with their own site)
Then I had my issues, mainly the stroke... my wife moves up in the world, and I really don't care much about what is going on anymore. That isn't to say I don't follow it, because I do, I'm forced to live it. But I know my kids are doing reasonably well, and they keep paying my wife... I'll leave that up to someone else to nitpick with them.
Back to the BT, this is their supposed first day of recreating themselves... which is supposed to be better, more of an online presence, so far I see nothing. Great more of the same. I can't knock on them too hard though, but if you wanted to be a reporter (no way in hell would I take that job) and you are starting off a new thing, wouldn't you make your presence known? I don't see anything different, new, or otherwise. Come on BT, don't leave me hanging... again.
Ok I got the paper, looked though it... it was/is more like a um, newspaper I think the adds are much less obtrusive, but everything is just jumbled in sort of willy nilly. No web presence at all. I think they are supposed to increase web presence. Well... we will see... I got my copy but it was wet... so, some things never change. (I know I have the POA approved newspaper holder beneath the mailbox, but it is easier to just chuck the paper)
Monday, August 29, 2011
BT... R.I.P.
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2 comments:
I'm surprised they've lasted this long.
I guess I liked the original idea, but I didn't care for BT's attitude toward a group of bloggers who, at the start, provided the newspaper with some pretty good content free of charge. I can't even remember exactly why, except that I decided I really didn't need to contribute/participate there anymore.
Now I'm in Beaufort and never see a BT hard copy. Infrequently check the blogs.
I'm not even sure where I'm going with this. Hope they find a workable model? I agree -- the community needs a good local publication. I do hope it works out. Any print-related gig is a tough sell these days...and managing user-provided online content is a minefield.
Yes, I agree completely, I will post what I would do if I were the editor of BT or Bluffton Packet in a few days. But I doubt it will mean much, I think newspaper business is dead, and minefield is spot on. It used to be different, but those days are long gone...
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