Star-Ledger Proposes to Cut Staff by 200; Newhouses Threaten to Sell Paper

Newhouse might have a small problem selling the STAR-LEDGER. Who would want to buy it? There is also the problem of borrowing the money to buy the STAR-LEDGER. Folding the paper & selling its real estate would be a way for Newhouse if the S-L has enough real estate & if it has any value.

Perhaps Arwady should just get rid of the new managers he hired in the new positions - as well as the new business reps he hired for counties handled by in-house sales reps - incurring additional office rental costs at satelites offices as well as equipment...to sign retail business already under contract at lower rates...Arwady is the problem - since Mr Bartner's passing it has not been the same

As a newspaper customer, I can't speak about problems with unions or alleged incompetent managers, because I'm not on the inside and thus am not qualified to evaluate. But I can speak from a customer's perspective, and I have been saying this to your customer service department for years (in all fairness, particularly to the New York Times customer service department, because I have mostly been their customer, but I have, at times, been your customer.) It really doesn't matter, because all newspapers seem to suffer from the same problem from a customer's point of view, and it's this:

You have fierce competition from internet news delivery, and you don't know how to compete because you don't understand where, in this new landscape, you can compete successfully.

Here is your niche -- here is where you can compete successfully: quality home delivery to subscribers.

None of the newspapers -- and I have subscribed to the New York Post, New York Times, and Star Ledger at different times over the years -- none of the newspapers understand, and deliver, what the customer wants in home delivery.

All we customers want is home delivery as reliable as the U.S. Mail.

The U.S. Mail delivers in rain, sleet and snow. So should the newspapers. The U.S. Mail delivers on time (I know when it's going to be delivered every day); so should the newspapers.

But none of them do.

I have been a weekend subscriber, and for the first 2 to 6 weeks, it's delivered on time.

Then, it's not.

Either it's not delivered at all, or it's delivered late. This means I have to call Customer Service on my precious weekend morning to complain about the lack of service.

And then, I either have to wait for the paper, or go out and get my own paper.

The great thing about newspaper delivery is the convenience of having it there when I wake up, so I don't have to go in my car to get it, and I can spread the newspaper on my bed with my cup of coffee and enjoy.

If it's not there on time, my Sunday morning is ruined.

And if I have to get on the phone with customer service and complain, my Sunday morning is particularly ruined.

The first time the newspaper is not delivered properly, I call up Customer Service and immediately cancel my subscription.

No second chances.

And I want hard copy because I don't want to sit at my computer on a wintry Sunday morning -- I want to be under my quilt with my Star Ledger hard copy.

And in the summer, I want to take my Star Ledger to the beach. I don't want to take any hand-held technology.

So there's your niche.

Electronic technology cannot compete for many customers with the old fashioned pleasure of reading the hard copy newspaper in bed. Or reading it in the bathroom. Or taking it to the beach.

But if home delivery is not 100% reliable, I'm going to go to the computer.

So here should be your goal: (1) promote that you're going to have the highest quality home delivery, with 100% reliability within 10 months; and (2) invest in the home delivery operation (trucks, personnel, etc.) to ensure this happens.

Will our news change? I hope the best writers still stay on and the style of the paper doesn’t change. With our recession, it’s a crazy turn in all businesses, news publications for example. Jobs are being cut but the news keeps on going. So how and from who will we get it all if the writers have lost their jobs?

Some industries are still going strong like in Technology, Media, and Public Relations. There has to be a lot of encouragement from companies themselves to motivate their staff. One top PR firm, 5W Public Relations/5WPR was said to have encouraged their employees to work harder than ever before, continuing to focus on delivering amazing results proving the individuals to be invaluable. Its something all bosses should be telling their employees at this time in our economy.