Des Moines register - Continuing down Spiral

[CycloneBob]

Although disappointed and disturbed, the Sunday Des Moines Register didn't have a single thing on the the ISU women's game at KU. I took and second and third look - but nothing. Again on Monday - not a mention.
This paper continues to shrink and become meaningless - it's their own fault.

 

[Knownothing]

Although disappointed and disturbed, the Sunday Des Moines Register didn't have a single thing on the the ISU women's game at KU. I took and second and third look - but nothing. Again on Monday - not a mention.
This paper continues to shrink and become meaningless - it's their own fault.

The only reason it stays in business is the older folks who don't want technology. Otherwise it's a sad state for Newspapers. The internet breaks news so fast they can't keep up. The only thing the Register has is the opinion side where they have far right and far left people write columns to drum up responses.

They lost me when they quit the Big Peach.

 

[AgronAlum]

That’s what happens when people don’t pay for their news. Cuts have to be made somewhere.

You’ll have alternative outlets popping up like CF to cover if there is enough demand.

 

[VeloClone]

The only reason it stays in business is the older folks who don't want technology. Otherwise it's a sad state for Newspapers. The internet breaks news so fast they can't keep up. The only thing the Register has is the opinion side where they have far right and far left people write columns to drum up responses.

They lost me when they quit the Big Peach.

I was disappointed when the ended the Big Peach, but when I learned why I understood. The ability to do color photos on the sports pages was compromised with peach colored paper so they actually did it to improve the paper. Probably the last change they made to improve that paper and it was two decades ago.

 

[pulse]

There’s this cool site called cyclones.com

https://cyclones.com/news/2019/1/5/...guides-no-25-cyclones-to-82-73-win-at-ku.aspx

 

[Knownothing]

I was disappointed when the ended the Big Peach, but when I learned why I understood. The ability to do color photos on the sports pages was compromised with peach colored paper so they actually did it to improve the paper. Probably the last change they made to improve that paper and it was two decades ago.

I get why they did it also. However, I didn't care about the colored pics. I just liked getting the rag, seeing the peach colored paper and ripping it out. So much content. I am not sure how much longer a lot of these papers like the DMR can stay in business. I can't say I blame anyone. Just a product of the times.

 

[Walden4Prez]

There are still newspapers?

 

[JM4CY]

Would you say the rag could be illustrated like this?

 

[CloneinWDSM]

Went to read articles on Hakeem and Montgomery last night, and said I would have to pay to read.

It was only like .99 cents but why would I do that when I can go to CF, Our 24/7 site, Ames Tribune and get the same information.

It’s not like the writing of Birch and Pandy Reterson is so good that I have to read it.

 

[somecyguy]

My wife in her 40s still reads the weekend editions of the paper. It slightly annoys me to get it at the store (I'm not paying extra for delivery), because whenever I thumb through it, I see 3 or 4 articles I already read online.

 

[BoxsterCy]

I don't know much about the print version these days but their online does an okay job of covering the Fennelly Clones. I don't bother with it much cause it's kind of a mess and not worth all of the popups and articles limits for what's kind of duplicate coverage.

On the other head, is there really that much general interest in women's college hoops in Iowa? Outside of HS tourney time and Cyclone fans in Ames? None of my old Iowa friends follow this sport and I don't even bother talking to them about it. Turned on the ranked Hawkeyes with the best player in the Big 10 last night and it was a sea of empty seats. Hell, bring the sport up here on CF outside of the women's forum and you can guarantee some mocking commitments from the MBB and football only fans. Most of our WBB threads are generally made up of the same less than a dozen or so posters.

If there is real interest the papers will cover it. The Gophers loss the other day was on the front pages of the sports section here. Helps that the Vikings pooped out but they do a lot of coverage of women's hoops even before hometown fav Whalen got hired. They have a lot of coverage of HS and the Lynx (helps when they win championships) because there's actaully enough interest to drive it.

It's been awhile since we have made any noise in WBB so maybe a good NCAA run this year will generate some interest. Needs something because although we still have a loyal following locally that group is getting very old.

 

[NenoFone]

I live in an apartment, every Wednesday I get a giant advertising section from the Register. I didn't ask for it, it just arrives. I ruffle through it to make sure there are no letters hidden in it , then I throw it out. It annoys me every week.

 

[theshadow]

When Dan Johnson died, the DMR pretty much quit covering any regular-season WBB game outside the state.

However, with ISU in the top-25, there should be (or should have been) an AP writer covering the game -- which means at the very least a wire story available.

 

[Buster28]

It's disappointing to fans who have been around long enough to remember when this program was a huge deal, with a ton of coverage: tv news, newspaper, large radio network for live game broadcasts. But that was an era of 10,000-13,000 fans in Hilton per game. The team won consistently for years, drew interest for years, attracted media coverage for years. The down seasons since have vastly outnumbered those of the program's hey-day. It takes a while for fans to notice renewed success and come back. With more fans, comes more attention. The current situation is a product of both the way media words today and the recent history of fewer wins and fewer butts in the seats.

I still like reading a good newspaper, but I'm afraid the DMR doesn't really qualifiy anymore. If there is a copy in front of me, I may leaf through it. But I won't go out of my way to find it anymore.

 

[Die4Cy]

Newspapers just don't have the revenue to cover sports in depth anymore, save for the couple that really draw interest and eyeballs. The best reporting on ISU top to bottom happens right here.

The era of the printed newspaper is over. It hasn't all shaken out yet, but a daily newspaper has nothing in it everyone hasn't heard about, discussed, and made their own opinion on for least twelve hours prior to it even going to press.

 

[BCClone]

Went to read articles on Hakeem and Montgomery last night, and said I would have to pay to read.

It was only like .99 cents but why would I do that when I can go to CF, Our 24/7 site, Ames Tribune and get the same information.

It’s not like the writing of Birch and Pandy Reterson is so good that I have to read it.

Clear the cookies and history on your device and you will get ten more to read for free.

 

[Clone83]

They had a link to their Cyclone Insider app in the middle of one of their articles last weekend. I downloaded it and it looks prettty good. All articles through it are free.

Still no coverage of the women’s game, I don’t believe. They each have their own restrictions or constraints, but I find it hard to believe the Cedar Rapids Gazette would not have covered a similar Hawkeye game at all. And of course the Iowa City Press-Citizen would have (which, Iike the Register, is similarly owned by Gannett).

 

[Urbandale2013]

This is a general complaint of newspapers. You have to have a product worth paying for. I get tired of Birch and other paper people saying just pay the money and get access. I’m not paying for what they put out. I’ll take a little more effort and go elsewhere to get the same news. For the longest time my family would get the Sunday paper for the ads and to read through. We stopped doing that a couple of years ago because it just wasn’t worth it. Newspapers are rushing to the bottom of journalism. The successful business model would be to produce a premium product and charge more.

When they don’t even include basic information or anything that you haven’t already read then why buy it.

 

[inCyteful]

That’s what happens when people don’t pay for their news. Cuts have to be made somewhere.

You’ll have alternative outlets popping up like CF to cover if there is enough demand.

I will pay good money for news, if it is informative. If I pay for it I want it to be comprehensive and without a lot of meaningless clutter. I spend a good 2 hours every morning reading news, some of it from newspaper sites, some of it from places like CF. Register and our paper out here and a number of others just aren't a good investment of $$ or time for staying up on things.

 

[CycloneBob]

This is a general complaint of newspapers. You have to have a product worth paying for. I get tired of Birch and other paper people saying just pay the money and get access. I’m not paying for what they put out. I’ll take a little more effort and go elsewhere to get the same news. For the longest time my family would get the Sunday paper for the ads and to read through. We stopped doing that a couple of years ago because it just wasn’t worth it. Newspapers are rushing to the bottom of journalism. The successful business model would be to produce a premium product and charge more.

When they don’t even include basic information or anything that you haven’t already read then why buy it.

You are right! We've subscribed to the Sunday Register for close to 40 yrs. We've subscribed to the daily Register at our company for likely 25 yrs. So, don't tell me we don't try to pay for what we want or hope for. We will likely discontinue the daily when our subscription expires. Birch is wrong. In this case, the product must come first or the customers won't buy it. If the product goes downhill (as the Register is going), customers will quit buying. In Sunday's paper the Register printed at least one "canned" story on professional basketball - how many were interested in that? It's hard to believe they can't afford someone, like an intern or other, to cover and report the ISU - KU women's game; or get info somehow to run a story.

In another area, how many noticed the Register discontinued the daily business section (or what there was of it) about a month ago? The Sunday Business section is down to about 1 1/2 pages. It's hard to believe there's not enough business in Iowa to support a good business section.