The Herald

[John W.]

I just read the parent company of the  St. Paul Pioneer Press just bought about 8-10 newspapers in Minnesota...the closest being one in Intrrbational Falls....please buy the GF Hrrald, the Bemidji Pioneer and the Duluth Ttibune and stop the 'drip, drop' death knel of Forum Comminictions of these once proud news organizations....

[Frozen4sioux]

20 hours ago, MrEdway said:

Plain Talk: Does marijuana lead to satanism?

Latest headline from the local fishwrap. Unbelievable.

Obviously..........

I mean that's basically like a headline that reads, "GF expects snow at some point"... i mean really talk about phoning in a story.

[MrEdway]

3 hours ago, Frozen4sioux said:

Obviously..........

I mean that's basically like a headline that reads, "GF expects snow at some point"... i mean really talk about phoning in a story.

Guess I've got a room reserved in hell.

[Redneksioux]

Satran should stick to horse racing. 

[SiouxVolley]

13 hours ago, John W. said:

I just read the parent company of the  St. Paul Pioneer Press just bought about 8-10 newspapers in Minnesota...the closest being one in Intrrbational Falls....please buy the GF Hrrald, the Bemidji Pioneer and the Duluth Ttibune and stop the 'drip, drop' death knel of Forum Comminictions of these once proud news organizations....

Here’s the story.

https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/notorious-hedge-fund-that-owns-the-pioneer-press-buys-minnesota-media-group-and-its-11-newspapers

 Most of those papers were suburban Minneapolis weeklies.  But the group seen growing profits.

[northernraider]

https://www.bemidjipioneer.com/business/workplace/5034605-Pandemic-prompts-Forum-Communications-to-make-cost-cutting-measures?fbclid=IwAR25QMRWkag1Q2CAz5R3JLMmZDvCi2d0XYAAbwnG4y-ZOyftPGQznNAzb_s

Pandemic prompts Forum Communications to make cost-cutting measures

Summary: Cutting more staff, especially in print & advertising Division.  The mighty Inforum is no longer printing on Monday & Friday

At what point does Forum Communication Company just sale the company or just completely re-think the business model? 

[NoiseInsideMyHead]

28 minutes ago, northernraider said:

https://www.bemidjipioneer.com/business/workplace/5034605-Pandemic-prompts-Forum-Communications-to-make-cost-cutting-measures?fbclid=IwAR25QMRWkag1Q2CAz5R3JLMmZDvCi2d0XYAAbwnG4y-ZOyftPGQznNAzb_s

Pandemic prompts Forum Communications to make cost-cutting measures

Summary: Cutting more staff, especially in print & advertising Division.  The mighty Inforum is no longer printing on Monday & Friday

At what point does Forum Communication Company just sale the company or just completely re-think the business model? 

Shouldn't the extremely busy news cycle and the "free" access to content about the pandemic be driving their page views through the roof right now?  And wouldn't that have a boom effect on ad revenue?

[MafiaMan]

46 minutes ago, northernraider said:

https://www.bemidjipioneer.com/business/workplace/5034605-Pandemic-prompts-Forum-Communications-to-make-cost-cutting-measures?fbclid=IwAR25QMRWkag1Q2CAz5R3JLMmZDvCi2d0XYAAbwnG4y-ZOyftPGQznNAzb_s

Pandemic prompts Forum Communications to make cost-cutting measures

Summary: Cutting more staff, especially in print & advertising Division.  The mighty Inforum is no longer printing on Monday & Friday

At what point does Forum Communication Company just sale the company or just completely re-think the business model? 

In the TC area, the subsidiary company is shutting down the Hastings Star Gazette and The Bulletin (Woodbury and Cottage Grove).  MAJOR cuts were made yesterday.

[DamStrait]

17 minutes ago, NoiseInsideMyHead said:

Shouldn't the extremely busy news cycle and the "free" access to content about the pandemic be driving their page views through the roof right now?  And wouldn't that have a boom effect on ad revenue?

I'm betting that one of the first expenses companies are reducing if not outright eliminating is advertisement.

[MafiaMan]

5 minutes ago, DamStrait said:

I'm betting that one of the first expenses companies are reducing if not outright eliminating is advertisement.

In the interest of full disclosure, I worked for Forum Communications...until about noon yesterday.  I can confirm that NO businesses are advertising right now and this is among the FIRST things that businesses cut.

You know who is LOVING this pandemic right now?  Facebook, that’s who.

[NoiseInsideMyHead]

3 minutes ago, DamStrait said:

I'm betting that one of the first expenses companies are reducing if not outright eliminating is advertisement.

Yeah, but the eyeballs.  If one believed in online advertising before, how could you pass that up?  Will be interesting to see if the banner ads or embedded ads change up much, or reflect national or lower profile accounts versus juicier local advertisers.

[NoiseInsideMyHead]

1 minute ago, MafiaMan said:

In the interest of full disclosure, I worked for Forum Communications...until about noon yesterday.  I can confirm that NO businesses are advertising right now and this is among the FIRST things that businesses cut.

You know who is LOVING this pandemic right now?  Facebook, that’s who.

Personally, I was shocked to see how many local and regional businesses jumped on to TV with pandemic-related campaigns.  Even among the nationals, it was almost like they had those in the can, even though that seems unlikely.

[MafiaMan]

When all is said and done, I will be STUNNED if Forum Communications is not 100% digital within the next few months.  

[Kab]

Need more investigative reporting and less political hack reporting by both sides

papers need to be digital with videos

no one wants to wait for print tomorrow 

it’s still nice flipping thru a paper tho

[UND1983]

16 minutes ago, MafiaMan said:

In the interest of full disclosure, I worked for Forum Communications...until about noon yesterday.  I can confirm that NO businesses are advertising right now and this is among the FIRST things that businesses cut.

You know who is LOVING this pandemic right now?  Facebook, that’s who.

Sorry to hear that.  

[Walsh Hall]

30 minutes ago, MafiaMan said:

In the interest of full disclosure, I worked for Forum Communications...until about noon yesterday.  I can confirm that NO businesses are advertising right now and this is among the FIRST things that businesses cut.

You know who is LOVING this pandemic right now?  Facebook, that’s who.

Yep.  There’s not much point in advertising if you aren’t open anyway.

[northernraider]

1 hour ago, MafiaMan said:

When all is said and done, I will be STUNNED if Forum Communications is not 100% digital within the next few months.  

Sorry to hear, hopefully support systems are available to assist you if necessary. 

[petey23]

3 hours ago, MafiaMan said:

In the interest of full disclosure, I worked for Forum Communications...until about noon yesterday.  I can confirm that NO businesses are advertising right now and this is among the FIRST things that businesses cut.

You know who is LOVING this pandemic right now?  Facebook, that’s who.

and Mcfeely still draws a paycheck.

 

sorry to hear, best of luck Mafia Man.

[UND1983]

10 minutes ago, petey23 said:

and Mcfeely still draws a paycheck.

 

sorry to hear, best of luck Mafia Man.

They have to have somebody to write how about Trump every week.

The rest of the people write BREAKING: headlines when one more case of coronavirus is discovered in North Dakota.

[UND Fan]

3 hours ago, MafiaMan said:

In the interest of full disclosure, I worked for Forum Communications...until about noon yesterday.  I can confirm that NO businesses are advertising right now and this is among the FIRST things that businesses cut.

You know who is LOVING this pandemic right now?  Facebook, that’s who.

Best of luck to you .....

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

3 hours ago, Kab said:

Need more investigative reporting and less political hack reporting by both sides

papers need to be digital with videos

no one wants to wait for print tomorrow 

it’s still nice flipping thru a paper tho

I lately gave up on the GF Herald newspaper, switched to the paperless subscription, do miss that flipping.
Saved up on the Herald over the last few years at the office, put it in copy paper boxes, fits in there nice. 
Have like 5 boxes, my retirement stash! 

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

Starting fires @ the lake used to be a hassle (crunching up those old worthless newspapers), and if you didn't do it right, they kind of liked to unfold and roll away from the logs, frustrating. 

Until the subscription ran out. That's where the 5 boxes of newspapers come in. It's kind of nice the be able to open up that paper, even take a glance at a few old articles in the process. Amazing how no articles remain unrecognized. Helps keep a man's brain young + helps start a fire!
 

I burn like a half dozen of these Rocket Stoves each summer. A little work to make, but last many hours.

[UND1983]

Just scrolled the Forum online.  Homepage had one ad for Family Fare and a couple automated Google ads.  

I clicked on the headline article and inside there was one google ad.  Zero sold ads.  

[Vegas_Sioux]

On 5/24/2019 at 2:48 PM, John W. said:

The Herald is not just about Grand Forks....there are 150,000 Minnesotans who live in NW Minny who would/do appreciate info about the Twins, Vikes, and perhaps even BSU or UMC....maybe even some folks  in Piss Creek, ND follow the Twins....don't blame Fargo for elitism.....it's rampant in GF and by some on this board...

Hockey is still 'minor league'..no matter how you cut it!!!!

The herald lost me when east grand forks hosting Crookston in football last September was game not concluded at press time. 

[ND-fan]

I hate to say it Forum communications business model has brought about a lot of this drop in advertising and people buying there papers or even listening to there news casts on TV. They have consolidated everything around there Fargo/Moorhead for there news content and weather content. The Grand Forks Herald emphasis also was changed in that its chief mission on sports side was UND hockey and I have been a fan of it but there were other things I also was a fan of than UND Hockey. I used to like it when they covered the UND's Football team and Basketball teams but in past year no matter what the lead was the hockey team to be honest I got tired of this. I also have interest in high school sports and not just the Grand Forks schools plus the Thompson connection for the class b side of things. I know for a fact a lot of people outside Grand Forks and Fargo have expressed  opinions and lack of understanding of what we wanted in content didn't count and they didn't care if they had our business or not. But I bet you businesses that did do some advertising does care and saw they couldn't reach customers through Forum communications media they went elsewhere they could reach us. I don't know where we are heading but for print to be viable the printing of newspapers has gone the wrong way instead right way now because print by saving costs means by time we receive a newspaper its two days old on what your reading and has no further in-depth reporting like it used to do. Instead of consolidating printing I have thought why can't they small little printers that brings printing and delivery of the newspaper closer to their customers and also cost of moving newspapers around the region. Second this would allow them to regionalize their print media by having different sections printed for different regions making the paper more appealable to ifferent regions than trying to force people to just follow whats happening in Fargo metro area. These are some thoughts I have been having for some time to change the business model.