Why newspapers are dying, point the self-referential

When newspapers are filling internal positions, that is, jobs at the newspaper, and a majority of applicants, when asked where they heard about the position, do NOT say:

"The newspaper's own ad"  ...

But instead answer ...

Referring to the classified ads Internet-era archenemy of newspapers ...

"I saw it on Craigslist" ...

Houston, we have a problem.

Just another sign of where the newspaper biz is these days.

That said, this is a small weekly that's near, but not itself a part of, a metro area of about 300,000. It's not like the Metroplex, the Bay Area, or something like that.

I mean, it's kind of sad to write that. But, it's not like I'm giving anything away in terms of trade secrets or something. I'm just stating the facts on the ground.

FiredogLake and 'membership' blogging

The theoretically progressive-ish group blog and community political portal and forum FiredogLake is looking to launch a membership model. Is this like NPR, with pledges? I thought FDL already had a PayPal link onsite; besides, I know I already get "pledge reguest" e-mails from the site.

Anyway, it sounds like this is something more. Is the "membership," though, NOT something like NPR, and rather, a subscription under another name? I mean, it's asking "members" to vote on a new logo;

If the logo is going to be used to "brand" FDL tchotchkes, it could be a subscription model, not a pledge model, anyway. That's the way enviro groups, especially, work.

A subscription/member model - will it work? Here's some skepticism, not just about the model, but about FDL.

Here's the link to what FDL calls the "membership association program." UGH. Anything with the word "association" like that sounds SO effing corporatized. Because, related to "association" in this context is "associates." Like Walmart "associates." Or Amway "associates."

Here's what FDL says:

When Craig Newmark of Craigslist predicted last October that NPR would be a “dominant force” in news in ten years because of its membership model, a lot of people were surprised. But behind the scenes at FDL, we had collectively come to the same conclusion after reading Jon Walker’s series on “Lessons From the Nonpartisan League.” For months now, we have all been working together to come up with a membership association program that will give our community members a way to increase their involvement with FDL as well as expand our ability to cover and impact public issues.

First, NPR has an oftimes dysfunctional relationship with member stations. That will probably get worse before it gets better, if it does. Second, just because Craig Newmark, an unethical advertising website operator who runs housing adds that violate the Fair Housing Act but gets to do it, a court has ruled, because he's not a newspaper, has succeeded in a niche with a one-time, unorganized site, makes him nowhere near a guru. Nor, with such an unprogressive attitude on this, sexual services ads and the sex worker industry and other things, does it make his advice something that should be followed with out moral skepticism anyway.

In either case, I'm curious ... is this an NPR membership program? If so, why? Just add logo-branded tchotchkes to a Paypal page. Or is this a subscription model for premium content. If that's the case, I expect the paywalled section to become about as relevant to opinion discourse as Times Select was.

A personal note. I got involved with FiredogLake after seeing that its founders were a touch more progressive, or whatever, than Josh Marshall or Kos. I got more involved, and started a diary after Josh eliminated them from TPM.

That said, overall, FDL isn't that much more progressive.

The CorrenteWire link above also opened my eyes in other ways. I didn't realize people had been banned from FDL in the past. Given that I was, if not technically banned, at least blocked from posting, at Kos, that's something very disquieting.

And, it's true that people like Jane Hamsher and Marcy Wheeler and still, at end of day, Democrats-right-or-wrong Democrats. Ditto on someone like Spencer Ackerman, i'm sure, coming from The New Republic, among other places.

Does Craigslist abet criminality?

Especially in places where the housing bubble grew the most and imploded the loudest, buyers now getting foreclosed are doing "foreclosure stripping sales." Fixtures, appliances, trees, even ... if it's moveable, it's being offered for sale.

A lot of people are advertising the goods on Craigslist.

Of course, the story goes on to note that in Phoenix, this has led the FBI to be a regular visitor to the Phoenix Craigslist pages.

Here's Craigs' BS self-defense:

(Craigslist does not vet the postings created by its users, and a spokeswoman, Susan MacTavish Best, said the site had not been contacted by law officials about ads for stripped merchandise. “One wonders how one would know the provenance of each fixture and appliance,” she wrote in an e-mail message.)

Uhh, by doing a background check on a suspicious ad? Monitoring ads for suspiciousness? Rejecting suspicious ads?

Yet another dark side of the Brave New World of New Media, eh?
I hope, really hope, that the feds go after Craigs itself, and not just individual homeowners. Considering it has gotten off the legal hook so far on running racist home-for-sale ads, it would be a bit of poetic justice.

Another reason for banks not to foreclose?

Especially in places where the housing bubble grew the most and imploded the loudest, buyers now getting foreclosed are doing "foreclosure stripping sales." Fixtures, appliances, trees, even ... if it's moveable, it's being offered for sale.

A lot of people are advertising the goods on Craigslist.

Of course, the story goes on to note that in Phoenix, this has led the FBI to be a regular visitor to the Phoenix Craigslist pages.

I hope, really hope, that the feds go after Craigs itself, and not just individual homeowners. Considering it has gotten off the legal hook so far on running racist home-for-sale ads, it would be a bit of poetic justice.

How bad is the paper biz?

Josh Marshall thinks the negative trends against it are all structural.

While not disagreeing with the degree of structural problems, I note that some of this is, in fact, cyclical:

Who are two of biggest advertisers in newspapers? Realtors and auto dealers. Need I say more?

That said, part of the decline in both those sectors is structural, too.

Realtors are going to Craigslist, and may increase that, since a federal court has ruled that Craig's is NOT a newspaper and therefore not subject to Fair Housing guidelines.

Also on the structural side, there's been plenty of stupid decisions, just like in the auto business.

The AP not adopting a subscription model for online AP stories more than a decade ago would be the biggest.

If that had been in place, member newspapers then could have comfortably charged for online subscriptions.

BUT, circ is only about 25 percent of revenue and ads the other 75. Craigslist would have cut in no matter what. (And, it'skilling alt-weeklies even worse.)

Back to structural problems.

The biggest has been the assumption by newspaper owners that they're "entitled" to 25 percent profit margins. Well, those days are long gone.

Take Sam Zell. Stupidest thing he's doing is keeping 'Trib Co. and selling the Cubs. He should keep the Cubs, and WGN, and sell the rest.

SCOTUS sort-out seems looming in Web housing ads

A federal appellate court has ruled Roomates.com cannot require users to disclose their sexual orientation.

To inquire electronically about sexual orientation would not be different from asking people in person or by telephone if they were black or Jewish before conducting business, the panel said in an 8-3 ruling that partly overturns a lower federal court decision.

“If such screening is prohibited when practiced in person or by telephone, we see no reason why Congress would have wanted to make it lawful to profit from it online,” 9th Circuit chief judge Alex Kozinski wrote. “Not only does Roommate ask these questions, Roommate makes answering the discriminatory questions a condition of doing business.” …

“Where it is very clear that the Web site directly participates in developing the alleged illegality — as it is clear here with respect to Roommate’s questions, answers and the resulting profile pages — immunity will be lost.”

I agree. I agree 110 percent both personally, and as a newspaper editor.

As I’ve blogged before, including about a contrary court ruling I’ll describe below, websites that are the functional equivalent of newspaper classified ads ought to have to abide by the same legal standards.

And, the plaintiffs in this case made that same argument:

The Fair Housing Council of San Fernando Valley and the Fair Housing Council of San Diego filed suit against the Web site, claiming it violated the Fair Housing Act and various state laws.

Again, I agree both personally and professionally.

BUT…

Last month, another appellate court upheld a district court ruling saying that Craigslist could, in essence, do the same thing by running ads that let people say things such as “No Minorities.”

U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve, who originally dismissed the case, ruled that Craigslist serves as an intermediary party, not a publisher. The 7th Circuit upheld her ruling on the same grounds.

Well, that directly conflicts with the Roomates.com ruling.

Court makes wrong ruling on Craiglist housing ad bias liability - but hope rises anew

Although Craigslist steals a boatload of ads from traditional newspapers and even more from alt-weeklies, a federal appeals judge said it doesn’t have the same legal burden as them to make sure its classified ads for housing aren’t discriminatory.

The lawsuit, filed by a consortium of Chicago attorneys in February 2006, accused Craigslist of violating federal housing laws by publishing more than 100 ads that excluded potential buyers or tenants on the basis of race, gender or religion.

I strongly hope this is pursued to the Supreme Court and overturned. And, the Chicago lawyers who started the legal action say they’re not giving up yet on rooting out discriminatory housing lenders and sellers.

But, that’s a toughie.

The decision upholds a November 2006 ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. In dismissing the case, U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve ruled that Craigslist serves as an intermediary party, not a publisher.

And, that’s why it’s a toughie. You have both a district judge and an appellate judge unwilling to tackle new media issues. And, you know SCOTUS, should it even take such an appeal, isn’t going to be any better.

So, unless those Chicago lawyers find grounds to appeal this particular ruling, this gives Craigslist a hugely unfair legal advantage over traditional newspapers.

Update, April 4: Those Chicago lawyers may just have their grounds for appeal.

Out in San Francisco, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled Roomates.com cannot require users to disclose their sexual orientation. Sounds like an awfully similar case to me; this is headed to SCOTUS, I do believe.

Craigslist or Can-Spam list?

Sure, corporate advertisers may prefer Craigslist to alt-weekly print ads, but individuals?

Let’s put it this way: my position wanted classys on Craigs’ have drawn nothing but spam. I’m clearly asking for writing/editorial jobs, and what do I get?

NOTHING but sales-type offers. Now, not all of them are mall marketing jobs for 19-year-old kids, let alone pay money to work for us type stuff. BUT… any sales job in response to my position wanted ad is by definition spam.

And, on the personals side… well, I’ve been getting other junk in my e-mail junk folders recently, too.

Sorry, Craigs. You ain’t even close to “all that.”