By Aaron Crowe This story has been fully funded.
Advertising revenues are dropping, circulation is falling, the economy is in a recession, jobs are being cut, and a few companies own all of the newspapers in the Bay Area. It's a tough time to be in journalism, but especially at newspapers, which are cutting jobs and trying to figure out how to increase circulation and advertising while losing readers to the Internet.
What plans to the major Bay Area newspapers have for 2009? How will they capture more audience on the Internet? How do they plan to increase advertising and circulation? For the most part, people still rely on their hometown newspaper to get news about their city or neighborhood. If newspapers have plans to cut staff, move more to the Internet or look for new ways to keep and add readers, then anyone who reads a daily paper in the Bay Area will want to know what their newspaper plans for 2009.
This story will help newspaper readers in the Bay Area understand what their papers have planned for 2009, including how the Internet will affect the daily newspaper they hold in their hand every morning. It will look into the viability of newspapers in the Bay Area and what they plan to do to survive.
I've worked as a professional journalist for 22 years, all but one year of it in the Bay Area. I've worked as a reporter, copy editor and assigning editor. I'm currently a freelance writer and I last worked at the Contra Costa Times in Walnut Creek, CA, and was an assistant metro editor there. I was weekend editor at the Times and saw all MediaNews newspapers in the Bay Area. I was laid off in June 2008.
1,200 to 1,500 words with photos. Interviews will be with top editors at Bay Area News Group, San Jose Mercury News and San Francisco Chronicle. While I haven't yet received approval from these editors to be interviewed for this story, I will make very strong efforts to get the interviews. Video may also be delivered.
