Ludington Daily News Has New Leadership

[XLFD]

But Will They Have New Readership?

 

As reported in today's front page of that august local publication, Shoreline Media (which includes the LDN, the Oceana Herald-Journal, and the White Lake Beacon among its assets) was sold to an Illinois-based organization called Community Media Group.  The group serves eight states in the midwest and the northeast, and plans to continue providing the areas covered by those newspapers with coverage, and likely some changes.  

As Jim Young, who publishes both Oceana papers stated: 

“Every time, there was a little concern about what will happen (in an ownership change), and every time there was an influx of ideas that made the papers stronger and better.”

We at the Ludington Torch are happy for David Jackson, who, when he was fresh on the scene, was a positive force for the community, and put out a quality product.  With the absence of any solid leadership over the last few years, the newspaper's contents, editorial-direction, and reportage have deteriorated drastically, along with the readership. 

Meanwhile, it has been published that there have been a fair deal of debts piling up for the local papers to local lending institutions, which may have precipitated an earlier than wanted retirement for David Jackson, when he found a willing purchaser.

Whatever the case may be, we welcome aboard the new media group and hope they make the changes necessary to get the Daily News back to being a proud member of the Fourth Estate once again.  Here is a supplementary article about the transaction in MLIve

[XLFD]

I agree wholeheartedly with you on that criticism, and the firings are more than likely seniority driven, all other things being equal.  But I would have got a subscription to the LDN if the three fired had been Publisher Evans, Editor Begnoche, and Weasel Braniczeski.

BTW, the total has reportedly been upped to five, with the last two being workers in the office who don't shoot photos or have by-lines.  There should be a little more flesh in this story tomorrow, as I have heard that WMOM news is going to air out the damage-- so check them out on the air at about five minutes before the hour and at their website.

[AQUAMAN]

Alway and Hartley sound like locals names to me. Whereas Evans is from Indy, Benoche is from Tx, and Brainiac is also an outlander. Since outlanders from Ill. bought this now, I would imagine the axes will find the locals instead of the real bufoons that need hatcheting. Would be nice to have seen a local entrepreneur buy it, and see truths in journalism have a chance to breath again. Kinda like the recent CC elections, just went further south, instead of up. I also liked the front page prediction made by the LDN about 6 weeks ago, "brutal winter expected soon", well, what does the present winter weather so far say about that valued prediction? More award winning reporting..........lol.

[Marty Redman]

Had to look up 'lickspittle' but I agree.  These firings are a symbol of big changes, but will they be improvements.  Not at this point, these are all non-management staff.

[Willy]

I took this posting off MOM radio website. They reported that the layoffs were not reported in the LDN paper or on their web page. It's amazing that the LDN can't even get the scoop on their own news story.

http://www.wmom.fm/

"Only on WMOM!  The Ludington Daily News fires at least five of their employees.  It happened Friday night just before the takeover by a new--out of state--owner.  Gone are photographers Rob Alway and Lisa Enos and reporter Jennifer Linn Hartley.  Several other office workers were also terminated.  One former employee spoke, with the agreement of anonymity, that the staff had been assured by the old ownership that no changes were anticipated.  The Facebook pages of those terminated were buzzing over the weekend with well-wishers from all sectors of the community.  Saturday’s paper had no mention of the changes and thus far there’s no posting on the LDN website of what happened."

[Dave]

Another chink in the credibility of LDN when they get scooped by local radio regarding news at LDN... hopefully this is only the start of the housecleaning... although I probably wouldn't hold your breath.

[XLFD]

 

LDN Publisher Jeff Evans is being played by a young Kevin Bacon in this reenactment of the LDN's New Year's Party.

[XLFD]

That WMOM article is hilarious, and yet informative.  The first line is an indirect reference to LDN's headline of "Only in the Ludington Daily News" where they took a dig at the local broadcasters using their resources. 

I know from my personal experiences with the two news sources during my run for the city council:

The LDN sponsored a candidate's forum where I was not able to legally attend.  They didn't bother going through the necessary hurdles (thanks to the illegal policy passed by the City Council which they have never commented on) to allow me to participate.  They then misreported the facts in their yellow rag.

WMOM News Reporter Mike Tanis not only gave me the opportunity to debate my opponent head to head on the radio once, but twice before the election that I wasn't allowed to vote in.  Mr. Tanis was respectful and professional, LDN's Begnoche and Braniszeski have been consistently disrespectful and unprofessional.

 

Expect more friction in the future between these two local news sources, as WMOM becomes more recognized as the source to go to (when you can't access the Torch!).

 

[Willy]

X

You made a very good point that I had not considered. The fact that LDN SPONSORED  the debates and did not fight for or cover, fairly, the treatment of one of the candidates. In fact they seemed to be trying to help sabotage your candidacy.  This was their show and they handled it very poorly. It was like, taking the banishment situation, dropping it in their lap and watching them quickly handle it like a hot potato. They wanted nothing to do with it even tho, in my opinion, it is an extremely important  news story. The more I think about how they handled the debates only shows me how misguided their priorities are.

[XLFD]

And karma has made its appearance to them this year with the downgrading of the LDN, as it had at the end of last year when Ludington Talks discovered it had no niche left in the local discourse of ideas, being displaced by the citizen journalists at the Ludington Torch. 

The LDN's bitterness towards candidate Rotta was not generated solely by their close relationship to City Hall, but also by this alternative news portal that consistently shows their ineptitude in informing the citizens the way a local news organization should.

[Willy]

Another good point regarding the on line competition. I think the LDN forum users got to conservative for them. Also the SOUP could not support itself with only liberal ideas because most folks are not liberal. It's hard to argue liberal ideas when they involve taking money from one group of people and giving it to others. I wonder what happened to all the SOUPERS?

[AQUAMAN]

The LDN claimed the LT forum was too much to babysit anymore I guess. Babysit whom I ask? The libs were the ones with constant personal attack, varied spin, and vulgarity mostly, along with convoluted remarks, mostly that of Zannie and Tuebor. Both bowed out due to debates they could not counter with facts and courtesy. The Soup-Poop gang also dissolved for lack of interest due to the sameo of no debaters left. If you were a conservative, you got banned. All that was leftover then was agreeing to fluff and vulgarity, no ideas nor expressions of thought for todays issues of concern.

[Willy]

I haven't heard those names in a long time. I think Zannie was banned from LDN because of her nasty remarks made to folks she did not agree with. And Tuebor was so far left, he fell off the edge.