Dooley & Andreu leaving the Gainesville Sun

Theologator

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This really is interesting. Any theories as to what the Sun has up their sleeve? Do you think it was a pure monetary decision (want to bring in someone cheaper, they have no money) or a performance thing?

I spoke some months ago with a local reporter for the Lakeland Ledger, which has always been part of the group of local papers owned previously by The NY Times, Halifax, and now Gannett (USA Today.) She said cost cutting has left them with a minimal shell of local reporters and a handful of stringers. She is making half what she did 10 years ago, about what a starting teacher makes, and is writing a lot more and shorter articles. It’s bad.

I suspect that Pat & Robbie were asked to take a deep pay cut or retire. Otherwise you ride the season out, especially when it looks so interesting.

There hasn’t been news other than whatever the SID feeds them since SOS left. UM3 clamped down on leaks and Muschamp ushered in a bunker mentality that has become the norm. Everyone is scripted, including the players. So all you’re left with is regurgitation of whatever Scott Carter wrote, or what the pool all heard in the same press conference. And then there are the opinion pieces that come out from Bianchi et al.

Seems to me Gannett should have a plan.
 

Double Gator Dad

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I spoke some months ago with a local reporter for the Lakeland Ledger, which has always been part of the group of local papers owned previously by The NY Times, Halifax, and now Gannett (USA Today.) She said cost cutting has left them with a minimal shell of local reporters and a handful of stringers. She is making half what she did 10 years ago, about what a starting teacher makes, and is writing a lot more and shorter articles. It’s bad.

I suspect that Pat & Robbie were asked to take a deep pay cut or retire. Otherwise you ride the season out, especially when it looks so interesting.

There hasn’t been news other than whatever the SID feeds them since SOS left. UM3 clamped down on leaks and Muschamp ushered in a bunker mentality that has become the norm. Everyone is scripted, including the players. So all you’re left with is regurgitation of whatever Scott Carter wrote, or what the pool all heard in the same press conference. And then there are the opinion pieces that come out from Bianchi et al.

Seems to me Gannett should have a plan.

Your last paragraph was rock solid truth and it’s why newspapers are dying. The “Pete and Repeat “ procedures are very similar in every other section of the paper.

Is there a source anywhere of any format, other than Gatorchatter of course, that provides real news on gator athletics?
 

LagoonGator68

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I spoke some months ago with a local reporter for the Lakeland Ledger, which has always been part of the group of local papers owned previously by The NY Times, Halifax, and now Gannett (USA Today.) She said cost cutting has left them with a minimal shell of local reporters and a handful of stringers. She is making half what she did 10 years ago, about what a starting teacher makes, and is writing a lot more and shorter articles. It’s bad.

I suspect that Pat & Robbie were asked to take a deep pay cut or retire. Otherwise you ride the season out, especially when it looks so interesting.

There hasn’t been news other than whatever the SID feeds them since SOS left. UM3 clamped down on leaks and Muschamp ushered in a bunker mentality that has become the norm. Everyone is scripted, including the players. So all you’re left with is regurgitation of whatever Scott Carter wrote, or what the pool all heard in the same press conference. And then there are the opinion pieces that come out from Bianchi et al.

Seems to me Gannett should have a plan.

New Media aka Gatehouse bought Gannett and is the surviving Corp. using the Gannett name only.
 

GatorJB

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Wait. Robbie just now turned 66? I thought he was in his 60's 15 years ago.
 

78

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I spoke some months ago with a local reporter for the Lakeland Ledger, which has always been part of the group of local papers owned previously by The NY Times, Halifax, and now Gannett (USA Today.) She said cost cutting has left them with a minimal shell of local reporters and a handful of stringers. She is making half what she did 10 years ago, about what a starting teacher makes, and is writing a lot more and shorter articles. It’s bad.

I suspect that Pat & Robbie were asked to take a deep pay cut or retire. Otherwise you ride the season out, especially when it looks so interesting.

There hasn’t been news other than whatever the SID feeds them since SOS left. UM3 clamped down on leaks and Muschamp ushered in a bunker mentality that has become the norm. Everyone is scripted, including the players. So all you’re left with is regurgitation of whatever Scott Carter wrote, or what the pool all heard in the same press conference. And then there are the opinion pieces that come out from Bianchi et al.

Seems to me Gannett should have a plan.

Spot on right. You’ll note Dooley made zero mention of sliding into planned unemployment, but rather noted all the independent projects he would be taking on. The awful economics of print journalism have, for better or worse, left him and his longtime sidekick scrambling for a living.
 

oxrageous

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Spot on right. You’ll note Dooley made zero mention of sliding into planned unemployment, but rather noted all the independent projects he would be taking on. The awful economics of print journalism have, for better or worse, left him and his longtime sidekick scrambling for a living.
They could have and would have a terrific revenue stream had they kept their message board and tried to make it better.
 

Swamp Donkey

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They could have and would have a terrific revenue stream had they kept their message board and tried to make it better.
Realistically, what does that mean? how many active posters and viewers did we have back in the day on gsmb?
 

78

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Realistically, what does that mean? how many active posters and viewers did we have back in the day on gsmb?

It wasn’t just active members. It was visitors as well. I remember seeing the numbers swell to unimaginable levels when Meyer shockingly announced he was quitting.

The Sun as usual was more notorious for what it didn’t do than what it did do, and that’s parlay those numbers into advertising revenue. What were they going to argue, that the GSMB demographic didn’t jive with their local advertisers?
 

Swamp Donkey

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It wasn’t just active members. It was visitors as well. I remember seeing the numbers swell to unimaginable levels when Meyer shockingly announced he was quitting.

The Sun as usual was more notorious for what it didn’t do than what it did do, and that’s parlay those numbers into advertising revenue. What were they going to argue, that the GSMB demographic didn’t jive with their local advertisers?
I don't remember the numbers, but obviously I remember it was a lot bigger. I wonder how many visited for the news stories back then versus the forum and how much actual income there is off of site off that.

I don't think Gannette has ever tried to make their money off Google ads. they still try to sell their own or sell subscriptions. outdated business models.

nevertheless I wonder how big the thing has to be to go from a little bit of side money to a thing that supplies the salary for even one person.
 
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78

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I don't remember the numbers, but obviously I remember it was a lot bigger. I wonder how many visited for the news stories back then versus the forum and how much actual income there is off of site off that.

I don't think Gannette has ever tried to make their money off Google ads. they still try to sell their own or sell subscriptions. outdated business models.

The GSMB forum itself was rimmed with ads, the only thing preventing them from being seen being ad blockers. I won’t pretend to know the traffic statistics or how they translated. I will only project that where there is traffic, there is opportunity.
 

NavetG8r

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He and Robbie's on the field after the game podcasts were pretty hilarious during the 4-8 season under the Shark humper.
 

oxrageous

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Realistically, what does that mean? how many active posters and viewers did we have back in the day on gsmb?
I honestly don't know, didn't have access to those analytics. However, I'm pretty sure it dwarfed what we have here.

And of course, you use that traffic to link to the other parts of your newspaper - it's a great way to add traffic to other areas.
 

Theologator

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Your last paragraph was rock solid truth and it’s why newspapers are dying. The “Pete and Repeat “ procedures are very similar in every other section of the paper.

Is there a source anywhere of any format, other than Gatorchatter of course, that provides real news on gator athletics?

I set up a Google news feed for the Gators. Many articles link back to sites that have a pay wall, usually with a few views allowed per month.

247 has a lot that’s free but their stringers are mostly guys like us. Sports Illustrated seems to be consistently the most informative - and free.

I also like Will Miles’ readandreaction.com. He’s a hobbyist but an interesting one.
 

jmskjrgator

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I tried to watch his last podcast, but only lasted fifteen seconds. How can someone be soooo Terrible???

I do have to say Bianchi is worse.
 
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NVGator

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I tried to watch his last podcast, but only lasted fifteen seconds. How can someone be soooo Terrible???

1cG741.gif
 

Sec14Gator

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Spot on right. You’ll note Dooley made zero mention of sliding into planned unemployment, but rather noted all the independent projects he would be taking on. The awful economics of print journalism have, for better or worse, left him and his longtime sidekick scrambling for a living.

Dooley is not being killed by the downfall of print media. He’s left without income due to the awful job he did at being an informative writer. Right now there are many outlets for independent writers to capitalize on audiences that want to read them. Dooley deservingly started to lose his audience around 1999 when he was skating on having Spurrier’s cell phone number as his primary shtick.
 

maheo30

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I'm sure everyone here will read the fine Shakespearean work Edgar Thompson wrote.

 

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