Friday, December 5, 2008

CM PRESS # 545

New Article (Gangs), Friday, December 5, 2008, 3:30 PM scroll down.

MORE THAN 30 DAILY NEWSPAPERS FOR SALE

(Readers and advertisers leaving at warp speed)

According to a story in the Denver Post, there are now more than 30 daily newspapers for sale in the U.S. and there are few buyers. LINK

Every time we read something like that we shudder. We like newspapers. And, we even like the almost daily Daily Pilot and hope it doesn't go under.

We still believe that local dailies and almost dailies such as the almost daily Daily Pilot have a better chance of surviving than the big papers so long as they truly serve their local communities.

And, just how do local dailies serve their local communities so that people will want to read them? They publish what the readers want to read. More readers means more advertisers and that's what makes money for a newspaper.

If a local newspaper is out of step with the local community such that it alienates its readers and advertisers, then it's not going to last very long in today's business climate. There are too many other choices for readers.

For example, if you run a local newspaper in a conservative community and you constantly insult conservatives, you may find readers and advertisers leaving at warp speed.
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LA TIMES RIGHTLY PRAISES THE DEFEAT OF THE GANG INITIATIVE IN LA

Editorial in LA TIMES, December 5, 2008 LINK

Relevant part:

Measure A was put on the ballot by politicians who calculated that the presidential race would drive liberal voters who favor tax increases for social programs to the polls. Yet the programs it would have funded would have supported a new gang initiative whose effectiveness hasn't been evaluated, and the city has a shameful history of wasting money on questionable anti-gang projects. The close vote showed that Angelenos are willing to tax themselves to keep kids out of gangs, but many doubtless wanted to see more evidence that their money would be spent wisely. If the city returns to voters with a well-thought-out package of programs that have been proved to succeed, there's every reason to think they'll open their wallets.

Unfortunately for LA, the programs that will bring real results are ones that will remove the habitats of the gangs--a removal of all the slum housing.

We say "unfortunately," because that's almost an impossible task in LA. They waited too long and the cancer has now spread all over the city.

Costa Mesa, by contrast, just has a few habitats for gangs and if the City takes proper action, these habitats can be removed.

We've said it before: All living things gravitate to where they're comfortable.

And,where living things find comfort becomes their habitat. It's the same for alligators as it is for human beings.

If you destroy the habitat of alligators they'll quickly move to someplace else where they feel comfortable.

If, on the other hand, you just try to remove the alligators, and leave the habitat, you'll have a never ending job, because the alligators you remove will quickly be replaced.

The key is the habitat.
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.




Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.

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