The West Bend Daily News, also owned by Conley, made the same announcement this morning. The paper has already shrunk after most of the reporters were fired. The Monday edition is a toss-away anyway because they had almost no reporting from the weekend. I don't know about the Freeman, but I don't give the West Bend paper more than a year before it's gone. What a shame.
As the paper of record in Waukesha County, The Freeman is retaining at least some of its classified advertising revenue with the publication of legal notices.
In a recent week--spread over three editions--it gave the readers six full pages of that leaden legalese in agate type.
Very little else in the classified section, traditionally one of the biggest moneymakers for small newspapers. Auto advertising is almost extinct, real estate gone, and display advertising is virtually non-existent.
Waukesha folks continue to "benefit" from Conley's co-onership of the West Bend paper. West Bend news is casually strewn about in the Freeman, under headings Like "News from our Neighbors"--evidence that they just grab anything at hand to. I don't know anyone in Waukesha who gives a rip about West Bend Schools. That weekly offering of foreclosure notices and schedules of houses being auctioned on the courthouse steps is some of the most truthful news we get from the Freeman. It is a clear indication of the economic rot spreading through this "upscale" county.
The West Bend Daily News, also owned by Conley, made the same announcement this morning. The paper has already shrunk after most of the reporters were fired. The Monday edition is a toss-away anyway because they had almost no reporting from the weekend. I don't know about the Freeman, but I don't give the West Bend paper more than a year before it's gone. What a shame.
ReplyDeleteAs the paper of record in Waukesha County, The Freeman is retaining at least some of its classified advertising revenue with the publication of legal notices.
ReplyDeleteIn a recent week--spread over three editions--it gave the readers six full pages of that leaden legalese in agate type.
Very little else in the classified section, traditionally one of the biggest moneymakers for small newspapers. Auto advertising is almost extinct, real estate gone, and display advertising is virtually non-existent.
Waukesha folks continue to "benefit" from Conley's co-onership of the West Bend paper. West Bend news is casually strewn about in the Freeman, under headings Like "News from our Neighbors"--evidence that they just grab anything at hand to. I don't know anyone in Waukesha who gives a rip about West Bend Schools.
That weekly offering of foreclosure notices and schedules of houses being auctioned on the courthouse steps is some of the most truthful news we get from the Freeman.
It is a clear indication of the economic rot spreading through this "upscale" county.