I talk too much.
Often, when I write, I short-circuit much discussion by telling you exactly what I think. The lack of ambiguity can be a wet blanket on comments and discussion.
So I’ll take a different approach here.
John Archibald recently wrote a solemn and respectful column about the latest round of buyouts at the Birmingham News. It was leaked to Facebook by Kyle Whitmire (@secondfront on Twitter) and I mirror it here for those with access issues. Read his piece, then tell me in the comments. Given:
- the cuts at the Birmingham News
- the trends in the industry
- the local economy
- and the available talent on the street, with deep source connections to the city…
You tell me
I want you to help me answer the following questions:
- Is the time ripe for an online-only competitor to the News?
- What hurdles still need to be cleared?
- Can it happen bottom up, with writers still writing then merging effort? Or will it take top-down financing?
- How long will it take to pull it off?
- How long is the window for launch?
The discussion is yours, Birmingham.
Additional reading:
- @wadekwon on Media of Birmingham
- @thisisbama at This is Alabama
- Poynter Institute: Birmingham News Holds Column About Effect of Buyouts
