Monday, August 6

"uh oh" — let the heckling begin

"Fort Collins Now looks amazing."

That was the content of a text message Chronicle associate publisher/editor Josh J. sent me on Friday before he vanished from cellphone range, deep into the Poudre Canyon for the weekend. I had just arrived at my parents' house in Pueblo for two long days, over which a physical copy of Now would not be within my grasp. Josh knew the torture he'd inflicted, which apparently became a joke at his campsite, where other Chroniclers were reveling.

Of course, it was a joke, which I confirmed with our art director, but not before trolling the new (?) paper's site. Reading the copy sedated my panic but Susanna's assessment of the layout was like swallowing a caramel-dipped Valium. Like the Weekly, this paper is for people who like to read about themselves (mostly elected officials and community cheerleaders with zero tolerance for criticism or analysis).

And—the clencher—Parade.

You know, that Sunday insert your grandpa reads.

Maybe.

Fort Collins Now is the very unfortunate result of a sadly desperate faith in daily print journalism. Except it's a twice-weekly. This is what competing against the Coloradoan looks like.

Please pass the alternative.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

LOL!

"...this paper is for people who like to read about themselves (mostly elected officials and community cheerleaders with zero tolerance for criticism or analysis)."

Do they still have "independent" in their masthead?

vanessa said...

nope, which is surprising since dyer made such a big deal about it when he was talking this whole convoluted "partnership" into circles. it's really pretty clear that this is heading down a very dependent path. the hard copy has a good amount of wire pieces from the associated press, christian science monitor, and the greeley tribune.

honestly, it's just flat and boring. it doesn't take much to be better than the coloradoan, but why would you ever let them set the bar? it's so low.

bethany said...

PARADE??

That's way too good to be true. Say it's so! Say it's so!

I don't know, Vanessa -- FC Now is on the verge of scooping the entire Northern Colorado media market on vanilla profiles of has-been celebs, cholesterol drug ads, and care tips for the aging feline. Watch out!

Anonymous said...

Sad. When the Weekly first debuted, it sucked so bad because it was recycling AP pieces that were 5 days stale, while issuing snobby editorials from new arrivals who didn't know the territory.

Anonymous said...

It is interesting that Greg Campbell, the editor of what this thing is now called, was bragging just days before the announcement of how successful this independent paper was. If it was so successful why did it need a corporate sugar daddy?

Annie said...

is that Richard Duckworth the same one that was on a sailboat in San Diego and sailed to Puerto Vallarta Mexico 38 years ago