Toronto Sun newspaper getting desperate

Mainstream media, such print-based newspapers, are feeling the pain of the growing influence of the Internet. Plummeting subscriptions and falling ad revenue are two symptoms. Another is the Toronto Star announcement of last week that a third of their editorial work would be outsourced to (cheaper) foreign interests.

And so was my phone call from the Toronto Sun newspaper chain last week where a new, unexpected angle that ‘wowed me’ was articulated.

A youngish sounding fellow inquired as to my interest in the Sunday paper. I gave the predictable “no” response. Undaunted, he countered with “the Sunday Sun gave a much deeper read with a lot more detail than the Net – and for just 50 cents.”

I’ve never really liked the Sunday Sun ever since its began. Too many ads, too much fluff. And there was always way too much of it. I remained unmoved.

And then the true representation of how much pain this newspaper is in made its appearance: “Sir, that 50 cents you pay actually goes to the carrier so if you don’t take the paper, you are denying that person a job.”

Oh, so it’s on me, the customer. I’m the bad guy for taking a job away from a hard working paper carrier. I should feel, I guess but I don’t; in fact, I am divided between pity, wonder, and fury at his management’s transparent and manipulative training practices and company philosophy.

Now, I hate the Toronto Sun even more.

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