Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Today's Final Delivery

"Judge approves sale of 2 Southern California newspapers" by Amy Taxin Associated Press  March 22, 2016

SANTA ANA, Calif. — A federal bankruptcy judge approved Digital First Media’s $52.3 million purchase of the Orange County Register and another Southern California newspaper on Monday after a whirlwind week in the courts triggered by government concerns of a news monopoly.

It's already their mouthpiece

What are they worried about, they might actually start reporting the truth?

In recent years, newspapers have seen revenues dwindle amid rising competition from websites for advertising and readers.

The insults and lies haven't helped, either.

The question for readers is what kind of news coverage they can expect. 

I would expect the same old slop. 

I mean, I've been here ten years and they have gotten worse!

As another newspaper reader wrote, ‘‘It is kind of a no-win process that doesn’t end up serving the public interest.’’  

Did he ever get that right! 

Of course, we know what intere$ts they $erve with their agenda-pushing garbage.

William Lobel, an attorney for Freedom, said he was pleased the sale was approved, but he would have preferred more money. He questioned why the Justice Department waited until the last minute to raise antitrust concerns that now cannot be contested in court.

Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer of the Department’s Antitrust Division said in a statement that many people still rely on local newspapers, even as more information is available online.

Not for much longer.

Jeremy Rosenthal, an attorney for Tribune, told the bankruptcy judge he disagreed with the government’s definition of the newspaper market, which now includes a myriad of ways people get news and view ads thanks to technology.

‘‘The entire newspaper industry is under existential threat from electronic media,’’ he said....

No one is missing that, and it was suicide.

--more--"

Doing better on deliveries, aren't I?

SURPRISE!

"Twitter’s wish list includes followers, profits" by Matt Ott Associated Press  March 22, 2016

NEW YORK — Happy birthday, Twitter.

The social media site famous for hashtags and a 140-character ‘‘tweet’’ limit turned 10 years old Monday, having evolved from what was originally billed as a ‘‘microblogging’’ site into one of the Internet’s most influential means of communication.

Says who?

But after a long streak of robust growth that turned it into one of the Internet’s hottest companies, Twitter’s expansion has slowed dramatically over the past year and a half.

Twitter Inc. executives have acknowledged their struggle to convince people the service is essential.

That proves it isn't.

They have tweaked Twitter’s format in a bid to make it easier and more engaging to use. That’s seen as key to expanding Twitter’s user base, which would in turn allow it to sell more advertising and to begin to make money for the first time.

They have been in "business" for 10 years and have never turned a profit? 

Then it can be nothing else other than a propaganda platform and government data collection agent.

Hardcore Twitter users seemed mostly dismayed by the new changes and were borderline apoplectic when rumors circulated that the company was considering doing away with the 140-character limit.

#Who Gives a Sh**?

The company rehired Dorsey for a second stint as chief executive last summer, and he signaled his resolve to make Twitter profitable by laying off 336 employees, or 8 percent of its workforce.

But the company lost another $90 million during the final three months of last year, preserving its profitless history....

Which raises the question of what interests are propping them up during this time of economic growth and recovery, and why.

--more--" 

I'll be back with more tweets tomorrow.