USA Today has always been a pioneering media business. In America, it was the first general interest national paper of its kind and on the world scene, it was one of the first to use color. Now it's leading the way again with plans to go completely digital.
The New York Times reports that it plans to cut 130 jobs, or 9 percent of its work force, and shift its business model away from the print edition that you see in every hotel and on every newsstand in the United States and instead focus on digital operations in an effort to win a larger share of the tablet and mobile phone news market.
It's been a while coming because the newspaper's advertising revenue and circulation have collapsed. The question is whether it will affect the quality of the journalism.
The Gannett blog says there is a danger of this happening. USA Today management has been trumpeting the news that sales will be more closely aligned with content. And that's a bad sign. In getting rid of so many journalists, the Chinese walls separating the newsroom and business side are coming down. And that will mean less objective reporting and deals with advertisers. Listen to the death knell for a once great institution.
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