By A Simon Kivamwo
After overcoming internal competition that arose during the early days of its inception in 1997, the online department at Bangor Daily News (BDN) is assuming the role of keeping alive the readership of Maine’s leading newspaper.
Both Jeff Tuttle-online editor and Josh Alves-marketing and revenue manager admit that keeping the organisation’s readership high relies on the quality of the online publication.
The two asserted that due to the global economical crisis that has led to many individuals losing jobs, the likelihood of the same stopping subscription to the BDN was obvious.
“The first role was to overcome internal forces that kept on opposing to our smooth operation,” remarked Jeff, the online editor at BDN in meeting with a group of Tanzanian visiting journalists at the company’s headquarters early this week.
According to Jeff, some people from within the organization, thought that allowing the online publication could definitely jeopardize the sales of the company’s print publication, which of course is the source of information to the online edition.
He said: “This was a purely internal competition. We struggled make the case clear to our colleagues that if BND wasn't going online, others would go and therefore, advertisers and readers would switch to those able to provide them with new media journalism services,”. The message hit the target and “hardliners” started seeing the reality.
At last, he said, our colleagues (mostly from printing edition) came to realize that, online publication was so important than ever for the sake of facing the growing external competition.
Therefore we started embarking on a real full online publication whereby we no longer needed to wait until the sales of the print publications was over, said Jeff
Being Maine’s most visited, the BDN online publication is up-dated thrice a day, remarked Josh Alves-marketing and revenue manager of the online publication.
The world of new media publication, coupled with the ongoing economic crisis, has to a great extent, affected the circulation of printing outlets (newspapers), said Josh in another separate meeting with the journalists who were accompanied by Prof. Paul Grosswiler and Mike Socolow-both from department of communication and journalism at the University of Maine, Orono.
“Some people have to cut their subscription to our print publication, but, however they are still accessing the product through our online publication,” he stated.
Jeff has been working as online editor for about a year. Before that, he was the newspaper's special projects reporter.
The BDN has been serving the people of Maine for well over one hundred years. Now in its fourth generation of ownership, the BDN is one of a few remaining privately owned newspapers in the country.
Established in 1889, the BDN was purchased by J. Norman Towle in 1895. Subsequent family members serving as publisher include Fred Jordan, Lillis Towle Jordan, Richard K. Warren and, today’s editor and publisher, Richard J. Warren ~ the great-grandson of J. Norman Towle.
Over its long history, the newspaper has grown from a business that once used hot lead and linotype machines, to a day of modern technology where flexography presses produce a clean and crisp printed product, showcasing timely editorial, compelling photography and superior graphics, and important marketing messages from area businesses.
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