Isle Of Man Newspapers

[Dave Hedgehog]

Now proposing to print all of it's newspapers in the UK and close the IoM press

 

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/company_proposes_closure_of_press_1_3990073

 

I can't imagine this going down well.......

[wheels]

[Amadeus]

Print media have been squeezed big time in recent years - understandable that they are looking to cut costs and increase efficiency. Won't go down well but looks like a sensible business decision - maybe St Allan can perform a miracle and intervene?

[Tarne]

What's the big deal, it's a global economy - if it's higher quality and cheaper, why not go elsewhere? (Also applies to workers!)

[manshimajin]

I thought that they would be flown in.

 

But then I saw that they are to be printed in Sheffield.

 

And then I remembered where Anne Reynolds had worked previously and what had happened to the airport there.

 

Could the press be used for other printing jobs - such as some of the government printing that is being transferred to the Post Office or is government printing a monopoly?

[thebees]

I wonder how much they creamed off in government grants for their printing equipment?

 

If they insist on taking the printing off island perhaps the government will finally have the balls to say "NO MORE" to the nonsensical government notices we pay for each week. PUT the damn things online, anyone who has no access to the internet could listen to Manx Radio, the 'government' station could be used to inform people of all that terribly important stuff.....like the winding up of "Phoenix Property" etc etc etc yawn.

 

I stopped buying the local papers after I read about Johnstone press on the good old black pages, before they were 'disappeared' (along with their editor.....)

[forestboy]

What's the big deal, it's a global economy - if it's higher quality and cheaper, why not go elsewhere? (Also applies to workers!)

 

Take it then that you are not one of those losing a job?

[Albert Tatlock]

Print media have been squeezed big time in recent years - understandable that they are looking to cut costs and increase efficiency. Won't go down well but looks like a sensible business decision - maybe St Allan can perform a miracle and intervene?

Yes, makes logical business sense for a newspaper with an almighty number of local papers, and an expensive existing monster printing press, in the UK under it's belt. Have people not noticed how much ad revenue is down and how slim the paper has been getting here lately? It will only get worse as belts tighten. There is already pressure on circulation due to the internet etc. never mind less money coming in.

 

This island is pretty good sometimes at arguing for the illogical, the unrealistic and paying over the odds. Which is why we have the bloated CS/PS we have, tradesmen usually costing more than twice what you'd pay in the UK, and Ramsey bakery getting away with stupendously high prices.

 

Yet people still go to Tesco etc. - and not buy local stuff or know or care where all that tax goes.

 

People need to wise up to our finances and what's happening here. There's a storm blowing in from the West. The news will still be manx wherever it's printed. If the costs of printing go down, it actually means they can maintain more reporters here when belts tighten.

 

But hey, let's protect 7 uneconomic jobs by paying twice as much for our papers, printed on a donkey powered printing press, and glued together by people, some of whom are probably on work permits anyway yessir!

[Stu Peters]

I wonder how much they creamed off in government grants for their printing equipment?

 

If they insist on taking the printing off island perhaps the government will finally have the balls to say "NO MORE" to the nonsensical government notices we pay for each week. PUT the damn things online, anyone who has no access to the internet could listen to Manx Radio, the 'government' station could be used to inform people of all that terribly important stuff.....like the winding up of "Phoenix Property" etc etc etc yawn.

 

I stopped buying the local papers after I read about Johnstone press on the good old black pages, before they were 'disappeared' (along with their editor.....)

That sounds like compelling radio Ms Bees. Jebus, it's bad enough announcing missing cats and dogs...

[spermann]

http://www.manxradio...d.aspx?id=56252

 

This does not sit right with me. Not only the loss of jobs, but also the fact that the boat does not always sail.

 

I hope that someone like Bridson and Horrix or Mannin Media can provide another local alternative so that the printing could be outsourced to an on island supplier.

 

The quality of the existing print and colour that the old press produces seems fine to me.

 

Such a shame, another Manx asset potentially lost.

[Albert Tatlock]

Such a shame, another Manx asset potentially lost.

An asset has value. If something's uneconomic, don't you mean liability?

[Stavros]

I would argue and state my case but as it happens, I suddenly realised that I never actually buy a local paper anymore and tend to read all the news I want on here or on other sites. Other than the obvious job losses, I don't really care what happens to IOM Newspapers / Johnson Press.

 

ETA: You never know, it could put a stop to all that junk mail / courier advertising / motor mart stuff they stick in my letterbox every bloody Thursday...

[manxman8180]

But hey, let's protect 7 uneconomic jobs by paying twice as much for our papers, printed on a donkey powered printing press, and glued together by people, some of whom are probably on work permits anyway yessir!

 

You are expecting cheaper papers? I think you may be dissappointed.

 

I hope that someone like Bridson and Horrix or Mannin Media can provide another local alternative so that the printing could be outsourced to an on island supplier.

 

Eh? I think printing a paper is a little different than glorified photocopying.

[The Old Git]

I would argue and state my case but as it happens, I suddenly realised that I never actually buy a local paper anymore and tend to read all the news I want on here or on other sites. Other than the obvious job losses, I don't really care what happens to IOM Newspapers / Johnson Press.

 

ETA: You never know, it could put a stop to all that junk mail / courier advertising / motor mart stuff they stick in my letterbox every bloody Thursday...

 

I haven't bought a local paper for years. Even the Courier goes straight into the bin unread, along with the motor mart crap.

[Albert Tatlock]

But hey, let's protect 7 uneconomic jobs by paying twice as much for our papers, printed on a donkey powered printing press, and glued together by people, some of whom are probably on work permits anyway yessir!

You are expecting cheaper papers? I think you may be dissappointed.

I didn't actually say I expected cheaper papers. I was talking about the survival of a business, maintaining reporters here, with reduced advertising revenue and higher than usual printing costs.

 

Papers are going to have to be shipped and even flown in sometimes. Not cheap. However, if it's still cheaper to do that, and up the quality at the same time, I'd say we would get far better value, and more businesses might be inclined to advertise more and more people maybe buy a better quality version.

 

I think they should think carefully if they intend to up the price at the same time, or not long after such a move. That would cause a major issue here, possibly even putting it out of business - as many locals would argue it was uneconomic and unloyal to the island. And open up the ground for a competitor to step in, such as the 'Manx Forums Times' perhaps.