Monday, April 24, 2006
Knight-Ridder Newspaper Guilds Head to the Web
byIt remains a waiting game for the 12 Knight-Ridder newspapers that will be sold by McClatchy Company, their soon-to-be (but temporary) owner.
Last month, McClatchy announced its intentions to immediately sell the 12 as part of its purchase of 32 Knight-Ridder newspapers across the country. McClatchy is currently considering offers from several potential suitors. (According to a report last week, MediaNews Group has offered $1 billion for four of those newspapers.)
One bidder is Yucaipa Companies, which has partnered with the Newspaper Guild, the union that represents employees at eight of the 12 papers. To promote awareness for their effort, local Newspaper Guild organizations have turned to the web with sites such as 2 Paper Town, Save the News Tribune and Save the Herald. Most feature an online petition for supporters.
The guild in St. Paul, Minn., for example, has used Save the Pioneer Press to highlight and promote its other efforts including paid advertising and a community rally.
A full list of sites can be found at Knight Ridder Watch.
