A serious question to all...

[mattjericho]

First off - does anyone know about what's going on in Indianapolis with Nuvo vs Intake?

If you can answer yes to this, then my second question of, do you realy want Knight Ridder to get in to the weekly free publication business and squeeze out the only well run indepenent newspaper around here?

Honest question.

[tiny]

A somewhat serious answer.....

Knight Ridder doesn't exist anymore, Matt. It would have to be Ogden (N-S publisher) or the staff of the Journal Gazette.

I have been looking with curiosity at the JG's recent spate of articles. Naive, but not bad.

The News Sentinel seems like they can barely hold their head out of the foxholes long enough to avoid getting shot at, still....time would tell as to how they'd do.

I like the idea. It seems to work in Indy. Then again, there's too much copy and not enough paper in the STAR..they need somewhere for all those stories, as well as stories that would make the bluehairs in Carmel gasp and moan into their morning tea. INtake provides that outlet.....and not necessarily at the expense (at least editorially) of Nuvo. Nuvo is firmly entrenched (some would say TOO much so, but that's another debate......)

[natewright]

As an Indianapolis based band/person/whatever, I honestly don't know many people who put much stock in either paper. INtake seems to cater to the "bro/Todd/Chad" crowds whereas Nuvo is pretty much for anyone looking for sex ads or think they are on the "artistic" side of things...

ah, both papers have their good and bad points. Nuvo is undergoing a serious renovation in terms of the music section, as Steve Hammer is stepping down and a new music editor is coming in.

For most of us, I think they are nothing but a small time filler, nothing more. Some people seem to think they matter, but I guess I'm not one of them, and I don't know anyone who does.

[Sankofa]

Had no idea. Steve Hammer's constant referring to Fort Wayne as "up north" like we were some Canadian outpost did get on my nerves during a roundtable discussion though.

[jewlee138]

Do you realy want Knight Ridder to get in to the weekly free publication business and squeeze out the only well run indepenent newspaper around here?

Honest question.

The only well-run independent newspaper around here?

I honestly enjoy reading Whatzup more than either of those publications.

Though I'd appreciate a wider variety of music covered (yes, even in Fort Wayne, people listen to more than metal & the "new wave" of alt/folk/country or whathaveyou) I think Whatzup is much easier to read and less jumbled with fluff and uneccessary national news than Intake or Nuvo.

[sharkmansix]

WhatzUp reminds me of the frat party I never felt comfortable at while the Fort Wayne Reader make me think of being at a LAN party drinking Mt. Dew and playing a FPS.

I'm more of a Reader fan I guess.

[flapjacks]

im with julie

[cwallace]

do you realy want Knight Ridder to get in to the weekly free publication business

I never liked that show personally...

Chris

[flapjacks]

i did

[mattjericho]

WhatzUp reminds me of the frat party I never felt comfortable at while the Fort Wayne Reader make me think of being at a LAN party drinking Mt. Dew and playing a FPS.

I'm more of a Reader fan I guess.

dude - seriously?

This video always makes me think of the reader...

not the intro... the song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjAGnTl8ZxU

OH OH - ME TOO!

[Massage...Bored]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjAGnTl8ZxU

OH OH - ME TOO!

Ahhhhhhh!!!!! John Hodgman intros!!!!!

[sharkmansix]

dude - seriously?

Yep. I do.

I guess you can say they are coping the idea; but IMHO they aren't. It's like saying having a magazine about sports would be coping Sports Illustrated, just because it's similar subject matter doesn't mean it's out of place.

I read both but the Reader seems more geeky to me; and I find that appealing.

[mikes]

Hi, I'm Michael Summers, publisher of FWR

Someone pointed this out to me and I wasn't going to reply, but it's an interesting point, so I think I will.

First of all — thanks Matt. We've always treated you well…

But seriously, if the daily papers in Fort Wayne get into the "free alternative weekly" business — like the Indy Star did with INTake — both independently owned free weekly (or bi-weekly) papers in Fort Wayne will probably be in trouble. It's part of a national trend — the traditonal daily papers all losing subscribers, and they are looking to attract younger readers, who according to research are more apt to pick up the free weeklies. I don't know if that's exactly true, but that's the perception anyway…

That may work in Indy, which is a big enough place to allow INTake and Nuvo to coexist. Fort Wayne isn't. The Fort Wayne newspapers have loads of resources at their disposal, including several publications, which will let them offer advertising at a huge discount to the bars, clubs, music venues, etc. In other words, the kind of advertisers one typically sees in "alternative weeklies."

This tactic will not work overnight, but it will work eventually. Loyalty won't keep those advertisers in any independent paper, and as far as public perception/loyalty, most of the public doesn't care all that much where they read articles about local arts/entertainment or where they find their entertainment listings. The same with politics, media, and many local issues.

I could go on, but I'll stop here. I don't know how long this comment will stay up here, but it's out of my system now.

I read both but the Reader seems more geeky to me;

Yes, we are pretty geeky sometimes. No argument here.

Thanks everyone.

[Massage...Bored]

I've been following the Reader's drastic incline in quality over the past year, kudos.

Also, Whatzup will be my first stop, no matter what. But sometimes its thin and uniteresting, like any magazine.

[Oliver's Army]

I am always amazed when I am in Chicago and pick up the Chicago Reader.

It's freaking bigger, better and more interesting than our own Sunday paper.

And its free.