Well, I got my “Dear Jim” letter (actually Dear J Fitzpatrick) from The Star tonight.
The paper is not breaking up with me altogether, but it does seem to be taking back the ring it gave me many years ago.
Horror of horrors, starting March 14, The Star will no longer publish a Saturday print edition.
This is in keeping with parent company Mcclatchy’s announcement last month that it will eliminate Saturday print publication at all 29 of its daily papers by the end of next year. (Of course, the company could be out of business by then.)
Fortunately, The Star is letting me down easy, and the letter even gave me some good belly laughs.
Here are some of the best knee slappers…
:: “The Kansas City Star is changing to ensure we are able to meet the needs of our readers and the communities we serve long into the future.”
Yep, that’s our beloved Star, always looking out for the needs of the readers and the VAST number of communities it serves.
:: “Starting March 14, we will launch a new weekend package with expanded newspapers on Fridays and Sundays and access to the Saturday edition exclusively online.”
A new weekend package! Great news, right? For instance, Friday’s paper will have “new puzzles as well as a new themed section called ‘Uplift,’ your source of good news for the weekend.” I can’t wait for the exciting new puzzles (I’m hoping for interactive tic-tac-toe) and the waterfall of good news.
:: “Saturday…You’ll also find our EXTRA EXTRA digital supplement with more national, international and entertainment news and Sports Xtra.”
Why there’ll be so much “more” and so many “EXTRAS” I doubt I’ll be able to get away from my computer on Saturdays, what with the online cornucopia The Star will be offering up.
:: “Sunday: In addition to the usual comics content, we will add the puzzles and comics that you love to read in your Saturday paper.”
More puzzles? My heart is racing.
:: “Your subscription rate will remain the same and will also continue to include 7-day unlimited digital access.”
All this bonus coverage and my rate is staying the same?? C’est impossible!
**
The letter trundled on for a few more paragraphs about how great all this is for the readers, and then there was a final laugh. The letter was signed by Mike Fannin, whom The Star announced in October as The Star’s new “president.”
As you might recall, the story about Fannin’s ascension from editor to president conspicuously failed to mention Tony Berg, who was introduced with great hoopla, less than three years ago, as publisher. Berg was “nowhere to be found” in the October story about Fannin. Also missing was any mention of the word “publisher” — so secret and unspeakable was Berg’s fate (shuttled off to Wichita).
But in this letter, this letter about the “changing” Star, the title of publisher was back. And who had it? Why, none other than Fannin. So now we can officially say it: THE KING IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE KING!
**
Note: In a final pea-under-shell misdirection play, in Wednesday’s (today’s) print edition, the letter is signed by Fannin above the title of “president.” (This guy’s credibility is in the toilet.)
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
And Berg went down to Wichita where an editor sat down with him for an interview wherein he said exactly the same thing about what he was going to do in Wichita that he said three years ago in Kansas City. Aren’t they lucky?
New puzzles? I can hardly wait. I remember when the Saturday Star published a special content — an actual Book Section, with reviews by the legendaryThorpe Menn.
I was going email them after seeing the Fannin note in the paper this morning asking if my $850 a year subscription rate was going down, but I also got the same email and saw they are keeping it the same. Starting this weekend I am going to keep a page count for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday editions to see if we really do get anything of significance extra on Friday and Sunday come mid-March.
I can tell you how this is going to go, having seen it as The Star has dropped sections over the years. At first, they will produce the extras they promised, but as time wears on, they will revert to cutting. And the price will always go up, never down.
Mike Fannin owes Elvis Costello an apology for looking like him.
The Star continues to amaze. Latest example: They talk about how understaffed they are, but they had four reporters in Columbia yesterday to cover the introduction of the new MU football coach.
Mellinger was one of them. This is from his column:
“On Tuesday, (the new coach) promised fast offense ‘that will be fun to watch,’ defense that will stop the run first and harass quarterbacks always, and special teams that will be ‘the heartbeat’ of the program. He is deeply Christian.”
If anyone can explain the connection between the two preceding sentences, I’d love to hear it. (Personally, I don’t think Jesus gives a damn who wins a football game.)
The Wickmans never even got a letter.
Those of you who received the Fannin marketing suppository are sophisticated enough to thirst for facts that reveal the truth. That’s why you subscribe to a newspaper. So why didn’t the Star attempt to maintain some credibility by saying that few read Saturday newspapers anyway, and in at attempt to survive in a brutal environment, it makes financial sense to drop one day of delivery? Easy answer: At the Star, credibility no longer is a priority.
Predictions from around the table: “Next thing the Monday paper will be dropped.” “No, the Monday paper has the Chiefs, the next to be dropped will be Tuesday and Thursday.”
Fine with me, the only ones that hold any interest to me anymore are Wed. and Sun.
I love your take on things. May I post a link to this in some of the many Facebook groups bemoaning the state of journalism?