Outsourcing reporting?

 Calling from Mumbai

There is a lot of craziness in the business of newspapers today, but none more so than reported  in an Associated Press story out of Pasadena, Calif., where a guy with a local Web site has apparently hired a couple of “journalists” in India to cover Pasadena.

James Macpherson, publisher of the site, pasadenanow.com, said his outsourced journalists can handle the job from Mumbai or wherever, since Pasadena City Council meetings are televised. He said he got two reporters for the bargain price of $21,000 total. He didn’t mention benefits, of course.

His motivation is obvious. His two-year-old site has yet to make a dime. And it never will.

Sure, you can outsource luggage manufacturing, and even an increasing number of “knowledge” jobs. When I called an airline reservation agent last month, I was routed to India or Pakistan; I’m not sure which.

But the idea of outsourcing news coverage would appeal only to a publisher who knows nothing about news and politicians who would be held accountable for only what they say in front of a camera.

There is a reason why newspapers have the dominant news sites in most cities, this one included. Whether print or online, it comes down to having reporters who know their communities. And a lot of worn shoe leather.

Comments

[Chuckography]

Hey Bill,
Welcome back to BlogWorld.

Here you are back on the first day of the new & improved charleston.net and its new "planet" of Lowcountry bloggers.

Thanks!

[eeditor]

Thanks Chuck. I hoped the two would go hand in hand.