From Sgt. Byko’s Lips To Our Ears: Guild And The Company are in FINAL bargaining meeting, could last an hour, could last 48 hours, but if THE STRIKE comes:
Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News staffers to launch competing online paper if workers strike
By Associated Press
Wednesday, November 29, 2006 – Updated: 08:14 AM ESTPHILADELPHIA – The largest union at Philadelphia’s two biggest daily newspapers is planning to launch\
an online newspaper to compete with the company Web site if workers go on strike after midnight on Thursday.
Employees from The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News would contribute local content that will be edited and posted online, said Stu Bykofsky, a Daily News columnist and spokesman for their union, The Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia.
“It’s to provide news and information for the community so they won’t be deprived,” he said.In competing with Philly.com, the union’s PhilaPapers.com would sell ads and function like an online news site, covering major stories as well as the strike itself, said Tom Ferrick Jr., chief steward at the Inquirer newsroom and a columnist. About 200 people are expected to staff the site, which is to include news, politics, business, sports and entertainment sections. While there would not be any direct union advocacy, the site would have links to other sites that tell the union’s viewpoint, Ferrick said.
Jay Devine, spokesman for owner Philadelphia Media Holdings, declined to comment on the union plan but said talks are “making good progress and we’re hopeful.”
AP: Kind of Ironic That Print Is The Problem And Online Is The Solution, Isn’t It?
PREVIOUSLY: Hey AP, We Had This YESTERDAY, While You Were Sleeping Reading Phawker