I’ve seen the concept played around with in the early 1990’s (pre-mass enrollment onto the internet through the Prodigy interactive service — they partnered with ESPN and promised all these bells and whistles that really were nothing). And of course we see it here.

But in essence, what is going on with Media General is the fact they are a for-profit news organization trying to get ahead on Wall Street. They aren’t interested in serving people better as much as cutting costs. Reporters in the newspaper means less Newspaper staff. Newspaper staff on TV means less TV personalities.

Media General has been consolidating operations for more than a decade (and longer) and all it’s gotten people is less coverage and lower quality products both on the web, on TV and in print.

They wanted to have Trib reporters doing TV work, and TV reporters doing Trib work. I used to do radio and newspaper at the same time, so I knew how different those two media were, let alone television and newspaper (there’s a reason why you’re either one or the other). I suggested that instead, they put reporters on more as a quasi-expert to talk about an event or something on TV, where they are being asked questions. Instead, I remember turning on WFLA on morning and hearing William March giving the best Ben Stein Without Caffeine impression ever. It was horrible.

They really don’t understand how to converge the platforms, and continue to miss the mark over and over again. Their Web sites are a cluster-you-know-what that are almost impossible to navigate, and it amazes me that anyone even tries.