ANTHONY: THIS WEEK BEGINS A NEW CHAPTER FOR THE OTHER DAILY IN TOWN, THE BOSTON HERALD.
NEW OWNERS TOOK OVER ON MONDAY.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE HERALD AS I DO, SORT OF AS A LIVING, BREATHING ORGANISM, AND YOU SAY WHAT IS ITS PERSONALITY, IT IS EASILY OUTRAGED BY INJUSTICE.
IT HAS A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR, STANDS UP FOR THE LITTLE GUY THERE ARE THE THINGS THAT MAKE THE HERALD SPECIAL TO BOSTON AND TO THE PEOPLE THAT READ IT EVERY DAY.
HOPEFULLY THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE.
ANTHONY: CHANGE HAS BEEN THE ONE CONSTANT IN THE 35 YEARS FOR HIM AT THE BOSTON GLOBE.
>> WHEN I CAME IN HERE 7.5 YEARS AGO, I SAID I WILL NOT MANAGE CH TOP OF THE EDITORIAL POSITION.
AND CHANGE BROUGHT A WEBSITE AND INTERNET RADIO STATION.
>> I AM HILLARY HERE WITH JOHN ON THE BOSTON HERALD RADIO.
ANTHONY: CHANGE CAP THE BOSTON HERALD RELEVANT.
JUST KEPT THE BOSTON HERALD -- CHANGE KEPT THE BOSTON HERALD RELEVANT.
>> RADIO HAS ENHANCED THE POWER OF JOURNALISM AND INTEGRATED INTO WHAT WE DO AND VIDEO THE SAME WAY.
ANTHONY: THE HERALD CHANGED OWNERSHIP FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 24 YEARS THIS WEEK.
DAN KENNEDY, A PROFESSOR AT EASTERN UNIVERSITY, ACCENTUATES THE POSITIVE.
>> IT IS GOOD NEWS THAT THE FORMER OWNER OF THE HERALD DIDN’T SIMPLY HAVE TO SHUT IT DOWN AND WALK AWAY.
>> THERE IS NOTHING SADDER THAN SEEING A NEWSPAPER SHUT ITS DOORS.
ANTHONY: THE HERALD HAS BEEN THE CHOICE FOR A READERS WHO SEE IT AS A CONSERVATIVE CHOICE.
>> THAT IDENTITY HAS ALWAYS SHIFTED AROUND A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE EDITORIAL PAGES ARE NOT WERE YOU GO TO FIND THAT REAL HARD-CORE CONSERVATISM.
IT IS NOT THE EDITORIAL PAGES, IT IS COLUMNS LIKE HOW WE TALK.
ANTHONY: IN 1984, IT WAS PUBLISHED -- PURCHASED BY ITS THEN PUBLISHER HERE THIS PAPER WAS 321,000 ON WEEKDAYS.
IT GRADUALLY DROPPED TO CIRCULATION OF ABOUT 64,000.
>> THEY ARE NOT APPEALING TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS THEY NEED TO.
ANTHONY: THE HERALD CUT COSTS SIX YEARS AGO WHEN IT MOVED FROM ITS SOUTH END BUILDING TO THE SEAPORT, ANOTHER COST-CUTTING MEASURE, SIGNING A DEAL WITH THE GLOBE TO PRINT THEIR PAPERS.
>> THE ECONOMICS HAS CHANGED, BUT I THINK IT HAS GOTTEN DIFFICULT.
AS A RESULT WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS.
ANTHONY: WHEN THE HERALD DECLARED BANKRUPTCY LAST DECEMBER, PURCELL HOPED THE PAPER WOULD CARRY ON.
>> PEOPLE WHO READ THE HERALD AND THE GLOBE RECOGNIZE HOW IMPORTANT OUR VOICES ARE IN STATE GOVERNMENT, CITY GOVERNMENT, DIFFERENT ANGLES TO SPORTS STORIES, ARTS AND
ENTERTAINMENT COVERAGE.
THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
ANTHONY: AT THE TIME, IT WAS ANNOUNCED THE HERALD WAS TO BE PURCHASED BY GATEHOUSE MEDIA, BUT DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA TURNED OUT TO BE THE HIGH BIDDER AT $12 MILLION.
>> THEIR RECORD OF NEWSPAPER OWNERSHIP IN RECENT YEARS HAS BEEN TO CUT EVERYTHING TO THE BONE AND BEYOND TO TRY TO SQUEEZE OUT WHAT LAST REMAINING PAPER PROFITS THEY CAN GET.
IN MASSACHUSETTS, DIGITAL FIRST OWNS THE LOWELL SUN AND THE FITCHBURG SENTINEL AND ENTERPRISE.
THEY TOLD REPORTERS IN FITCHBURG THAT THEY WERE GOING TO GET RID OF THE NEWSROOM AND THEY CAN WORK OUT OF THEIR HOUSES.
ANTHONY: BOSTON HERALD SPORTS COLUMNIST STEVE BUCKLAND SAID AS IT IS NOT ALL GLOOM AND DOOM.
>> WE ARE A NEWSPAPER.
THEY ARE DYING, BUT A WEBSITE IS A BONUS, BUT IT IS A NEWSPAPER.
ANTHONY: WHAT CHANGES IF ANY WILL BE MADE?
DAN KENNEDY SEES OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NEW OWNERS.
>> TRY TO APPEAL TO A YOUNGER, SMARTER, CONSERVATIVE READERSHIP.
I DON’T THINK ANYONE IS APPEALING TO THEM IN BOSTON RIGHT NOW.
ANTHONY: THE SALE TO DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA KEEPS BOSTON A TWO NEWSPAPER TOWN.
EXPLAIN THAT AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT IN A CITY LIKE BOSTON.
>> IT STARTS A DAILY CONVERSATION, AND SOMETHING IS LOST WHEN ONE OF THOSE VOICES IS SILENCED.
ANTHONY: STEVE BUCKLEY AGREES.
>> IF THE HERALD WENT AWAY, THE GLOBE WOULD BE IT IS -- IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE TWO VOICES.
>> I THINK THE HERALD WILL BE AROUND, THE GLOBE WILL BE AROUND.
THEY WILL BE STRONG, BUT THERE WILL BE CHALLENGING DAYS.
IF WE CONTINUE TO WORK HARD AND TELL THE STORIES THAT MATTER, LISTEN TO READERS AND LISTENERS AND VIEWERS NOW ON VIDEO AND RADIO, THAT WILL TURN OUT JUST FINE.
ANTHONY: THE BOSTON HERALD’S NEW OWNER DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA DID NOT RESPOND TO OUR REQUESTS FOR AN INTERVIEW OR STATEMENT, BUT IN TUESDAY’S HERALD, THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER SAID THE
COMPANY IS PLEASED TO BE A PART OF THE BOSTON HERALD THROUGH THE NEXT CHAPTER OF ITS STORIED HISTORY.
DIGITAL FIRST IS ENDING HIS PRINTING CONTRACT WITH THE GLOBE FACILITY IN TAUNTON, MEANING THE GLOBE LOSES ONE OF ITS LARGEST PRINT CLIENTS.
THE SPOKESMAN TOLD US THIS WAS NOT A SURPRISE TO US WITH THIS MOOD -- TO US.
THIS ALLOWS US TO BRING EFFICIENCIES IN LINE.
UP NEXT, HOW NEWSPAPERS MAKE MONEY FROM MILLENNIALS.
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