Helping the Monitor
: The Christian Science church is in financial trouble and so it is looking to end subsidies to the Christian Science Monitor:
“We have begun plans for adjustments to the Monitor,” Mrs. Campbell said. The goal is to support “the vital role of the Monitor in bringing the highest quality journalism to humanity, while bringing expenses in line with revenue.”
Monitor staff members will shortly be asked to “help us formulate the next steps,” Campbell said. “This could result in a paper with fewer pages and feature sections, as well as a leaner staff.”
The Trustees also said they plan to name a blue ribbon panel of experts from pertinent fields to submit ideas and recommendations aimed at moving the Monitor to profitability. The Trustees also invited comments from Monitor readers, which can be sent to ideas@csmonitor.com.
Well, they could kill the print edition. Online, the former paper’s journalists can serve the world without the limitations of broad physical distribution and the expense of production. Advertising is growing online. However, I see hardly any advertising on the Monitor’s site. Is that because they aren’t trying or because advertisers aren’t buying? [via Romenesko]