There's a strange link on the Miami Herald home page today. It's the top left-hand corner of the site and says, "Herald Publisher: Herald remains strong, stable, and vital."
It leads to a large photograph of Publisher David Landsberg with a "message to Miami Herald readers and advertisers." Some excerpts:
I want to assure you that our company remains a strong, stable and vital organization. We are proud of the fact that we have the largest news staff by far in South Florida. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality news and information, in English and in Spanish, day in and day out.
... The Miami Herald Media Company also continues to offer the broadest reach for advertisers. The combined net reach of our products in our core market is over 1.4 million adults,* an audience no other local media can claim.
It's true we are living in difficult economic times. While we work to manage these challenges, The Miami Herald's commitment to you will not change. You can count on it.
What the hell? My contrarian sense is tingling. Whenever I see unbidden assurances from a company that it's not going to die, I automatically interpret it to mean the opposite. It reminds me of promises made to investors by Bear Stearns and other fallen banks just before they went belly-up. It also reminds me of when politicians offer, without solicitation, that they haven't taken any payoffs. Usually means they have.
I'm not saying the Herald is going belly-up soon. I don't think it is (not soon). But this note is alarming and has me wondering what prompted it. The full text of Landsberg's missive comes after the jump.
March 22, 2009
A Message to Miami Herald Readers and Advertisers
The news about the state of the economy and the toll it has taken on businesses across the nation has become a steady diet for all of us over the past few months. The impact has been felt in businesses large and small, and newspapers are no exception.
The Miami Herald Media Company, like many others, has taken actions to ensure that we weather the storm. As an enterprise committed for more than 100 years to making our community a better place, we have every intention of continuing to do what we do best well into the future.
I want to assure you that our company remains a strong, stable and vital organization. We are proud of the fact that we have the largest news staff by far in South Florida. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality news and information, in English and in Spanish, day in and day out.
And we know -- because you tell us -- that what we do makes a difference in your lives, and in the lives of many others across South Florida.
The Miami Herald Media Company also continues to offer the broadest reach for advertisers. The combined net reach of our products in our core market is over 1.4 million adults,* an audience no other local media can claim.
It's true we are living in difficult economic times. While we work to manage these challenges, The Miami Herald's commitment to you will not change. You can count on it.
David Landsberg
Publisher
