Laconis Citizen Rant

[NBR]

Is anyone else having problems getting their paper? Since the take over our morning paper comes anywhere from early to noon, later or not at all. Calls to the paper are answered with indiffernce. Just like the dissatisfaction expressed with the first issue of the "Weekend Citizen"; nothing has been done.

We take the Citizen for the local news but the poor service, indiffernce or down right we don't care attitude is grating on our patience.

Frankly, with all the spelling, errata and grammer gaffs the Foster's version of the Citizen was not great but it provided some amusement, it was on time and it sure was far better than the current version.

We realize that newspapers in general are faced with difficult business conditions blamed on things such as the net. However, the attitude and customer service expressed by the Citizen would be the death of any business.

My heart goes out to the employees since they seem to be employed by an I don't care company.

[Bob M]

Since we returned from Florida about two plus weeks ago and resumed delivery of the Citizen the service has been horrendous. At least three times, and possibly a 4th time, we received no delivery. The last time that it happened I called the Citizen to cancel my prepaid subscription. I was told that although I could cancel, according to company policy, I would not be receiving a refund for the unused portion of the subscription. I then tried to change to a five day delivery and drop the weekend (Saturday) paper. I was told that they currently did not offer a five day delivery. So I am stuck until mid August when my prepaid subscription is scheduled to run out. I'm undecided what I will do at that time except that under no circumstances will I ever purchase the overpriced Saturday edition again.

[corollaman]

I'm upset they changed the website. I go on, and there's still headlines on there from a week to two weeks ago. They got rid of the police blotters and court logs too, I can't find the then and now section anymore, it's just because they want me to buy the paper. If their service stinks that bad, i won't subscribe.

[Irish mist]

This was once a good paper, but that was a long time ago.....even before the Foster's crowd got a hold of it. The paper is on its way out.

[songkrai]

The Laconia Citizen is owned by Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. There is a lot of consolidation going on over the past few decades.

I'm not sure where the paper is actually printed. Fosters in Dover or thereabouts printed the Citizen for a few years after printing left Laconia.

I used to be in the delivery business (not newspapers) and there are so many reasons why something can be late. The truck from the printer can be late. But if some are getting home delivery then it also could be the actual person delivering the papers. It is can be difficult to find someone today to drive all around paved roads and back roads to deliver a paper and make money. I know this is no consolation to those who receive paper late or no paper at all.

I hate to see the newspapers go away. Yes, all media has some bias. Either the owner or managing editor sets the tone. But some news is actually news. Editorials are opinions. Sadly, too many rely on TV and listen to some of those talking heads that mix opinion with some facts and to some those opinions are true facts and some believe that these "expert" opinions are facts.

A "free press" is mentioned in the US constitution. And in those days it was just newspapers and phamplets. Printed media.

I just hate to see newspapers go even if some complain about content or delivery.

[NHBoat70]

The Citizen is now a newspaper apart of The Sample News Group, the same company that purchased the Eagle-Times in Claremont.

http://acgmedia.blogspot.com/2010/06...s-laconia.html

http://investing.businessweek.com/re...capId=44493669.

[mcdude]

Over the past month, as The Citizen moved toward severing the last of its ties with its former owner, Foster' Daily Democrat, we learned that road rage is not limited to physical highways; it also manifests itself on the Information Superhighway of cyberspace.
For the newsroom, severing ties with Foster's has meant setting up our own website — we formerly shared Foster's — as well as ending our common Sunday edition of the print newspaper and — most difficult of all for those working behind the scenes — setting up an entirely new computer system for the processing of news and preparing it for print.
Any of these tasks done alone would have been difficult to accomplish, but having to deal with all three simultaneously has been something of a nightmare. We were unable to get the website fully developed by the agreed-upon launch date; there were production problems with the new Weekend Citizen that meant some inserts were unavailable or we ran short of them; and we're still working through the bugs in the new computer system.
All this meant longer work days — 12- to 16-hour days for some of us — in order to keep moving forward even as we had to deal with the problems that kept cropping up — not the least of which was the “road rage”.

read MUCH MORE.... HERE

[fatlazyless]

And, the Union Leader has just lowered its' price to 25-cents daily, and one dollar for the Saturday-Sunday edition. That's a big surprise, but at the old price of two dollars for the U.L. weekend edition you could buy a weekend Wall Street Journal for the same two bucks and get a much better printed newspaper.

Right in front of the great big state liquor store on Rt 93-N, down at the state safety liquor stop-rest area that's between Manchester and Concord at about exit 12 or 13 or so, the Union Leaders in the sidewalk box are selling for 25-cents and one dollar. "New Low Prices: Daily; 25-cents, Weekend; 1.00" is what it says on the U.L. sidewalk box.....so now you can go get state liquored and get a U.L. for just 25-cents.......what a deal....and well worth the trip! And don't forget to not get caught while yoo drive, drink, and peruse the U.L., all at the same time, as you drive back to exits 20 or 23 and the lakes region....kaboom...kaboom!