Sea Change

I won't be writing non-local columns anymore--instructions from on high. I guess the newspaper has decided to let readers get their financial stuff from the Times and Wall St Journal--and focus on very local stories. I'll be writing local business stories. Something of a mistake, I believe, in my case. But a compromise was rejected. The paper is bleeding badly.

I'll give up my Gannett column. Or should I? I could write it during the week--on my own time. I wouldn't be going to conferences; just writing stuff off the top of my head and from my reading. I asked Gannett if they would pay me to write columns, and the prompt and rude answer was no. Rude because I've written columns for them for 10 years--500 columns. But maybe not enough papers picked up my columns regularly. Still, they could have been a bit gracious.

The Bergen Record killed its locally-written financial news; people there were told to write about real estate. I guess I'll be writing much more about local real estate.

Fortunately, I have an intriguing book project in the works. And maybe I'll be working less hard.