from the San Diego Reader

The Lincoln Journal Star announced 16 cuts today, eight of which were from the newsroom. The story puts much of the blame on the rising cost of newsprint but fails to address whether or not any cutbacks were ordered from above.

Last week, LJS owners Lee Enterprises announced their Q3 profits fell more than 87 percent since the same quarter last year. The company had already been forced to revise its 2008 Q2 losses, acknowledging that losses originally reported as $4.5 million were actually $716.4 million.

Lee’s value has dropped 93 percent since late 2004, when it was valued around $2 billion. Lee was trading in the $45-50 range in November and December 2004; the stock price has bounced back above $3 after dipping in the $2 range last week, putting the company’s value around $145 million.

UPDATE: “Mary E. Junck [CEO] of Lee Enterprises (LEE) pocketed a 17.8% increase to earn a bit less than $3.4 million as her company’s stock skidded 52.3%.” - newsosaur

from the Omaha Reader

from the Lincoln Journal Star

from the San Diego Reader

from the Lincoln Journal Star

from the Omaha Reader

In today’s column, Don Walton at the Lincoln Journal Star comments on the comparisons between Obama and Hitler printed in the Midlands Business Journal.

A stunning editorial in the Midlands Business Journal this month comparing Obama to Adolf Hitler: “While Obama is not Hitler, still there are similarities,” publisher Bob Hoig wrote. “I was startled to realize the increasing use of Nazi Party techniques by the Barack Obama campaign,” he wrote. Geez.

From the article’s comments:

There seems to be a weekly contest to see who can speak or print the most racially repressed comment about Sen. Obama. It appears Bob Hoig and the Midwest Racist Business Journal are this week’s winner. Congratulations on losing your credibility!

and

…Hoig’s editorial is a blatant example of fear-mongering, distortion, smears, and misdirection; in other words, a textbook example of a political tactic often employed by those on the right (especially by the disciples of Karl Rove). One can easily see how intellectually bankrupt and shameless those on the right who would use these tactics have become, and how desparate and jealous they are…

You can read more about these columns here and here.

from the Lincoln Journal Star

A few days ago, I wrote about the recent Midlands Business Journal editorial in which publisher Bob Hoig compared Barack Obama to Adolph Hitler. It’s perfectly normal for Hoig’s editorials to make Harold Andersen look like Rainbow Rowell, but that was a particularly shameful move worth drawing attention to. And then I figured that was the end of it.

Well my jaw literally dropped this afternoon when I saw this week’s editorial, entitled “Obama embraces socialist remedies, Hitler’s hoopla.” Hoig not only revived last week’s dip into what is perhaps the most ill-advised argument in all of logic, but pushes this argument even further!!

He uses this week’s column (and the words demagogue [twice], demagogic and demagoguery) to illustrate the ways in which Obama seems to be consciously emulating the steps taken by Adolph Hitler in the Third Reich’s rise to power.

Like Hitler, Obama is a great organizer. Hitler created the Hitler Youth, hiking clubs, travel clubs, culture clubs. Obama already is busy with plans to create corps for various forms of national and community service.

Hitler produced torchlight parades to delight crowds, but he could add nighttime book burnings and street violence when it was deemed the crowd needed converting into a mob. It will be instructive to learn if or how Obama orchestrates the crowds he assembles, starting with Denver.

Warning to all hiking clubs: you are now likely on Hoig’s shortlist of potential Nazis.
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