Al Ristori's column

[TerryNJ]

Someone passed this along to me in an email:

 

"Good Morning,

 

It appears those of us in the fishing/boating world will soon have one less source of information available to us. As many of you already know the Newark Star-Ledger almost went down the tubes and many concessions by represented and non-represented employees/writers had to be made under threats from management to sell or shutdown the largest newspaper in the Garden State. One victim of this down-sizing by management at the paper was the reduction of Al Ristori's column from several days a week to only one day a week. Al's column is now scheduled to only appear on Friday though he will continue his daily blog on the web site.

 

For decades most of us have read and enjoyed Al's column and some have also used it to promote a charter business, tournament, boat show, seminar, etc. Some of us have also had the pleasure of knowing Al personally and fishing with him aboard our boats where he then wrote about the trip. I spoke to Al the other day and he indicated to me if there was enough outcry from the fishing/boating public, management may reconsider their action and allow Al to continue writing his column as usual. One would think the ad revenue generated from the Friday charter/party boat ads would more than offset Al's salary for the year. But as with most big corporations, top-level management reaps the benefits while the working-class Joe gets the short end of the stick.

 

I hope you'll consider dropping a letter or fax or making a phone call to Tom Bergeron, Sports Editor, The Star-Ledger, Star-Ledger Plaza, Newark, NJ 07101.

973 392-4023. Fax- 973 392-5845. Tell him how important Al's column is to not only the paper but also to the economy as well since it helps promote fishing/boating here in New Jersey.

 

Let's do what we can to keep Al's column around for as long as he wants to write it."

[NIB]

Well that stinks.While I'm not a huge fan of fish reports in general,I never like to see this happen.The printed news is falling victim to the internet.How downsizing information will solve any of thier problems is besides me.

 

This economy sucks..

[LetsGoIrish]

Lame. I've been reading the Ledger for almost 20 years and I enjoy his columns. I think I'll write a letter. They decimated the horse racing coverage years ago. They wanted to eliminate it entirely, but a public outcry saved the sliver of space they reserve for it now, which is no more than entries and results from 2 or three tracks.

[AKscuba713]

I have one of Al Ristori's books, Ive learned alot from reading it. Ill be getting in contact with them too....

[richs]

I'd like to see it stay around. Always enjoyed flipping to it as a kid. The Star Ledger itself is probably going to be gone within a year unless they find a buyer. They are running out of cash.

[PaulS]

Must me tough writing a daily column about fishing.

[Highlander1]

Not only a good writer, a good fisherman and a good guy. Send letters of support!!

[Ben Lippen]

Sucks. Gannet ought to buy the Ledger, then dump Geiser and put Al's collum in both the Ledger and the APP

[LetsGoIrish]

I'd like to see it stay around. Always enjoyed flipping to it as a kid. The Star Ledger itself is probably going to be gone within a year unless they find a buyer. They are running out of cash.

 

 

Not true. They worked out their issues with the unions about two weeks ago. Got a lot of people to take buyouts, etc. They ran a full page article about it. Unfortunately I think it's going to mean less content. I started reading the Ledger every day when I was in college. I wonder how much money I've spent on that paper?

[Snaps]

Sucks. Gannet ought to buy the Ledger, then dump Geiser and put Al's collum in both the Ledger and the APP

 

 

 

I wish John would stop spot burning.

[GROBY]

Not true. They worked out their issues with the unions about two weeks ago. Got a lot of people to take buyouts, etc. They ran a full page article about it. Unfortunately I think it's going to mean less content. I started reading the Ledger every day when I was in college. I wonder how much money I've spent on that paper?

 

I get the Ledger everyday.They have cut down on content a bunch.The Food sect. on wed. is now combined with the today section.The home & garden section is combined w/today on thurs.The Munch mobile used to be at least 2 pages...now your lucky if it takes a whole page.Sucks about Al's column,it was the first thing I read in the sports page.He's not even gonna be in the sunday paper now..that was his biggest one of the week.

[Shipwreck]

I worked for the Newhouse Organization (they own the ledger too) for 10years at the Trenton Times. They are a fine, fine company. Its not Al, Its not the bosses, it is us.

 

Americans just do not read newsprint anymore. I saw the writing on the wall 15 years ago. I offered to learn and start a new internet initiative to keep pace and get some real estate in Newspaper brand awareness on the net. I was told no. Shortly after that I left that fine company.

 

They finally got together with NJ.com but it was far too late. Just like the recording industry, they thought they were unassailable.

 

I have newsprint still in my veins, but not on my fingers any more. I stopped my Trenton Times subscriptions years ago. Sad really.

[LetsGoIrish]

Yeah, it's a shame really. My stepfather was a reporter for the Philly Inquirer for like 50 years (he wrote the very first article about the Mumia murder, when it was still a simple news story). Their staff is a miniscule percentage compared to what it used to be. People just don't read anymore, at least not print media. Personally I can't stand trying to find news on the internet. I need a nice newspaper spread out on my desk to find all the tidbits and interesting stories.

 

RIP literacy. The way some people write (especially on this board) gives me a headache. Do they still teach kids how to write in school?