Calif., Ohio papers outsourcing ad jobs to Indian firms

[OhioChick]

Dateline: Nov. 13, 2006

Advertising production jobs at the Contra Costa (Calif.) Times will be outsourced to India, according to a story posted by the paper Nov. 11.

The newspaper said Express KCS, a firm that bills itself as “India’s leading media preparation business,” will take over ad production operations within the next several months. Its clients include prepress firms, ad agencies and retailers.

Express KCS Chief Executive Officer Robert Berkeley confirmed the Times’ account, but declined additional comment. John Armstrong, an executive with MediaNews Group, which bought the Times and San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News earlier this year, couldn’t be reached for comment before deadline.

The Times said Mercury News management would evaluate outsourcing to determine if it, too, might ship some of its ad production to Express-KCS.

http://www.newsandtech.com/dateline/11-13-06_date.htm


Looking for a Job in Newspapers? Maybe You Should Move to India
By E&P Staff

Published: November 13, 2006 10:40 AM ET

NEW YORK If outsourcing is the wave of the future in the newspaper business -- as it is in some many other vital American businesses -- then the future may be NOW. Two announcements in this regard came this weekend.

The Dispatch Printing Company has eliminated about 90 positions and contracted with an Elgin, Ill., graphic-design company to create ads for The Columbus Dispatch’s advertising clients, "allowing for greater efficiency and more rapid turnaround," according to an article in the paper. Most of this work, the company said, is actually done in Pune, India.

Advertisements created for The Dispatch will be created in India in the same operation that makes ads for the Los Angeles Times.

"This is a step we must take to maintain our vitality amid changes in the media environment," said Michael F. Curtin, associate publisher and chief operating officer of The Dispatch Printing Company. "We believe this is a cost-effective way for us to improve the quality and speed of service to our advertising customers."

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003381357

[aquart]

1. Stop buying the papers.

And have words with the advertisers.

[Royal Sloan 09]

5. yes, I agree

Please, cancel subscriptions to newspapers and inform advertisers that they should pull ads from paper without a circulation(wasting money).

Another American worker out of work for corporate profits, it's just business as usual.

It seems almost anti-American, that companies would lay-off the American workers that help make their profits, just so they can make more profits with foreign workers in foreign lands.

Wonder how much money the companies have received from the American taxpayers, in the form of tax cuts, tax breaks, and other government benefits and give backs to keep the companies happy.

Perhaps it's time for the American people to eliminate corporate welfare!!!

[Donnachaidh]

6. and let the papers know WHY you are stopping them

They only see numbers as far as subscriptions go. But sending a strongly worded LTTE, as well as the publisher, and they will get the idea. If enough people make a stink, it will force THEM to address the issue *in the news*.

[Moochy]

2. quality and speed of service

"This is a step we must take to maintain our vitality amid changes in the media environment," said Michael F. Curtin,

That's corporate-speak for "fuck off, fat lazy American worker."

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. or... "why newspapers are becoming obsolete"

[AlamoDemoc]

4. Just don't use voice reading in any outsourced news prints...problem solved

Hey...its win win situation, no? :sarcasm:

[momster]

7. I used to do that job when

I lived in San Diego -- The Union-Tribune. It takes a surprising amount of English skill to understand what the client calling in needs and wants. I expect the number of errors and, consequently, free ads to rise. Not because the Indian workers don't speak English but because you have to have an understanding of the fluidity and intuitive nature of the client's product.