The Bloodbath Continues At The Cape Cod Times

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CapeCodOnline.com – Cape Cod Media Group announced Thursday that it will move the printing and packaging of the Cape Cod Times and its other publications from Hyannis to Providence, Rhode Island, by the end of March, affecting an undisclosed number of jobs on the Cape.

In a memo Thursday to staff, Cape Cod Media Group president and publisher Peter Meyer said the decision was rooted in the cost to update the printing plant’s equipment. “Unfortunately, the type and age of our equipment does not allow us to effectively compete for additional printing work,” Meyer wrote in the memo.

In addition to the Times, the production center at 40 Communication Way, in Independence Park, now prints The Barnstable Patriot; The Inquirer and Mirror of Nantucket; The Standard-Times of New Bedford; the five Hathaway Publishing weekly papers, which cover Bristol and Plymouth County communities; and a variety of other publications. Printing and packaging of all of those publications will be done at the facilities of The Providence Journal by the end of March.

Just so there is no misunderstanding on this one, I want to preface this by saying that we are very pro Cape Cod Times here at The Real Cape. The Cape Cod Times is a hugely integral part of Cape Cod and without it the people on this peninsula would have a serious void in their ability to get local information. I have interacted with the editor of the paper and found him to be very sincere and down to earth.

I have also personally met some people that work there and like them all, some I would consider friends. This is NOT about the people that work at The Cape Cod Times so please, do not attack me in the comments because your best friend’s sister’s boyfriend brother’s girlfriend works at 31 Flavors with some guy that knows a Times reporter, ok? OK.

With that said it’s getting really hard to support the Cape Cod Times these days. Since GateHouse got control of them they have been about as “local” as Wal Mart. First they moved their editorial and design department to Texas, yes Texas. Now they are moving the entire printing and packaging operation not just off of Cape Cod but out of state? What’s next, are they going to hire some chick in Chicago to write awful lists about being “from” Cape Cod?

Maybe it’s time for The Real Cape to hire some real journalists and provide insightful edi… JUST KIDDING! We’ll stick to snarky, sophomoric humor and calling out morons, we know which side our bread is buttered on.

P.S. It absolutely amazes me that anyone still reads physical newspapers. The last time I picked up an actual newspaper and tried to read it I felt like I was reading a history book the shit was already so outdated. All I could picture was some 97 year old guy wearing a fedora with a press badge wedged in the banding sitting in an office with a typewriter and writing about the threat of Polio.

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Twitter: Hippie - Insane Tony

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Comments 33

  1. Maybe they should try China? The only value that paper has is that of a pure play local paper. I think it should maybe fold up its tent. Sucks that some will lose jobs, but that is life these days. I wonder where The Cape Codder is printed? Thailand???

  2. And they charge to read the online version of the Times which can be circumvented to an extent. It doesn't sound like there was much planning for the papers future ten years ago.Got to keep up with the Times……………..

  3. I work at the production center…until March 20th anyway, when the lights will go out and the doors will be locked. We will get a very small severance package and then most likely go on unemployment. The Times didn't want to disclose how many people are affected, but I know it's 65-70 people. Gatehouse Media is essentially buying up struggling smaller daily papers and then consolidating them to a city newspaper (i.e. The Providence Journal) that has the equipment to take them on. The consolidation also means that these papers will have the same vanilla format and will use Gatehouse writers. It's a a sad situation for The Cape Cod Times and the employees who were either relocated or being let go now.

  4. Hey Hippie, why does it amaze you that people still read a printed edition?? The online digital world hasn't taken over just yet. Think of people who don't have access to computers or smart phones. People in hospitals, rest homes. homeless shelters, senior centers, etc. still read a printed edition. Perhaps in another 10 years that statement will be true, but it's not yet.

  5. Don't knock PHYSICAL papers, magazines, etc. The crapstorm that is going to follow when there is no longer any paper back-ups of anything is one that you will not want to be around for. It is also much easier to provide false news and lies, because there is no one to be responsible for it – at least – they will be in Texas and ….China….. this is all – very BAD NEWS.

  7. I'm with you, Steve. Although – the person should not be referred to as a "hippie" – just ignorant and certainly arrogant. I am sick of the assumption that EVERYONE just LOVES the freakin internet and all of the digital crap. There are studies about how bad it is for people to read from Kindles, for example – bad for your eyes and bad for your brain. We will all live to regret this so-called "digital revolution."

  9. Marcia Huyette What?? The writer of this article refers to himself as "hippie"' So don't call me ignorant and arrogant, ok?

  12. So I'm at a New Years party in Medford Oregon yeah not Medford Mass and this guy finds out I'm from the cape and says yeah my company just bought the cct and its moving to providence to which I respond oh (meaning bullshit) now I read this go figure why not just move it out here we got plenty a trees for paper and you can even meet the papers owner at a New Year's Eve party. Aaron previously of Barnstable

  13. Marcia Huyette Sometimes it is appropriate. The job market has changed radically. No one has ever been guaranteed a given job for life. Not in this country. That is not about to change.

  15. Louis, guys like you who don't pay are part of the problem for newspapers everywhere. The people who work at the Cape Cod Times put out a great product and cannot afford to work for free.

  16. Not sure I will continue to utilize the Cape Cod Times in anyway now- not they physical paper or the online edition if it no longer truly the Cape Cod Times. They may see this as a cost saving measure, but I see it more like the death of an institution.

  17. Not sure I will continue to utilize the Cape Cod Times in anyway now- not they physical paper or the online edition if it no longer truly the Cape Cod Times. They may see this as a cost saving measure, but I see it more like the death of an institution.

  20. Amazing….we can't even print a newspaper here….have to love " Economies of Scale "…..All those jobs gone, there's only so many good jobs down here to begin with….When I moved down here 30 years ago, I worked on a crew I was told there are only 3 completely safe/secure jobs here on the Cape… Augut….Colonial Gas…..The Steamship Authority…..things change..

  21. I'm just saying there are plenty of other news sources out there. I'm sorry this is happening.

  25. Your P.S. Just shows your real colors. Ignorant and arrogant. Many, many folks still depend on the "hard copy" and are uncomfortable with technology. Think of how many folks just prefer what is and has been their daily ritual of walking out to get their morning paper. Next you'll be writing about how you want to do away with manually operated window sashes. Irresponsible and unnecessary post script comment.

  26. The new Gatehouse model doesn't have anything to do with printing newspapers, it's to cut costs on the printing side, integrate all of its web properties and sell digital marketing services through another company it owns called Propel Marketing (http://propelmarketing.com/) based in Quincy.

    "GateHouse's digital marketing arm, Propel Marketing, is viewed internally as a major driver for revenue growth, as the company looks to capitalize on its 1,000-person strong sales force with well-established connections with local advertisers."

    http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass_roundup/2014/02/gatehouse-is-back-in-the-public-market.html?page=all

  27. The new Gatehouse model doesn't have anything to do with printing newspapers, it's to cut costs on the printing side, integrate all of its web properties and sell digital marketing services through another company it owns called Propel Marketing (http://propelmarketing.com/) based in Quincy.

    "GateHouse's digital marketing arm, Propel Marketing, is viewed internally as a major driver for revenue growth, as the company looks to capitalize on its 1,000-person strong sales force with well-established connections with local advertisers."

    http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass_roundup/2014/02/gatehouse-is-back-in-the-public-market.html?page=all

  29. I used to work for the Cape Codder in 1997-1999. In 2006, they were bought out by GateHouse Media. (name ring a bell?)

  30. I ❤ newspapers, both electronic and physical. From the Banner to the Enterprise, and everything in-between-including The Real Cape, Hyannis News, etc. It doesn't have to be either or.

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