Meeting with the Tampa Tribune concerning the loss of the Central Tampa Section
Attendees: Janet Weaver, Executive Editor; Managing Editor Duke Maas; Ken Koehn, Deputy Managing Editor; Bayard Steele, Regional Senior Editor;
When: February 28th, 7 pm
Where: Tribune Offices, 200 S. Parker Street
What: If you wish to participate in the discussion between neighborhoods and the Tribune, you are invited to attend.
Background: On November 19th, 2005, the Tampa Tribune discontinued the Central Tampa section and transferred its coverage to the South Tampa section. Many communities and neighbors represented by this section, including Seminole Heights, Tampa Heights, Ybor City, West Tampa, and Sulphur Springs, are concerned by this move. While this consolidation may produce cost savings, we feel that long term this action will hurt the community and the Tribune itself. We feel strongly that the name of the consolidated section must be changed to reflect the true character of the area of coverage, or the Central Tampa Section should be returned.
When the Tribune began its local coverage of Tampa neighborhoods, the general boundaries of Central Tampa were already well known among the residents of Tampa. That identity was and is very distinct from what is commonly known as South Tampa. The Tribune has attempted to redefine these boundaries contrary to tradition.
Many Civic and Neighborhood associations within the Central Tampa area have worked diligently with the Mayor, City Council and the City’s departmental offices in creating policy beneficial to all neighborhoods in Tampa. Over the past decade, our particular communities have made great strides in creating a recognizable identity that is attractive to new residents and business investment. This move undermines years of effort and threatens our future development.
The Tampa Tribune is the paper for the entire city of Tampa and must be respectful of local identities. We feel that if the Tribune marginalizes Central Tampa, then it risks marginalizing itself and the city of Tampa loses a newspaper of record for all of its citizens.
Officers and residents from the following neighborhoods will be attending this meeting: Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association, Southeast Seminole Heights Civic Association, South Seminole Heights Civic Association, V.M. Ybor Neighborhood & Crimewatch Association, Northview Hills Civic Association, Historic Ybor Neighborhood Civic Association, Business Guild of Seminole Heights, Wellswood Civic Association, River Grove Civic Association, East Ybor Historic and Civic Association among others.
For more information, email Jeff Harmon
When: February 28th, 7 pm
Where: Tribune Offices, 200 S. Parker Street
What: If you wish to participate in the discussion between neighborhoods and the Tribune, you are invited to attend.
Background: On November 19th, 2005, the Tampa Tribune discontinued the Central Tampa section and transferred its coverage to the South Tampa section. Many communities and neighbors represented by this section, including Seminole Heights, Tampa Heights, Ybor City, West Tampa, and Sulphur Springs, are concerned by this move. While this consolidation may produce cost savings, we feel that long term this action will hurt the community and the Tribune itself. We feel strongly that the name of the consolidated section must be changed to reflect the true character of the area of coverage, or the Central Tampa Section should be returned.
When the Tribune began its local coverage of Tampa neighborhoods, the general boundaries of Central Tampa were already well known among the residents of Tampa. That identity was and is very distinct from what is commonly known as South Tampa. The Tribune has attempted to redefine these boundaries contrary to tradition.
Many Civic and Neighborhood associations within the Central Tampa area have worked diligently with the Mayor, City Council and the City’s departmental offices in creating policy beneficial to all neighborhoods in Tampa. Over the past decade, our particular communities have made great strides in creating a recognizable identity that is attractive to new residents and business investment. This move undermines years of effort and threatens our future development.
The Tampa Tribune is the paper for the entire city of Tampa and must be respectful of local identities. We feel that if the Tribune marginalizes Central Tampa, then it risks marginalizing itself and the city of Tampa loses a newspaper of record for all of its citizens.
Officers and residents from the following neighborhoods will be attending this meeting: Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association, Southeast Seminole Heights Civic Association, South Seminole Heights Civic Association, V.M. Ybor Neighborhood & Crimewatch Association, Northview Hills Civic Association, Historic Ybor Neighborhood Civic Association, Business Guild of Seminole Heights, Wellswood Civic Association, River Grove Civic Association, East Ybor Historic and Civic Association among others.
For more information, email Jeff Harmon
If you can't make the meeting, email the Trib leadership:
GThelen@tampatrib.com, JWeaver@tampatrib.com, and also SOtto@tampatrib.com.
someone should let the sulphur springs action league about this!
ReplyDeleteHere is the e-mail I sent to the above referenced Trib e-mails. I hope everyone turns off their tv for one night and goes down to be heard - we can only be ignored if we choose to be.
ReplyDeleteTo all Concerned,
I am not able to attend the above referenced meeting due to a scheduling conflict but felt it important to let you know how I feel about your actions of ignoring the Central Tampa area.
A little bit of background on my family and my neighborhood. I moved to Tampa many years ago to attend college at the University of South Florida and chose to purchase a home (our 2nd in the neighborhood) in the central Tampa area - Old Seminole Heights specifically. Many of my neighbors and I have chosen to live and purchase (at healthy prices) in this area of town by choice - we have an option of choosing where to live and have chosen this strong community-focused area of town to reside in. Our neighborhood association has by area and membership (currently over 425 dues-paying voluntary members) the largest active neighborhood association in the city of Tampa. The annual neighborhood home tour is currently being planned - it is the 8th by the way and has consistently attracted over 1,200 visitors to the area of town you so conveniently make non-existent.
If you were to look at current demographics you would find housing prices in my neighborhood, on a square foot basis, rival pricing in the Hyde Park area - but we're all South Tampa anyway according to your executive decision. Your blanket lumping of many historic areas of Central Tampa under one banner that has no relevance to our area does not sit well with many of my neighbors nor myself. I have been a subscriber of the Tampa Tribune for many, many years and am direct billed through my American Express account but I am not opposed to change. As a matter of fact, I have also been a subscriber of the St. Pete Times for many years. As their coverage of Tampa increases I see less and less need to subscribe to two papers. I am a very strong supporter of their neighborhood coverage and specifically the "City Times" section which covers the city of Tampa as a whole.
I have been told your decision is based on advertising revenues - understandably - but advertisers also look to subscriber numbers. If no one subscribes to your paper then who do you sell ads to. Your move to make the whole area of Tampa between Kennedy and the coverage area of the "Northwest Tampa" section disappear was a very short-sighted, money-hungry decision and I truly realize now that you are in the business to make money and not to serve your subscribers.
My neighborhood in the city of Tampa has relevance - it is not located south of Kennedy nor in New Tampa but that does not mean that it is any less important. We do not strive to have our shitzu's champagne birthday party covered in the "South Tampa" section of your newspaper. We are a very organized neighborhood between our potlucks and chat groups, our porch parties and well attended neighborhood association meetings and yes our neighborhood crime watch meetings and there are other "forgotten" areas that are similar in their actions. Many of my neighbors have chosen to live here in a reality based neighborhood yet still have the demographics you so quickly reach out to with your "South Tampa" section and ignore in a larger demographic area of Tampa.
My family and I quite readily fall into your marketing demographic with a combined household income of over six figures and a home recently valued by appraisal at over six figures. I think you need to go back to "Marketing 101" and look at the reality of today's communities and realize that not everyone chooses excessive displays of wealth when they have the ability - reference "The Millionaire Next Door".
Your continued thoughtless actions will come back to hit your bottom line. In today's society, individuals are not as dependent on print to obtain their knowledge of the world - I'm assuming that is why you have a partnership with TBO.com. When you realize you have alienated a large section of the city it may be too late to rectify the situation. I will be very interested to hear of the feedback from your scheduled meeting with my neighbors of the ignored/invisible area of Tampa, on the 28th of February - and yes many people with give me that feedback