Macpherson's reasoning? It helps reduce costs--a major consideration for local news organizations. The projected annual cost of hiring two journalists is $20,800. Talk about innovation in outsourcing!
Already, someone has commented the idea seems like it came from the good folks at The Onion.
What do I think? It's plain crazy! I have worked in India with some amazing journalists but local news is a whole different ball game.
The local system in the U.S., including city council, education, elections and courts, is quite different from that in India. More importantly, I think the plan won't work because journalists have to be really interested in what they write.
I find it difficult to believe that someone in an Indian city can get excited about local issues in Pasadena.
Some Pasadena facts culled from the city's website:
- Pasadena has 23 parks, totaling more than one thousand acres of parkland. About 60,000 trees line the streets of Pasadena.
- There were 51,844 occupied housing units in Pasadena in 2000, consisting of 45.76% homeowners and 54.2% renters.
- The average rent for a 2 bedroom apartment in March, 2005, was $1,209 per month.
- In 2000, 14.9% of households were below poverty level.
- It has snowed twice in the City's history: January 13, 1932 and January 11, 1949.
And would someone doing the job just for the paycheck be able to do it well? I think not.
I am beginning to suspect this is all just a publicity stunt to get more attention for the web site.
1 comment:
Hell, almost all customer care services of major companies are located overseas, this is the next logical step...
The day will come when no one in the US will be able to call for services because no one will have a job, everything will have been outsourced, except the CEO posts and stuff alike.
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