More downsizing in the world of neighborhood weekly newspapers. The Ballard News-Tribune is getting a wake-up call from neighborhood blog by myballard.com - why? The BNT has employees and printing expenses and pays health insurance and office rent. And still develops their photos in a wet darkroom for all I know - these people are dinosaurs. Myballard.com has minimal expenses and the woman who runs it is married to a Microsoft executive with a six-figure salary (plus potential bonuses for say, developing an experimental network of neighborhood blogs for Microsoft in an attempt to gain some sort of online ad market share).

Full story:

"The weekly Ballard News-Tribune announced in print this week that its business office in the heart of Ballard will close next month and business functions will be consolidated with its main office in Burien.

Also, said the announcement, the Ballard weekly will no longer be delivered by youth carriers. Starting Sept. 16, home delivery will be by mail."

-Seattle Times, August 29, 2009

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Seattle Times Partners with Local Neighblogs!