NYT: Gannett to add sections of USA Today to local newspaper, including Asheville Citizen-Times

The New York Times today reports that Gannett plans to announce that it will be adding 12 to 14 pages of content produced by USA Today to 35 of what it terms its “community” newspapers. The NYT reports that those newspapers that will see the new content in January include The Tennessean in Nashville and The Cincinnati Enquirer. Word on the street is that the Asheville Citizen-Times will be included in that list of 35. (The Citizen-Times already contains one page of branded USA Today content – it is page 2, the flip side of the front page.)

The plan is to eventually push the content addition to all of Gannett’s 81 newspapers, the NYT reports.

The Gannett project – dubbed “The Butterfly Project” by company officials – was put in place at four newspapers starting in October. I also hear that Dave Neill, the Citizen-Times‘ new publisher, will be playing a key role in this new initiative.

Gannett officials are spinning the effort as adding value to its local newspapers, which likely means it will be charging subscribers higher prices. The move will also boost USA Today’s circulation, which in turn will allow it to charge advertisers higher rates.

From the NYT:

Gannett’s announcement represents a shift for a company that recently has focused on expanding its broadcast holdings. In June, Gannett bought the Belo Corporation for about $1.5 billion in cash and added 20 television stations to the 23 it already owned. Mr. Kramer said that while the company was applying a television “network affiliate model” to its papers, the company remained committed to its newspaper assets, which would still provide roughly 30 to 40 percent of its revenue.

“We still have a significant business in newspapers, and we have to treat it the way you treat any business,” he said. “We felt like we had to invest in it.”

Gannett executives said they tested the new inserts in 23 markets and quickly learned that while readers liked their sports content blended into a single paper, they wanted their national, money and life coverage contained in separate sections.

To me, the move sounds like more of the same: lipstick on a pig; deck chair rearranging; naked desperation. Gannett continues to cut employees and resources, then creates a plan like this to “add value.” What’s your take?

Image link for USA Today.