The death of the hometown newspaper, like the Buffalo News

[PromoTheRobot]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2020/07/08/over-her-long-career-journalist-columnist-margaret-sullivan-has-watched-decline-local-news-with-growing-alarm/

[Gugny]

The long-time editor of our hometown paper (The Post-Star) just announced his retirement yesterday.

 

It saddens me.  Reading the paper in the morning before work was the beginning of my day for many years.

 

After spending four months on the Editorial Board (as a citizens' rep) and even working there for ~9 months (sales job to fill the gap between when I got laid off and found another job in my field), I not only made friends but I also grew a great appreciation for everything everyone did.

 

First, it was getting rid of copy editors.

Then the reporting staff was slashed.

Then they shut down the printing press (a newspaper about an hour south of us prints it every day).

 

They priced me out a few years ago.  The delivery service became horrible and the prices went up, without notice, multiple times/year.  Finally, I had to pull the plug.

 

It's a shame to watch this industry die.  

 

[LewPort71]

With the COVID situation the local paper has stopped printing SAT and then MON editions.  No electronic 

editions on these days either.   Paper has one section instead of 2 and several staff are furloughed.

One of my golfing buddies is the ONLY photographer left on the staff.

He says the only thing keeping the paper afloat is the subscriptions by the AARP+ age group.

 

[Mike in Horseheads]

EZ Shopper is a better news paper than the Elmira Star Gazzette

 

[Mark80]

It's cool.  We have social media for reliable, factual, and unbiased news coverage.

[BuffaloBud]

I'll continue my subscription to the Columbus Dispatch, but I question it every time I pay the bill.  Same rationale as Gungy.  The merged the printing Ops into Indiana with some other papers and the timing is off by a day.

[plenzmd1]

20 hours ago, LewPort71 said:

With the COVID situation the local paper has stopped printing SAT and then MON editions.  No electronic 

editions on these days either.   Paper has one section instead of 2 and several staff are furloughed.

One of my golfing buddies is the ONLY photographer left on the staff.

He says the only thing keeping the paper afloat is the subscriptions by the AARP+ age group.

 

Well, of course the only job left in a West Va paper is the photographer!

 

AARP set, aka me, gets local papers for one reason, and one reason only. Obits. 
 

And BTW Margaret, you wonder why people call WAPO ( of which I am subscriber) propaganda at this point , all one has to do is read this oped. Talk about echo chamber. 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

19 hours ago, Mark80 said:

It's cool.  We have social media for reliable, factual, and unbiased news coverage.

This is why we're shipping you off to Elma...?

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

 

[US Egg]

Margaret, being a liberal, should enjoy knowing that millions of trees are being spared.

 

She seemed to enjoy how her Buffalo News sunk their rival, The Courier Express, putting them out of business and their employees losing their jobs.

 

The Buffalo News has become nothing more than a feeder system for New York Times and Washington Post bias. 

 

Coincidence ?

 

Margaret M. Sullivan is an American journalist who is the media columnist for The Washington Post. She began her tenure on September 1, 2012, joining The New York Times from The Buffalo News, where she had been editor and vice-president. Her first column in The Washington Post ran on May 22, 2016.

Edited July 11, 2020 by I am the egg man

[Just Jack]

One of my uncles was the accountant on staff for a small city newspaper. He would struggle each week to find enough money to cover payroll. Told the owner he'd have to make some changes to get more money coming in. The owner decided to buy up more local newspapers would be a good way to bring in more money.  ?

[LeviF]

I’ve been thinking about this a bit and asked around a little. I’m not sure that it’s an age gap that’s killing the newspaper. And I’m not sure “the internet” is either. I think it’s a bit of a combination. Like, I don’t watch or read the news very much mostly as a result of my education. The APA/Chicago style guides that were drilled into my head taught me the importance of good primary sources. And technology has made primary sources widely available to many more people than they were in the past. 
 

At the end of the day, if a journalist isn’t inserting his opinion into what he writes or says then that journalist is simply a middleman for information that has a source that more and more people are now able to access. And those middlemen have been rendered completely unnecessary by the combination of technology and telling generations of kids that information middlemen are bad sources for research purposes. If you want to know about a politician’s indictment, you can access the court documents. Heard about a controversial law that’s being considered in a legislature? Go read it on their website. Etc. No need for some overqualified pencil neck to tell you what they say. 

 

So news organizations have reacted to this shift by becoming bloated opinion columns. And if your entire purpose of existing is to publish opinions, odds are that one person’s/group’s opinions are going to dominate your publications. This polarizes your customer base to the point where you’re not likely to be profitable if you’re on a small scale, which means that you’re worthless in terms of market value. When institutions have no market value, they usually collapse. And now we’re hearing from newspapers what we’ve heard from every dying institution ever: “how will you survive without us?”  
 

To be sure, there is still a market for information middlemen, which is why national news orgs like WaPo, NYT, major cable news, etc are still going. But that market shrinks every time someone gets a dry cough and a fever. Competition for these consumers will get more and more sensational as time goes on. Which will turn off those who don’t want or need information middlemen all the more. 

[ExiledInIllinois]

On 7/8/2020 at 1:51 PM, Gugny said:

The long-time editor of our hometown paper (The Post-Star) just announced his retirement yesterday.

 

It saddens me.  Reading the paper in the morning before work was the beginning of my day for many years.

 

After spending four months on the Editorial Board (as a citizens' rep) and even working there for ~9 months (sales job to fill the gap between when I got laid off and found another job in my field), I not only made friends but I also grew a great appreciation for everything everyone did.

 

First, it was getting rid of copy editors.

Then the reporting staff was slashed.

Then they shut down the printing press (a newspaper about an hour south of us prints it every day).

 

They priced me out a few years ago.  The delivery service became horrible and the prices went up, without notice, multiple times/year.  Finally, I had to pull the plug.

 

It's a shame to watch this industry die.  

 

Because... It's  being  replaced by better information. 

 

Progress...

[Gugny]

12 hours ago, LeviF91 said:

I’ve been thinking about this a bit and asked around a little. I’m not sure that it’s an age gap that’s killing the newspaper. And I’m not sure “the internet” is either. I think it’s a bit of a combination. Like, I don’t watch or read the news very much mostly as a result of my education. The APA/Chicago style guides that were drilled into my head taught me the importance of good primary sources. And technology has made primary sources widely available to many more people than they were in the past. 
 

At the end of the day, if a journalist isn’t inserting his opinion into what he writes or says then that journalist is simply a middleman for information that has a source that more and more people are now able to access. And those middlemen have been rendered completely unnecessary by the combination of technology and telling generations of kids that information middlemen are bad sources for research purposes. If you want to know about a politician’s indictment, you can access the court documents. Heard about a controversial law that’s being considered in a legislature? Go read it on their website. Etc. No need for some overqualified pencil neck to tell you what they say. 

 

So news organizations have reacted to this shift by becoming bloated opinion columns. And if your entire purpose of existing is to publish opinions, odds are that one person’s/group’s opinions are going to dominate your publications. This polarizes your customer base to the point where you’re not likely to be profitable if you’re on a small scale, which means that you’re worthless in terms of market value. When institutions have no market value, they usually collapse. And now we’re hearing from newspapers what we’ve heard from every dying institution ever: “how will you survive without us?”  
 

To be sure, there is still a market for information middlemen, which is why national news orgs like WaPo, NYT, major cable news, etc are still going. But that market shrinks every time someone gets a dry cough and a fever. Competition for these consumers will get more and more sensational as time goes on. Which will turn off those who don’t want or need information middlemen all the more. 

 

Social media is a major factor, as well.

 

I'm not sure how many of you have local papers who post things on Facebook (that's the only social media platform I frequent), but my local paper does.  

 

Reading the comments sometimes scares me.  Lots of people in my area with questionable intelligence.  It's mind boggling how many people don't know the difference between News and Op/Eds.  It's also perplexing to see how many people can't comprehend that the national news being reported by a small-town newspaper WAS NOT WRITTEN BY THEM.

 

The Post-Star has been known as a "liberal rag,"  for years.  Yes, their editorials have generally been left-leaning, but they have always reported the news in an unbiased manner.  All they need to do is post an AP story about the current president and the comments go nuts.  All about the paper being liberal.

 

I always get a chuckle when the context is right for one of the journalists to remind them of how the paper handles elections.  They spend insane amounts of hours meeting with candidates, interviewing others, doing research, etc.  They form a committee - traditionally compromised of left of the road people - of less than 10 people.  And then they make their endorsements for every elected official post from Town Supervisor to Governor to President.

 

This pandemic has been brutal to them because they're reporting what Cuomo is saying and Cuomo is the devil to your average redneck.  This is rendeck territory.  The South of the North.  So readers say that the paper is sucking Cuomo's d.  And they're liberal pieces of s.

 

I'll chime in occasionally and remind them that The Post-Star endorsed Marc Molinaro over Cuomo just two years ago and it was nearly unanimous among their "liberal piece of s" board.   Their endorsement history is also about 50/50 all time between GOP and Dems.

 

But it's too late.  Damage is done.  We all know the power of headlines, pictures and comments.  That's as far as many people go and that is what "tells them the news."  It's sad.

 

Since shortly after the Internet came along, local newspapers had only one demand: local news.  The last few years I was getting the paper, I never read the front section.  I already knew about most of it.  Local, Obits, and some Sports.  It didn't take long for daily circulation numbers to suffer.  As those numbers suffered, advertisers started looking more at TV and radio.  As advertisers left, advertising prices, subscription prices went up and staffing started to go down.  Reduction in staffing led to mistakes and bad service ... less circulation ... fewer advertisers .... you see the cycle/snowball effect.  Unstoppable.

 

There will always be a need for local news.  How long that remains on print remains to be seen.  We also have a weekly "paper" called the Chronicle, but I can't consider anything weekly as "news," simply by definition of the word.

 

I loved the Op/Ed pieces from the paper and I do hope there's a way to keep those ... but I doubt it.  It's a shame, too.  It was never like turning on MSNBC and knowing, 100%, they're going to shove anti-right wing rhetoric down your throat.  I'm a liberal and that even makes me sick (although I would Rachel Maddow).  These are good Editorials and they could slam a local Republican one day and praise another local Republican the next; same with Dems.  The Post Star has always been great at that.  They call a spade a spade and bow to no one.

 

Long-story, short:  There's a lot of reasons local papers are dying.  To me, the bottom line is that it's just too expensive to maintain.  Technology killed them more than anything else, including age gap.  It's all about those advertising dollars and once their audience started to realize the majority of what they were paying for is on the Internet for free, it was just a matter of time.  Frankly, I'm shocked they've lasted this long and I hope the can continue to limp along in some fashion, because they do bring value.

[ExiledInIllinois]

6 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

Social media is a major factor, as well.

 

I'm not sure how many of you have local papers who post things on Facebook (that's the only social media platform I frequent), but my local paper does.  

 

Reading the comments sometimes scares me.  Lots of people in my area with questionable intelligence.  It's mind boggling how many people don't know the difference between News and Op/Eds.  It's also perplexing to see how many people can't comprehend that the national news being reported by a small-town newspaper WAS NOT WRITTEN BY THEM.

 

The Post-Star has been known as a "liberal rag,"  for years.  Yes, their editorials have generally been left-leaning, but they have always reported the news in an unbiased manner.  All they need to do is post an AP story about the current president and the comments go nuts.  All about the paper being liberal.

 

I always get a chuckle when the context is right for one of the journalists to remind them of how the paper handles elections.  They spend insane amounts of hours meeting with candidates, interviewing others, doing research, etc.  They form a committee - traditionally compromised of left of the road people - of less than 10 people.  And then they make their endorsements for every elected official post from Town Supervisor to Governor to President.

 

This pandemic has been brutal to them because they're reporting what Cuomo is saying and Cuomo is the devil to your average redneck.  This is rendeck territory.  The South of the North.  So readers say that the paper is sucking Cuomo's d.  And they're liberal pieces of s.

 

I'll chime in occasionally and remind them that The Post-Star endorsed Marc Molinaro over Cuomo just two years ago and it was nearly unanimous among their "liberal piece of s" board.   Their endorsement history is also about 50/50 all time between GOP and Dems.

 

But it's too late.  Damage is done.  We all know the power of headlines, pictures and comments.  That's as far as many people go and that is what "tells them the news."  It's sad.

 

Since shortly after the Internet came along, local newspapers had only one demand: local news.  The last few years I was getting the paper, I never read the front section.  I already knew about most of it.  Local, Obits, and some Sports.  It didn't take long for daily circulation numbers to suffer.  As those numbers suffered, advertisers started looking more at TV and radio.  As advertisers left, advertising prices, subscription prices went up and staffing started to go down.  Reduction in staffing led to mistakes and bad service ... less circulation ... fewer advertisers .... you see the cycle/snowball effect.  Unstoppable.

 

There will always be a need for local news.  How long that remains on print remains to be seen.  We also have a weekly "paper" called the Chronicle, but I can't consider anything weekly as "news," simply by definition of the word.

 

I loved the Op/Ed pieces from the paper and I do hope there's a way to keep those ... but I doubt it.  It's a shame, too.  It was never like turning on MSNBC and knowing, 100%, they're going to shove anti-right wing rhetoric down your throat.  I'm a liberal and that even makes me sick (although I would Rachel Maddow).  These are good Editorials and they could slam a local Republican one day and praise another local Republican the next; same with Dems.  The Post Star has always been great at that.  They call a spade a spade and bow to no one.

 

Long-story, short:  There's a lot of reasons local papers are dying.  To me, the bottom line is that it's just too expensive to maintain.  Technology killed them more than anything else, including age gap.  It's all about those advertising dollars and once their audience started to realize the majority of what they were paying for is on the Internet for free, it was just a matter of time.  Frankly, I'm shocked they've lasted this long and I hope the can continue to limp along in some fashion, because they do bring value.

Too long. Even for  me.  ? ? 

 

Edit it and resubmit.   ? ? 

[Niagara]

On 7/8/2020 at 2:44 PM, PromoTheRobot said:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2020/07/08/over-her-long-career-journalist-columnist-margaret-sullivan-has-watched-decline-local-news-with-growing-alarm/

The News has become a shell of the NYT and the WP. All bylines are out of town papers, akin to the Drudge Report. Used to be the Courier was Democrat leaning, and the News Republican. Now it is MSM or DNC speak. You want to support it, but it is too far gone, even the sports coverage is extra.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

A good five years ago, the online edition of the Buffalo News reported on an emergency landing of a 'Canadian Royale Air Force' (sic) helicopter in Niagara County due to engine problems.  The fact that the reporter and editor allowed such an elementary school error to stand, along with many instances of not following the 'Five Ws of Journalism' had me long ago giving up on that entity.

[ExiledInIllinois]

4 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

A good five years ago, the online edition of the Buffalo News reported on an emergency landing of a 'Canadian Royale Air Force' (sic) helicopter in Niagara County due to engine problems.  The fact that the reporter and editor allowed such an elementary school error to stand, along with many instances of not following the 'Five Ws of Journalism' had me long ago giving up on that entity.

Who knew he flew  a helicopter out saving Nell Fenwick from the evil clutches of Snidely Whiplash!

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

1 minute ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

 

Who knew he flew  a helicopter out saving Nell Fenwick from the evil clutches of Snidely Whiplash!

 

Certainly not the reporters and editors of the BN.

[Mike in Horseheads]

1 hour ago, Gugny said:

 

Social media is a major factor, as well.

 

I'm not sure how many of you have local papers who post things on Facebook (that's the only social media platform I frequent), but my local paper does.  

 

Reading the comments sometimes scares me.  Lots of people in my area with questionable intelligence.  It's mind boggling how many people don't know the difference between News and Op/Eds.  It's also perplexing to see how many people can't comprehend that the national news being reported by a small-town newspaper WAS NOT WRITTEN BY THEM.

 

The Post-Star has been known as a "liberal rag,"  for years.  Yes, their editorials have generally been left-leaning, but they have always reported the news in an unbiased manner.  All they need to do is post an AP story about the current president and the comments go nuts.  All about the paper being liberal.

 

I always get a chuckle when the context is right for one of the journalists to remind them of how the paper handles elections.  They spend insane amounts of hours meeting with candidates, interviewing others, doing research, etc.  They form a committee - traditionally compromised of left of the road people - of less than 10 people.  And then they make their endorsements for every elected official post from Town Supervisor to Governor to President.

 

This pandemic has been brutal to them because they're reporting what Cuomo is saying and Cuomo is the devil to your average redneck.  This is rendeck territory.  The South of the North.  So readers say that the paper is sucking Cuomo's d.  And they're liberal pieces of s.

 

I'll chime in occasionally and remind them that The Post-Star endorsed Marc Molinaro over Cuomo just two years ago and it was nearly unanimous among their "liberal piece of s" board.   Their endorsement history is also about 50/50 all time between GOP and Dems.

 

But it's too late.  Damage is done.  We all know the power of headlines, pictures and comments.  That's as far as many people go and that is what "tells them the news."  It's sad.

 

Since shortly after the Internet came along, local newspapers had only one demand: local news.  The last few years I was getting the paper, I never read the front section.  I already knew about most of it.  Local, Obits, and some Sports.  It didn't take long for daily circulation numbers to suffer.  As those numbers suffered, advertisers started looking more at TV and radio.  As advertisers left, advertising prices, subscription prices went up and staffing started to go down.  Reduction in staffing led to mistakes and bad service ... less circulation ... fewer advertisers .... you see the cycle/snowball effect.  Unstoppable.

 

There will always be a need for local news.  How long that remains on print remains to be seen.  We also have a weekly "paper" called the Chronicle, but I can't consider anything weekly as "news," simply by definition of the word.

 

I loved the Op/Ed pieces from the paper and I do hope there's a way to keep those ... but I doubt it.  It's a shame, too.  It was never like turning on MSNBC and knowing, 100%, they're going to shove anti-right wing rhetoric down your throat.  I'm a liberal and that even makes me sick (although I would Rachel Maddow).  These are good Editorials and they could slam a local Republican one day and praise another local Republican the next; same with Dems.  The Post Star has always been great at that.  They call a spade a spade and bow to no one.

 

Long-story, short:  There's a lot of reasons local papers are dying.  To me, the bottom line is that it's just too expensive to maintain.  Technology killed them more than anything else, including age gap.  It's all about those advertising dollars and once their audience started to realize the majority of what they were paying for is on the Internet for free, it was just a matter of time.  Frankly, I'm shocked they've lasted this long and I hope the can continue to limp along in some fashion, because they do bring value.

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