Local Newspapers Are Dying Because They Don’t Represent America

[rangerrebew]

Local Newspapers Are Dying Because They Don’t Represent America

62 million Americans voted for Trump, only 6 newspapers endorsed him.
Fri Feb 21, 2020 Daniel Greenfield
 

Warren Buffett started the year by dumping his portfolio of 30 newspapers in a fire sale. After having spent $344 million on a stable of local papers including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Buffalo News, and the Omaha World-Herald, the Oracle of Omaha had to let them go for a mere $140 million.

“They’re going to disappear,” Buffett said of the papers. “It went from monopoly to franchise to competitive to ... toast.”

In February, McClatchy, the country's second largest local newspaper chain, the owners of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Miami Herald, the Kansas City Star, the News & Observer, the State and many other major local papers, filed for bankruptcy.

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/02/local-newspapers-are-dying-because-they-dont-daniel-greenfield/

[PeteS in CA]

McClatchy "owns" California's Central Valley, the Sacramento, Modesto, and Fresno Bee newspapers.

Providing good coverage of local news and issues could probably be a workable business model for local newspapers. But if they bring the same bias to what they cover and how in local stuff, well, that is what has been rejected by many when national-level sources did/do it.

[musiclady]

In a small city in Ohio, in a county that votes Republican pretty much every election, our 'newspaper' printed 11 leftist columns for every conservative one.  It didn't even begin to represent its readership.

We engaged in a debate with the publisher and he insisted that it was balanced.


We never bought a newspaper again.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

In a small city in Ohio, in a county that votes Republican pretty much every election, our 'newspaper' printed 11 leftist columns for every conservative one.  It didn't even begin to represent its readership.

We engaged in a debate with the publisher and he insisted that it was balanced.


We never bought a newspaper again.

Don't doubt it in the least.  Journalists overwhelmingly are on the left.

[Sighlass]

In a small city in Ohio, in a county that votes Republican pretty much every election, our 'newspaper' printed 11 leftist columns for every conservative one.  It didn't even begin to represent its readership.

We engaged in a debate with the publisher and he insisted that it was balanced.


We never bought a newspaper again.

Sounds like the same story of our local bird cage publication... Finally nobody want to plunk down money to have something spit at you.

[Gefn]

Sad so sad. Print journalism is a wonderful thing. I actually prefer to read a newspaper over reading it on my iPad.

Like reading a book, it’s wonderful to hold it, feel the paper under your fingers. Read with a cuppa tea or coffee

[goatprairie]

In a small city in Ohio, in a county that votes Republican pretty much every election, our 'newspaper' printed 11 leftist columns for every conservative one.  It didn't even begin to represent its readership.

We engaged in a debate with the publisher and he insisted that it was balanced.


We never bought a newspaper again.

When I was growing up in the fifties and sixties the local paper, The La Crosse (Wis) Tribune, was solidly conservative as was the mayor and the majority of the councilmen and women (if there were any councilwomen).
Over the span of fifty years the paper became a leftist rag with a strong liberal viewpoint. And of course, the mayor of La Crosse is a devout hard liberal who spouts all the lib/leftist nonsense at every opportunity. The people on the city council approve every nutty lib/leftist measure that oozes up. La Crosse is not a sanctuary city but the idiot mayor, Tim Kabat, supports it becoming one and refuses to help the gov. apprehend illegals.
Thankfully, the wife and I don't live in La Crosse and have to pay taxes to support those morons.
The wife used to get the rag delivered for the coupons, but we don't do that anymore either.

[Slide Rule]

I haven't been a local newspaper subscriber since about 1985. That despite the
Toledo Blade being one of Americas Great Newspapers. I lived in the Marcy Kaptur
district. The only thing Marcy brought to Toledo is a too high Maumee River bridge.
My father was fascinated by the construction and was there every day. Took numerous
photos. I called him the fateful day and asked if he had been to the sight recently. Yes.
That morning. I told him to turn on his TV since they had an accident there with several
dead. It is a pretty bridge, but the high cross wind makes for a too scary passage.


I received offers of a free newspaper and I believe they used my telephone number
to train their solicitors, or perhaps it was just a laugh. When they asked the closing
question, how does that sound, I said not too good, as the paper would sit outside
my door or in the driveway. My neighbors would see it there and would think that
I believed your rantings. That would damage my reputation.

I received three or more calls for a free paper every year. They were persistent  but
not as persistent as I.

About 5 years back I received a call from an older person. He said he worked for the
Blade. I asked if the check he received said Toledo Blade on it. No.

The Blade had been pushing that employers shouldn't use temporaries but should
hire permanent people. But the Blade could escape such a condition. I asked him if
he took the Blade at his home. No. Well then perhaps we see things the same.
That was the last call. I think that man heard about me and called direct to hear the
words unfiltered. Whoever he was, the calls to my number abruptly stopped. As far
as I know, he is the only person of value working there.




 

[goatprairie]

I haven't been a local newspaper subscriber since about 1985. That despite the
Toledo Blade being one of Americas Great Newspapers. I lived in the Marcy Kaptur
district. The only thing Marcy brought to Toledo is a too high Maumee River bridge.
My father was fascinated by the construction and was there every day. Took numerous
photos. I called him the fateful day and asked if he had been to the sight recently. Yes.
That morning. I told him to turn on his TV since they had an accident there with several
dead. It is a pretty bridge, but the high cross wind makes for a too scary passage.


I received offers of a free newspaper and I believe they used my telephone number
to train their solicitors, or perhaps it was just a laugh. When they asked the closing
question, how does that sound, I said not too good, as the paper would sit outside
my door or in the driveway. My neighbors would see it there and would think that
I believed your rantings. That would damage my reputation.

I received three or more calls for a free paper every year. They were persistent  but
not as persistent as I.

About 5 years back I received a call from an older person. He said he worked for the
Blade. I asked if the check he received said Toledo Blade on it. No.

The Blade had been pushing that employers shouldn't use temporaries but should
hire permanent people. But the Blade could escape such a condition. I asked him if
he took the Blade at his home. No. Well then perhaps we see things the same.
That was the last call. I think that man heard about me and called direct to hear the
words unfiltered. Whoever he was, the calls to my number abruptly stopped. As far
as I know, he is the only person of value working there.

What is the political slant of the Blade assuming you still read parts of it on-line or the print edition in some places?

[Slide Rule]

What is the political slant of the Blade assuming you still read parts of it on-line or the print edition in some places?

On occasion I look at the sports page. Never anything else. I would hate for any friend to see me with that paper
in my hands.

The slant of the Blade is Dim. And has been Dim for some time. Most councilmen are dim. If you look at the voting
recommendations they publish, it matches the Dim party without fail. I used to use it as a negative barometer
as to what is actually needed.

I vote every election. I worked precincts for about 15 years but that is in the past. I was an officer in a Republican
Club and now attend Tea Party meetings sporadically.

We did have a Republican Mayor years ago. Donna Owens was a breath of fresh air. But today you can largely write
off Toledo. The voting margins are starting to diminish, but it will take a long time. Rural areas now control things
by their margins. That doesn't help Toledo, but it does help our State.

[Idiot]

I cancelled my subscription to our local paper 2 years ago and should have done it sooner.  I had been a subscriber for at least 40 years.  It got to the point that the only reason I took the paper was for the obituaries.  I can't see how our local paper even exists.....

[Idiot]

On occasion I look at the sports page. Never anything else. I would hate for any friend to see me with that paper
in my hands.

The slant of the Blade is Dim. And has been Dim for some time. Most councilmen are dim. If you look at the voting
recommendations they publish, it matches the Dim party without fail. I used to use it as a negative barometer
as to what is actually needed.

I vote every election. I worked precincts for about 15 years but that is in the past. I was an officer in a Republican
Club and now attend Tea Party meetings sporadically.

We did have a Republican Mayor years ago. Donna Owens was a breath of fresh air. But today you can largely write
off Toledo. The voting margins are starting to diminish, but it will take a long time. Rural areas now control things
by their margins. That doesn't help Toledo, but it does help our State.

I worked precincts as well.  Back in high school I was on the phones calling and asking for support for Ford/Dole....then did the same for Reagan.  I was head of the young repubs in college and even attended the National convention in Dallas.  Now I don't even consider myself a republican....just an independent.  Really sad that the party LEFT ME.

[goatprairie]

I cancelled my subscription to our local paper 2 years ago and should have done it sooner.  I had been a subscriber for at least 40 years.  It got to the point that the only reason I took the paper was for the obituaries.  I can't see how our local paper even exists.....

For some reason the local rag allows viewers to read the obits on-line. You get about ten free articles per month to read, then you have to pay. But the obits are free.
Needless to say, I've never paid.  I usually read about ten sports articles, and that's it.
You can get all the local news you need on tv. I don't support a lib rag with my money if I can possibly help it.

[Slide Rule]

I cancelled my subscription to our local paper 2 years ago and should have done it sooner.  I had been a subscriber for at least 40 years.  It got to the point that the only reason I took the paper was for the obituaries.  I can't see how our local paper even exists.....

Obituaries?  Yes as you grow older friends die off. And if you don't see your name
it is a start of a beautiful day.

Is there some honest reporting? Yes, ads.

[Slide Rule]

I worked precincts as well.  Back in high school I was on the phones calling and asking for support for Ford/Dole....then did the same for Reagan.  I was head of the young repubs in college and even attended the National convention in Dallas.  Now I don't even consider myself a republican....just an independent.  Really sad that the party LEFT ME.

I consider myself not a Republican but identify as a Conservative. I have found
no conservatives that are not Republican. Perhaps there are some but not that
I have observed.

[catfish1957]

Obituaries?  Yes as you grow older friends die off. And if you don't see your name
it is a start of a beautiful day.

Is there some honest reporting? Yes, ads.

I think I quit getting paper(s) in about 1995.  Not as much about the content of the news, as much as the poor service I was getting from carriers.  Online services were pretty good say 2000-2010.  Now they have become click bait garbage.

[Jazzhead]

I've always been a voracious reader of newspapers.   I still subscribe to the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Wall Street Journal,  but only the latter still features good writing.   The Inquirer is a shell of its former self,  with boring features and an insipid, predictably leftist editorial page.   Local papers seem unwilling or unable to pay for quality writing, except perhaps on the sports page which is their bread and butter.   If it weren't for the Phillies, Eagles and Sixers and my old-school obsession with studying box scores,  there'd be no reason to continuing reading the Inquirer, and I wouldn't shed a tear if it were gone. 

[sneakypete]

In a small city in Ohio, in a county that votes Republican pretty much every election, our 'newspaper' printed 11 leftist columns for every conservative one.  It didn't even begin to represent its readership.

We engaged in a debate with the publisher and he insisted that it was balanced.


We never bought a newspaper again.

@musiclady

A newspaper that had been in business for over 100 years in a nearby small city was sold last year to some chain,and the first thing they did was more than triple the subscription fees and the cost of placing ads. The newspaper was and had always been pretty solid Dim/moderate left,and had opinion columns that allowed locals to respond online or by mail to the editorials,both guest and staff. The new owners also shut that down,only running editorials written by staff,and cutting off the ability to reply. They also made reading more of them than the brief initial paragraph only available by subscription,and allowed no rebuttals in print.

Needless to say,they are circling the drain less than a year later. The digital edition is folding already,and the print edition will probably follow soon.

No,I have no idea who owns the corporation that now owns that newspaper or where they are from. Just not interested enough to look it up.

[sneakypete]

Sad so sad. Print journalism is a wonderful thing. I actually prefer to read a newspaper over reading it on my iPad.

Like reading a book, it’s wonderful to hold it, feel the paper under your fingers. Read with a cuppa tea or coffee

@Gefn

Couldn't agree more,but that is a generational thing we geezers picked up on when we were children,and when we are gone,so is it.

In another 50 years people will have implants in their heads,and have everything they "need to know" blasted directly into their brains without even having to read it.

[Jazzhead]

Is there any recent example of a change in newspaper management/ownership where the new regime committed to a more conservative editorial policy, and whether that change was successful from a business standpoint?   

[sneakypete]

Is there any recent example of a change in newspaper management/ownership where the new regime committed to a more conservative editorial policy, and whether that change was successful from a business standpoint?   

@Jazzhead

Not that  I am aware of,but it would be a business model that would be a roaring success in most parts of the country.

[Cyber Liberty]

Epoch Times?