Earl Carter is a former photojournalist/photo editor having worked in Kingsport, TN, West Palm Beach, FL and Huntsville, AL during his career. He owns Carter Photography in Kingsport, TN and works with families, children, editorial, and commercial clients. He is also my former chief-photographer while I worked at the Kingsport Times-News.
As one who spent most of his life working for newspapers, I am concerned at the recent news of major newspaper closings. Just this week the Denver Rocky Mountain News announced that it would be ceasing operations. It joins a growing list of noteable casualties: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Chicinnati Post, Albuquerque Tribune, Vermont Guardian, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, and Baltimore Examiner. Others that may soon join them are: San Francisco Chronicle, Tuscon Citizen, Miami Herald, and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Folks, these are major newspapers in big markets that have felt the mighty hand of change. Other newspapers hope to delay the same fate by implementing cost cutting measures such as limited or no home delivery and publishing less days per week. The Detroit Free-Press now operates on a 3 day home delivery. The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) is only sold in racks and retail outlets.
What does all this mean to us in a small market like Kingsport, Tennessee. Not much, unless you like reading the traditional printed newspaper. Just last week the Kingsport Times-News ran a survey on its online edition asking readers what effect not having their paper in a print edition would have on them. The results are sobering. It was roughly divided in three groups. One group said it would not have much affect on them. Another said they would find something to take its place. That leaves approximately one third of your respondents saying it would matter to them. Now admittedly, this survey was done online so it probably doesn’t reflect all the print copy subscribers accurately, but it still must cause some concern.
Most newspapers hope to convert readers to their online editions and maintain some sort of presence in the market they serve, but that does not require the current amount of staff to produce. Already the Bristol Herald-Courier just up the road is requireing many employees to take 2 days per week off without pay. Can any measures hold back this trend
When I first began working at the newspaper, they all had individual personalities as unique as the town and editors that produced them. Each one was a reflection of the people and values of their readers. Then USA Today came along with lots of color and marketing itself at America’s paper. It was a big success that didn’t go unoticed by local papers hoping to beat back this interloper that was taking some of their readers. Thus, began the big homogination of America’s newspapers. Everybody wanted colorful weather maps. In depth stories were no longer allowed. It had to be brief, short attention span type of writing. They all began to look like newsprint from the same litter. I wanted to be loyal to my newspaper, but which one was it.On the newstand they looked alike.
Then, I remember the staff meeting when we were told that we were no longer in the news business. We were in the information business! Okay, what does that mean? We would attempt to publish a wealth of information on just about anything. We probably had that piece of info you needed, but it might be in four point type, so look very hard.
Other changes such as the rising cost of newsprint meant less space for editorial content ratio compared to news. Make the pictures smaller! Cut the copy! Everybody wants their paper in the morning so no more kids on bicycles delivery boys. Distributon cost went up. All of these things were mere annoyances compared to the looming astroid about to hit planet newspaper. The Internet….the biggest change in information distribution since the invention of the printing press. The generation that has grown up with the computer as their primary source of communication does not relate to the printed newspaper.
Will newspaper evolve, grow new appendages and take a Darwinian leap into a hyperspace creature? Only time will tell, but the carcasses of the ones that didn’t make it are appearing more frequently. If for nothing more than sentimental reasons, I hope they survive.
This is a strongest station for such kind of articles, your website is a inspiration for me. i got so much benefits and good results after visiting here and the grace is increasing day by day in your posts.