Dead Trees Falling

Sad Day in Denver

It's old news that newspapers are dying, but the reality of losing them is still shocking. The 150 year-old Rocky Mountian News printed its last edition today. Sure, Denver had two major papers long after most major cities were reduced to one, and the Rocky and The Denver Post had a weird sharing program going on the last several years that signaled the beginning of the end, but the magnitude of losing something historical is hard to fathom.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2 ... l-edition/

Two other major papers are next: the San Francisco Chronicle and the Seattle Post Intelligencer. RIP Rocky.

 

When I lived in Ft Collins it was the better of the two papers. Too bad

 

day by day i'm loving my career prospectus...

 

Wanna explain that?

Surely you're not a journo student. You could have asked me straight out for career advice, or Don.

I am gratified that this is no longer laid at the feet of USA Today. When that paper came out, the old-timers screamed saying it would kill locals.
Also that it shorthanded the news, never going in depth. A lie.

I grew up in a media-rich house and I saw Cox Newspapers shortcut articles {leaving out the 'why'/background} long before they ever got to competing against national editions.

Here's my view on it though... the very year journo students shifted from the motivation of 'finding and telling the truth', to 'wanting to make a difference in the world'.. that's when journalism began to die.

It's no oddity that the most listened to opinions have divorced themselves from 'Journalism'. If you're biased, admit it. dont pretend to not take a side.

And it isnt 'Broadcast Network News' that's at fault, either. Their ratings are in the dumper.
That's why it's imperative that the Guvmint keep hands off internet content.

 

This is due to the internet and newspapers slow response to people getting their news via the internet. The labor costs for printing newspapers is a huge expense too. Hey, it's sad but this is how it has to be.

 

All of the above, Spencer.
As soon as I learned "Dick and Jane" reading primer, Spencer, I went home to read the newspapers.
At one time in my far-from-well-to-do parents' house, we got both morning and evening papers, Time and Newsweak {sic} plus Reader's Digest.

 

Wow, Don, thats exactly what I'm been telling lots of people but no one seems to understand it.

Journalism, and the free press, is just an epoch in the history of humanity, idiosyncratic to post-enlightenment Western civilization.

But, theoretic mumbo jumbo aside, there are no many causes for the decline of papers, and news gathering, and news. Internet, tv, celebrity culture, economics, spokespersons, advertising, non-media owners -- they're all attributable.

For me, the newspaper industry is like the music industry: completely missed the digital boat and trying desperately to build its own vessel to catch up, but failing miserably.

And no, fog, I'm not a "journo student" but an actual journalist...

One that cannot wait to speak at an elementary's school career day next month and say "Hey kids! This is a newspaper. This won't be around when you're my age!"

 

Small town local newscasts will be next. In my hometown, they shut it down and are piping in local news from Tyler (89 mi away). The station is still there, but they just couldn't pull the ad revenue to run local nightly news profitably anymore.

 

Yep, only spots they could sell with ease were the 10 pm Friday night newscast in the Fall....no lie.

Mansour El-Kikhia, I'm sure. :lol:

 

Don, I hate to prick your bubble ... I have nothing against journalism per se, or the academic study of it. I question the MOTIVATION of many who follow that road.
eh.. but you really already knew that, dintcha!

Well, Don... I dont know why it took so long for that paradigm to get to S-A, it happened decades earlier in Dayton, OH. Home of the Cox News empire. (you know it best by the Atlanta Urinal-Constipation)
Those LOST paragraphs were the ones that filled you in on possible background .. or the 'WHY'.

Ever notice that many of the standard paper sites most linked on the net seem to expire quickest? That's a conundrum. Example: SJ Mercury News.. whens the last time you saw them linked?
Lately it was RM news... now they gone. Next, the P-I?
From Seattle, home of the P-I: It's the End of the News Hole as We Know It

Ethics? Critical Thought? Sorry... look at the NYTimes.

 

Good thread and some very thoughtful points made. If you can't adapt or deliver what people want, you die. The industry has itself to blame. Not much to add that already hasn't been said. Myself, I think journalism is an important job and a worthy field of study as well as occupation. Keep it up Timmy!

 

Well, they've failed miserably, haven't they? In an article on the cancellation of the newspapers editors' convention

Comes THIS comment: {scroll down to 'reality check', link doesnt cue the comment}

Yep... you might say that it's the editors at fault.. or, as in the case of the NYT, the publisher. But it's hard to believe that the WSJ has those hurdles.

Even the Murdoch organs seem to be afraid to tackle the truth. Because of people like Matthews and Olberman?

Nope! I have met the enemy and he is me.. I know the truth.. it was right there in front of us and even I am too tired of complaining, that's why I havent been.

 

Note: I renamed 'Sad Day in Denver' so as to keep this thread current and invite more discussion on the issue.

With the recent demise of Rocky Mountain News and the shift to web only of Seattle P-I, the results of media shift is hugely apparent. Those are only the first of many and some papers are shifting to 'not every day' subscriber routes.

Everyone blames it on the Net and Cable news...and that certainly is the prime factor, but I've yet to see anyone put another factor into play:

'Arts and Events' weekly freebies.

You see 'em everywhere, even in the little burg where I live. Certainly in Columbus where there are two of them competing with the Dispatch, which is laying off 45 in the news room.

What about you guys.. see the same thing?

On a side note; there was a time a few years ago when the San Jose Mercury News was one of the most linked press sites on the net. At this point in time very rare to see a link to them. Any idea why?

 

The editorial cartoon from yesterday's SAEN was signed off on by a guy who writes for the Albuquerque paper, fwiw.

While I sympathise with them, I'm glad to see the individual writer obits come to an end. Seemed every local piece started with one the past two weeks.

 

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... .DTL&tsp=1

Aren't newspapers already "non-profits" and that's the problem?

 

short answer: no.

a yes pfog, i do see those. in fact i love them.

they're called alt-weeklys in most spheres. and although they'll probably survive the longest, even they're not doing so hot.