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Subject: How are small town papers doing? Author: ralph058 [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 09:15:52 05/31/13 Fri I've been of the opinion that the daily newspaper is dead, they just don't know it, yet. When I first moved to Chicago nine years ago, well over half the people on the morning and afternoon commute had newspapers. The last few times I've ridden during the rush hour, no one did. The Tribe and Sun-Times have been in trouble here and there and now this: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0531-sun-times-photographer-layoffs-20130531,0,4385137.story With the Spearfish Lake paper being central to much of the Spearfish Lake story line and Wes' job, I can't help but wonder how the weeklies are doing. They are close to my heart. My mother was a linotype operator on a weekly when I was in high school. I could identify with the paper rush in the stories. Ralph [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> Subject: Re: How are small town papers doing? Author: Andrew [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 13:41:55 05/31/13 Fri >I've been of the opinion that the daily newspaper is >dead, they just don't know it, yet. When I first moved >to Chicago nine years ago, well over half the people >on the morning and afternoon commute had newspapers. >The last few times I've ridden during the rush hour, >no one did. > What makes you think "they just don't know it, yet"? They know it and are trying to adapt.

[> [> Subject: Re: How are small town papers doing? Author: ralph058 [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 20:05:56 05/31/13 Fri >What makes you think "they just don't know it, yet"? >They know it and are trying to adapt. I'm not sure they know it. A few are >>I've been of the opinion that the daily newspaper istrying to adapt, but it appears too little and too late. They are remaining the same yet eating their seed corn. I think the Sun-Times is reacting rather than acting. With electronic photography, there is less need for news photographers. There are some news situations that require a professional photographer. Reporters are interested in reporting. Stringers are not a good answer. Some papers, like the Christian Science Monitor and the Seattle PI have become electronic only. The Trib converted to tabloid for commuter use, but two editions of the same paper are not viable. When e-readers with wireless connection become more ubiquitous, this may be the answer. Nevertheless, this does not address the question. How are the weeklies doing? I would think they are doing OK, but they may be vulnerable. Community and civic blogs along with school on-line news may affect their circulation. On-line advertising may affect their income.

[> [> [> Subject: Re: How are small town papers doing? Author: Wes [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 13:48:11 06/05/13 Wed >Nevertheless, this does not address the question. How >are the weeklies doing? I would think they are doing >OK, but they may be vulnerable. Community and civic >blogs along with school on-line news may affect their >circulation. On-line advertising may affect their >income. The simple answer is that we are struggling but keeping our heads above water so far. Some places are better than others but circulation is dropping virtually everywhere, probably due to the Internet. My gut feeling is that rural areas have it a little better in that a small paper gives a big sense of community. The heck of it is that with blogs, etc., you do not necessarily learn of something outside of your own little circle. I think small local newspapers be able to hold out for a while but the long run doesn't look very promising. -- Wes

[> [> [> [> Subject: Re: How are small town papers doing? Author: ralph058 [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 08:04:49 06/07/13 Fri My >gut feeling is that rural areas have it a little >better in > >I think small local newspapers be able to hold out for >a while but the long run doesn't look very promising. > >-- Wes That was my gut feel too. I remember all of the dumb "Mary Sue Ellingson from Portage visited her mother over the weekend" type stories in the weekly that my mother worked for. I thought they were dumb at the time, but now, I think that is why the small town papers will be viable for a while longer than the city ones. The Plumb County Herald is a member of the family and small towns look out for family.

[> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: How are small town papers doing? Author: mark farmer [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 00:00:43 06/15/13 Sat > My >>gut feeling is that rural areas have it a little >>better in >> >>I think small local newspapers be able to hold out for >>a while but the long run doesn't look very promising. >> >>-- Wes >That was my gut feel too. I remember all of the dumb I failed to mention one item on my prior 'insert' message. Small papers are paid double what a big city paper to include an insert. I did not deal much with weeklies but heard they were 3x+ a city rare. The advertisers have more belief. Problem is, the average subscriber is aging. Young people do scribe at a significant percentage of their group.To >"Mary Sue Ellingson from Portage visited her mother >over the weekend" type stories in the weekly that my >mother worked for. I thought they were dumb at the >time, but now, I think that is why the small town >papers will be viable for a while longer than the city >ones. The Plumb County Herald is a member of the >family and small towns look out for family.

[> [> [> [> Subject: Re: How are small town papers doing? Author: mark farmer [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 23:26:22 06/12/13 Wed >I used to handle insert deliveries to newspapers large & small across TX & adjacent states. The manager of the Killeen paper's press room told me, "the smaller the paper, the greater the probility that the readers will study it." I think he was right. Dog fights in Killeen count for more interest than gun fights in Houston. >>Nevertheless, this does not address the question. How >>are the weeklies doing? I would think they are doing >>OK, but they may be vulnerable. Community and civic >>blogs along with school on-line news may affect their >>circulation. On-line advertising may affect their >>income. > >The simple answer is that we are struggling but >keeping our heads above water so far. Some places are >better than others but circulation is dropping >virtually everywhere, probably due to the Internet. My >gut feeling is that rural areas have it a little >better in that a small paper gives a big sense of >community. The heck of it is that with blogs, etc., >you do not necessarily learn of something outside of >your own little circle. > >I think small local newspapers be able to hold out for >a while but the long run doesn't look very promising. > >-- Wes

[> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: How are small town papers doing? Author: ralph058 [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 18:02:32 06/15/13 Sat >>I used to handle insert deliveries to newspapers >large & small across TX & adjacent states. The manager >of the Killeen paper's press room told me, "the >smaller the paper, the greater the probility that the >readers will study it." >I think he was right. Dog fights in Killeen count for >more interest than gun fights in Houston. But a gun fight between two old codgers over a woman in Lampasas didn't even make national news when I was at Ft Hood in 1963.