What’s At Stake With Newspapers
In the wake of the Oregon Daily Emerald strike, I’ve heard a lot of people on campus say that it was little more than a publicity stunt. I’ve even been asked if I regret supporting the strike. The short answer is no.
Even if the methods and process of the strike were a little dubious, which even some of the ODE staffers will admit, I still support the decision because I think independent newspapers are a vital public service. Believe it or not, all of these “obsolete” newspapers still act as a powerful check on government, and student governments and college administrations would like nothing more than to be free of them.
For example, the faculty adviser of the student newspaper at Clark College was mysteriously denied tenure after she pushed the paper to do more critical reporting on the administration. (She also fought the administration’s desire to pre-screen articles.)
Or there is there is the ongoing battle at Montclair State between the paper and the student government. The paper is currently suing the student government for breaking public meeting law. Last year, the student government froze the paper’s budget during a battle over the government’s decidedly odd habit of meeting in private.
OR take Western Oregon University for another example. WOU fired a faculty newspaper adviser and disciplined a student journalist after the daily paper revealed a serious privacy flaw in WOU’s computer system.
These are all examples from college papers, but this happens at every level. David Simon, creator of The Wire, recently wrote an article about how the city of Baltimore is running ramshod over public record laws in lieu of an aggressive newspaper presence.
Which is why I can’t fathom why some technophiles and bloggers are gleeful about the death of newspapers. I mean, if you like your government to do whatever it pleases without oversight or accountability, by all means, throw a party because the future’s looking great.
publicity stunt ditto
[...] What’s At Stake With Newspapers – A blog post from the Oregon Commentator with examples of what happens when a college campus does not have a strong and independent press. Of course, it’s not too much of a strech to replace ‘college campus’ with ‘United States of America’ and see similar things happening on a national level. [...]
On one hand, I agree that having robust independent reporting is pretty vital. On the other, if a newspaper can’t turn a profit as a business, I don’t see what justifies its continued existence.
Unfortunately, this conundrum has lead to increasing calls to bail out the newspapers.
I guess everyone thinks that once newspapers don’t have to worry about catering to the hoi polloi to stay in business, they can get back to writing fair, unbiased stories, even if those stores embarrass their Federal paymasters. In reality, we’re going to end up with a press corps that’ll make the people covering Obama look like tough reporters or another mostly-useless, publicly funded ivory tower organization like NPR.
In either case, you can pretty much kiss “robust, independent reporting” goodbye.
Separate the medium from this discussion, please. I’m all for newspapers dying; I’m not for news organizations dying. Newspapers have thought of themselves as such for too long, and it’s now finally catching up to them.
Well, being that most of the folks celebrating the death of the news industry are bushbots or obamatons, I’m not sure this is so very far from their position.
The Emerald cries for help to save their “integrity” and “independence” were about as meaningful as OSPIGGS squealing as it was stuffed into a shallow grave. Endless ASUO reality show style coverage and articles about sustainability psuedo-science is all it is anymore. They can’t even give that crap away. The sodoku addicts were the only ones who missed it. Who burned more student $ recently-the PIG or the ODE ? How about a chart ? Charging a quarter for a copy of the ODE could make them actually print useful information. Or we could have the worst of both worlds by having them join forces and become The Green Pig Journal. Speaking of sustainability, I have heard the mayor is giving a speech on Moss street at 5 pm on Earth Day(1801 Moss). I am sure some Commentator alums would be sickened by that (they hated Moss street).
“On one hand, I agree that having robust independent reporting is pretty vital. On the other, if a newspaper can’t turn a profit as a business, I don’t see what justifies its continued existence.
Unfortunately, this conundrum has lead to increasing calls to bail out the newspapers. ”
Well, first of all, there are so many factors that go into why so few newspapers make a real profit that I don’t think it’s fair to just say they don’t deserve to exist. Some of the factors are due to bad business decisions, but others are really beyond the control of the powers that be.
Your argument against a newspaper bailout is legitimate. I keep reading about this idea of a newspaper bailout, but I don’t know any professional journalists who really believe it’s a good idea to let the government give us money if it is going to then dictate what we’re allowed to print. Even if the money came with no strings attached, it would still create the appearance of a conflict of interest in the minds of many readers. Most of us, including those who like me, were laid off from papers, believe strongly in the importance of an independent media. I don’t know how publishers or the people making business decisions feel about a bailout, but the reporters and editors I know (and every newspaper column I’ve read on this issue) think it’s a horrible idea.
Well, first of all, there are so many factors that go into why so few newspapers make a real profit that I don’t think it’s fair to just say they don’t deserve to exist. Some of the factors are due to bad business decisions, but others are really beyond the control of the powers that be.
I hear the buggy-whip industry is sorely in need of Federal aid, too.
I don’t get why people are calling it a bailout. Newspapers aren’t bringing in enough revenue at the moment for it to really be an issue.
Anyways, as said above, most newspaper people know that turning to federal assistance for help is a dumb idea. A newspaper that can’t endorse a candidate isn’t worth a damn.
I can see it now…
Newspaperman: We are poor and need financial help…
Congressman: Well, why should we help you?
Newspaperman: Well, we are the ones that put you in check and make sure you don’t take the easy way out on many issues. Without us, you would be more free to do your work.
Congressman: Hmmm……..
I wish more people would bring this into this discussion so it could actually get somewhere. Eventually, people will get over the “newspapers can’t survive because of the Internet” excuse and see things on the larger scope. Perfect example of how lame most of these debates are:
Television? Really? Are we still debating if television news is going to kill the newspaper industry. Is this 1952?
Most newspapers in trouble are having problems because their style is getting old, their readers are getting old and the communities of people and businesses that have been supporting said newspaper for decades are, you guessed it, getting old. Think of it this way: Look at newspapers from the early-1900s to the mid-1900s: they transformed to having more graphics, new sections (where did the “Woman’s Section”s go?), new layouts, different kinds of focus, etc., etc., etc. Newspapers, like any industry at a crossroad, are going to be forced to change their model of business. And, like any industry at a crossroad, there will be some that do this poorly and die, and there will be some that do this well and succeed. Also, most newspapers simply got too big. Notice that most of the papers going out of business (Seattle P-I, San Fran Cronicle) are Hearst papers or part of other large corporate entities.
Frankly, (and those who know me know I’m a bit biased in these regards, but…) I’m a little disappointed in how the general public thinks that newspapers will just fold over and die. Analysts and critics need to start treating this issue on a case-by-case standard. There are newspapers going down because of shitty business and journalism models: they lost touch of the best interest of their readers and failed to prepare for the next generation. But, it’s not to say that the medium of newspaper and print media in general as a source of information, entertainment and opinion cannot still be a profitable one. The Internet provides alternatives to newspapers, but it certainly does not provide replacements.
Also, there has yet to be any indication that online advertising works better or as well as print advertising. This may change, but for now, print advertising is cleaner and better. People have a shorter attention span on the internet because they are browsing, but when people read print (those that still do) they do so to accumulate knowledge of what’s going on around them – they are more likely to take notice of who is advertising in the paper and what that means to the overall product. Also, online advertising is cluttered, founded on a gross level of spam and untrustworthy directions.
I’m not worried about investigative journalism dying. Whether it be the Internet or newspapers or whatever, people will be driven to muckrake and people will pay to read it.
I can’t even begin to explain what’s wrong with this comment. That’s like saying the Queen of England has thought of herself as English royalty for too long.
Basically, right now the newspaper industry is wide open for creative, forward-thinking individuals to succeed where current newspapers are failing. On that note, when my paper finally breaks even on an issue (God-forbid), I’m throwing a kegger and you’re all invited. Well, most of you.
I hate you so much, Ossie.
I see newspapers the same way I see AM Radio: When it was thrown to the wayside as a repository that didn’t have much to go on, it became a new product down the road.
I know, Vince, me too, me too.
Ossie-
You are part of the liberal media! You own a paper in the NW! No I’m just kidding, but I’m waiting for a good Brandon Roy interview to come out soon in your paper. ;-)
Go Blazers