My post on changes in the newspaper industry coincided horribly with news Thursday of more layoffs. One was a former Courier News reporter, highly regarded, who took his talents to the Asbury Park Press. He was among a dozen staffers laid off there. In all, the toll was more than 200 across Gannett's news division.
I am fairly hard-boiled, but I had tears in my eyes thinking of my former colleague and others, many around 50, who may have a hard time finding new jobs. I felt some belated survivor's guilt for making it all the way to full retirement age, although I started very late.
In 2011, Gannett Blog noted 700 layoffs in newsrooms and called it the fourth mass layoff since August 2008. In 2009 alone, there were 1,400 layoffs. Mandatory unpaid one-week furloughs also began in 2009.
I realize that other industries have suffered major cuts in the same time frame. I just have a special sadness over what has become of newspapers. My sympathy goes out to all the reporters and photographers who gave their all to "get the story" day in and day out, and are now unwillingly part of the story about their endangered professions.
--Bernice
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The all encompassing smart cell phone can be blamed for the death of the hard copy news media and the prognostications that the PC has gone the route of the Sony Walkman.
ReplyDeleteActually the main culprit is not the smart phone. Its the internet, particularly Craigslist, which killed the classified ads which used to make newspapers profitable.
DeleteJan, just read your reply and I agree that the loss of all advertising and especially the bread and butter classifieds is most important to the demise of newspapers. But which is the cart or the horse? Newspaper sales dropped not because of the lack of Ads; but because of changes in population habits. The 1/2 hour morning and dinner time news programs substituted for reading; and focused on sensationalism rather than mundane important events.No readers-no ads. No ads loss of income.Less income; decreased content basically news. Less news; fewer readers. The circle is self destructive.
DeleteThe paper news media never solved how to remain a vital industry.
What is really sad is that we do not have real "news" anymore. Our news is not vetted, nor do the media higher ups seem to care about what is reported.
ReplyDeleteThe real sad story is that people who really want unbiased reporting, and in depth reports are relegated to quick sound bites, and Wikipedia - which may or may not be correct.
And a tear for WERA-AM 1590, the Tri-County Voice.
ReplyDeleteHi Bernice,
ReplyDeletePaul Grzella posted some time ago about how much the newspapers were struggling. I posted this suggestion and it was removed. The best thing for them to do in this day and age is to stop running 3 separate papers in the state and combine them into 1. The Courier and Home News are essentially the same paper. A few different articles inserted here and there, but the same. They need to act like they are the Ledger, covering more of the state and not just a small area. People move around and like to know what is going on back home, not just where they are living now. They also want to know what is happening around the world, not just seeing a snippet of info on the 6 o'clock news. Many people, myself included, like the paper in hand, not just what you get online. Also, put something into the paper. It should not take longer to read the comic page than the whole paper. I like the paper, but it could be so much more.