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Newspaper’s demise greatly exaggerated
Published Sunday, November 2, 2008
If you listen to the national media, newspapers are dead. Of course if you listen long enough, you’ll believe it wise to pull all of your savings from banks and stash it in your mattress.
All the banks are failing, right? At least that’s the impression the national headlines give you.
Well, of course that’s a silly notion. The great majority of banks, including our local ones — especially our local ones — are in fact solid as a rock.
So are most newspapers — especially community newspapers.
A study of newspapers just released by researchers at the University of Missouri illustrates that with staggering data.
The research was completed this summer, prior to the economic turmoil and the most recent flare-ups in the presidential race.
The report shows that 86 percent of adults read a newspaper each week.
Nearly 60 percent of survey participants reported that their local newspaper was the primary source of news and information about their communities.
That number blew away the other options on the survey with TV ranking a distant second place with 11 percent, 9 percent said friends and relatives (who statistically would likely get their information from newspapers) and 6 percent said radio.
That’s great news for newspapers.
But ignoring the changing world would be foolish.
The world is changing and so are newspapers. Across America newspapers big and small are trying to reinvent themselves a bit and get re-tooled for the future.
Although we have seen a slight loss of print readers through the years, comparing today’s readership to 1997 numbers — the year before we started our online site — shows a more than 20-percent increase in the audience we reach.
So the real reason for the urgency for change isn’t about a loss of readers; it’s about dollars and cents.
In the last 12 months, the cost of newsprint, our biggest single cost after personnel, has risen by more than 30 percent. Lots of other costs have gone up, too, just as many of you have felt in your own lives, households and businesses.
We’re still profitable, but less so than when we’ve been at peak of performance.
Beyond the internal economic pressures, tough times have hit the auto industry and the housing market, both of which have traditionally been strong newspaper advertisers.
Those businesses that can weather the economic pressures realize that fortunes are made in times of economic downturn. Massive market share can be gained from competitors through consistent advertising, especially through rough economic patches.
Here at the newspaper we are working to reduce internal expenses, including a plan to begin printing on slightly narrower newsprint in late November.
Plus we’re taking a hard look at expenses which are not core to what we do best — providing local news and information.
Despite the changes facing our industry, I’m massively optimistic about the future of newspapers, especially community ones like ours.
No one else can or will do what we do in our communities. We’re still working hard to be the best newspaper we can be for our community.
As we do that, please let us know what we can do to improve. Thanks for your readership and (in advance) your ideas.
Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.
Comments
Posted by time4change (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 12:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You should announce that tonight is the night to set your clocks back. That would help.
Posted by NatchezBell (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 6:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Anybody would be ~!@#$%^&* to buy a news paper when you can read it all online for free. I go all over the world reading papers online & I love it.
Our news paper is great though; keep up the good work.
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 7:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Kevin, concerning -> "please let us know what we can do to improve"......
Please give us the whole story when reporting. At least as much as possible. Example: Please name the locations of the county dams in danger of failing and causing "loss of life" as mentioned in a recent article. So often we read a Democrat news article that simply leaves us with more questions than answers.
Also, use your journalistic position to stand up for the local people. We do not have the time to go to every city and county meeting in order to ask hard questions of the elected and appointed officials. It would be wonderful if the Democrat would do it for us. Please be willing to hold their feet to the fire. Example: The Democrat was outraged when the aldermen raised their pay to the highest in the state. But come election time, the Democrat seemed to have forgotten the issue. Please stand up for the community.
Work FOR us and I think that people will be willing to subscribe (or re-subscribe) to the paper or any online subscription service you might develop.
And thank you for asking. I hope that my suggestions are viewed as constructive. :)
Posted by getalifenatchez (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
AMEN OGD! I could not have said it any better.... I think we have a great small town paper, but it never fails to amaze me the spelling/grammar errors, and articles that end in the middle and are not continued anywhere else in that particular issue. Leaves readers in a cliff hanging position.
I wished the Democrat would become a little more out spoken on issues such as our horrible public school system and beautification of our city....
Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 8:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes OGD said it well, plus quit blocking comments on articles that are controversial, like abortion.
Posted by whiterabbit (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 9:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Try having someone proofread the articles. Check the first paragraph of the "Queens" article: "...but the act has not ceased the ship from traveling." The writer meant prevented.
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 10:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Great article and even better comments. Keep up the good work Kevin and try a little harder to follow the advice from your most devoted fans.
Posted by whiterabbit (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 10:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If people can not discuss issues in a civil manner, it might be best to get rid of the comment sections for the articles. Some newspapers have already done so. Just scan a few sets of comments today and you will find people calling others "idiot," "lame brain," "whack jobs," and "moron." Said face-to-face, these might be considered fighting words. It is unclear if said in that manner whether or not they would pass the incitement test. At the very least, this option has done very little to raise the level of discourse, political or otherwise, in Natchez and Vidalia.
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 11:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
white rabbit>>>>> It is true. We do have a lot of nay sayers on these blogs. At one time we had the pros and cons that could discuss the articles without all the name calling. It was very enjoyable then. But like always, the 'wanna-be thugs' have taken over. Don't they always!!!!!!!. I remember the good ole days when I could click this section and really enjoy the back and forth comments that started my day off great and I was able to learn quite a bit. Now the ugliness has taken over, what a shame. But still, to some like myself, still hope to have the good posters return.
Posted by woodyle (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 11:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The thing that hurts most all of the news media is the lack of a neutral position on issues. There was a time many years ago when the reporter took pride in the fact that readers couldn't define their personal political views by the articles they wrote. These days, it a rarity that you can't see the political leanings of the reporter within the first few sentences of any article and too often those views jump out in the title of the article. What happened to unbaised reporting? Small town newspapers typically survive because they are pretty much the "only newspaper" readily available for home delivery. Often, I find myself questioning the value of this expenditure.
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 11:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
May I also add, that unless it is highly offensive to most, the good posters will not opt for the (suggest removal) click but leave it for the other good posters to read (if they prefer). After learning who the 'meanies' are I prefer to skip over their comments and not waste my time. It takes only a couple of comments from the 'meanies' to learn who they are.
Posted by time4change (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 12:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You may be able to get online and read news from all over the world, but the online edition doesn't cover everything that is in the paper edition.
Posted by time4change (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 12:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Definition of meanies=anyone who disagrees with their group, and that's when they group up and attack.
Posted by time4change (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 12:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
That's a very good point whiterabbit. Yahoo used to have a comment section under each article, but the comments became so nasty, their advertisers threatened to remove their ads. I recognize some of the yahoos on here and I can tell the ones who recognize me.
Posted by whiterabbit (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 3:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Actually, proofread the headline for this column. The headline suggests the demise of one newspaper but the column discusses newspapers in the plural. The apostrophe should go after the s.
Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 7:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
100 years ago, newspaper and telegraph were the big wheels on the scene. Now, television is the big deal now, and the internet is coming up as a strong contender....Everything changes, that is the world we live in. People that are here today are gone before sunset and things change in the blink of an eye.....
prepare for things to change or be left behind....
Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 11:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The paper news is dying. The day of "just the facts" is over. Just like snail mail at the post office it has greatly been diminished so will paper news, why do you think the price of postage keeps going up every day you turn around. Sad to say the left liberal thinkers have taken over most papers and news organizations. Internet will take over paper news except for 24hr news on tv. Sure there will always be a local paper, but, I wouldn't invest my money into any of them. You know when the first cars came out all the horse and buggy dealers said the cars would never replace them, they were loud noisy and the smoke stunk. Well the rest is history!
Posted by loneconservative (anonymous) on November 3, 2008 at 12:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I hate to break it to ya, but people are getting their news from the internet instead of newspapers and even cable in drastically growing numbers. The newspapers need to switch over the internet as their primary way of publishing and advertising if they want to compete and survive.
Posted by NameThatTune (anonymous) on November 3, 2008 at 7:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Kevin, great article. All of the above comments are excellent points. Newspapers are going the route of telephones: once we started using them, we "couldn't live without them." Then cell phones were introduced. Now, many people have cancelled their home phones, and use only their cell phones. Makes sense. Smoke signals, Pony Express, the telegraph, the telephone, two-way radios, walkie talkies, email, text messaging, etc., are all forms of comunication. Change is a constant, but not everybody is computer savvy (yet.) Until that time, newspapers will have to operate the old way, the present way (Internet) and plan for the future way . . .
Posted by ProNatchez (anonymous) on November 3, 2008 at 7:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Kevin,
I would be happy to see more ads on the web version of the paper, if it was as all inclusive as the paper version. I only read the web version of the Natchez Democrat. I know many others that are the same way. I would even consider paying a subscription to read the paper online.
Keep the comments sections. It is what keeps me coming back. Don't be so quick to remove comments. I have seen Internet Flame Fests and this is tame in comparison. Yes. Some will still get offended. Let them. Today, many folks look for any excuse to be offended. I don't understand their reasons for being so thin skinned. It's like driving with a couple of kids in the back seat. "Mama. He's looking at me!" Get over it folks. Put on your big girl panties and deal with it.
Some folks do need to drop the name calling. Anonymity can be a bad thing. Maybe if we all had to use our real names to comment, that would stop. I would be willing to do that. Anything I say on here, I would say to your face. If we all kept it in that perspective, the comments sections would be better. We can have conversations without calling each other idiots and morons. Even if we are.
Diligent spelling and grammar checking would be nice, but even though some whine about it, they still understand what was said. They will get over it. Or not. Try to proof read each other's work. You are professionals. Make it look like it. It's not that hard.
I too, would like to see more thorough reporting. As said by OldGrandDad, some stories leave us with more questions than we had before reading them. That needs to change. Get the answers. You are reporters. Earn your paychecks.
Yes. You guys go to all the meetings, and we can't. There would not be enough room for all of us to go. We need for you to be our advocates. Hold the government officials' feet to the fire. Keep them honest. Make them dread seeing you walk in the room, if that's what it takes. You are not there to be their friends. You are there to get the truth. Dig for it.
Posted by sobeit (anonymous) on November 3, 2008 at 9:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Kevin,
Would you consider adding a "fun & games" section to your paper. The Daily Leader in Brookhaven has this section and it is great. You can work the crossword puzzle and other games on line.
Posted by NameThatTune (anonymous) on November 3, 2008 at 4:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
GREAT comment ProNatchez! Keep up the good work!
Paying for online subscription service is an option I would consider.
Posted by frogprincenessntz (anonymous) on November 3, 2008 at 9:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Many years ago, newspapers were looked to for the unvarnished truth and the important happenings of the times. Sadly, it is impossible to look to them any longer for unbiased reporting. I have seen several articles questioning actions, etc. about McCain in this newspaper. After receiving hundreds of emails with questions about Obama, I have not seen any of them reported in this paper. Many raise questions which seriously need answers, such as is Obama a natural born citizen or not? Who made him above the law so that he does not have to give his original birth record to the courts when they ask for it? Will the Democratically-controlled Congress have to pass special laws after the election to make him eligible? Just how much is he into Black Liberation Theology after sitting in a church teaching that for the last twenty years. Did he really vote three times to let babies who survived the abortion procedures lie untreated until they died? Are his chief economic advisers the cads who piloted Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into the economic meltdown we are now experiencing? How big a part does the quest for slave reparations play into his running for the presidency? These and many more questions have been raised about this candidate, yet you have reported on none of them. It says a lot about the trust worthiness of our local paper.
Posted by inocentbystandr (anonymous) on November 4, 2008 at 7:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How about changing stories day to day. It is now Tuesday morning and you have up the exact same headlines and stories that were up yesterday.
Posted by southernbelle (anonymous) on November 4, 2008 at 9:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I love local newspapers . The internet doesn't come near giving the amount of local news the paper does . And I'm a traditionist . We were recieving a Natchez Democrat the day I was born and in one way or another it has been my newspaper of choice most of my life . I know its not a big city paper but I'm not a big city person .I would like the newspaper itself to be a little more biased but I really enjoy being able to voice my opinion on the blogs. Sometimes hurtful things are said and sometimes I think we can be a little thin skinned about it . That's life for you . Anyway , I hope the Natchez Democrat is not making plans to go anywhere . There are still a lot of people that don't have the internet and would greatly miss you .
Posted by sydneylobo (anonymous) on March 17, 2009 at 5:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Really it's good! I have seen several articles questioning actions, etc. about McCain in this newspaper. After receiving hundreds of emails with questions about Obama, I have not seen any of them reported in this paper. Many raise questions which seriously need answers, such as is Obama a natural born citizen or not? Who made him above the law so that he does not have to give his original birth record to the courts when they ask for it? Will the Democratically-controlled Congress have to pass special laws after the election to make him eligible? Just how much is he into Black Liberation Theology after sitting in a church teaching that for the last twenty years? Did he really vote three times to let babies who survived the abortion procedures lie untreated until they died? Are his chief economic advisers the cads who piloted Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into the economic meltdown we are now experiencing? How big a part does the quest for slave reparations play into his running for the presidency? These and many more questions have been raised about this candidate, yet you have reported on none of them. It says a lot about the trust worthiness of our local paper. Great post i look forward to reading more.
Sydney
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