THE PRINT NEWS MEDIA APOCALYPSE

No one should be surprised that the local print newspaper you are reading is becoming as rare as the typewriter or the touch-tone telephone. Chances are high that those you know under age thirty have never read any print news media, saved an article for a non-existent scrapbook, pored over a baseball box score, or finished a printed crossword puzzle. There are signs that 2024 could sound the death knell for many print newspapers and magazines.

Traditionally, the news business was cyclical, dipping during economic downturns and improving on the upswing. Not so in recent years.  Statistics show that there was an average of 2.5 newspaper closures each week in 2023. According to a Northwestern University study released in November, since 2005, the U.S. has lost one-third of its newspapers. The same study found that more than half of all American counties are now “news deserts” with limited access to news about their communities.

Of greater concern to career journalists, the news media industry has lost two-thirds of its staff. Each print newspaper and magazine, struggling to stay afloat, has been forced to do more with fewer employees. At the beginning of February, the National Press Club in New York City decided to encourage networking by offering a free taco night to show its support for the hundreds of recently laid off journalists. Unfortunately, even in our booming economy, few job openings are available.

Nationally, employees at the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, New York Daily News, and Conde Nast magazine have all participated in walkouts to protest their managements’ business plans. The employer response was often more layoffs. Time Magazine is in trouble, and the venerable Sports Illustrated Company appears near bankruptcy.

Several years ago, there was optimism that the large national newspapers would be saved when they were bought up by concerned billionaires. A commentary in the New York Times recently reminded us of an old joke in the news business: “If you want to make a small fortune, start with a large one.” In 2013, Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, purchased the Washington Post. In 2018, tech billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiog bought The Los Angeles Times. Also in 2018, Marc Benioff, who started the software giant, Salesforce purchased Time magazine. All three publications are hemorrhaging millions of dollars, and their future is bleak. Clearly, relying on deep pocket owners to indefinitely cover expenses is not a long-term solution.

Why has the print media fallen so far so fast? Ad revenue and circulation have plunged and gravitated to on-line sources. The Columbia Journalism Review points out that Millennials and younger Americans have grown up with the internet and never found it necessary to read print for their news source. Overall, the increasing use of focused internet search functions like Google has changed how many Americans obtain their news. Even among older, lifelong print readers, there is a vicious cycle of the print media cutting content to save money resulting in further loss of circulation.

What is the cost to society and our civic health if local newspapers disappear?  Newspapers have always played an important role in both educating and nurturing local communities.  At all levels of our democratic republic there is a constant struggle between government and its citizens to keep democracy on track. Unbiased newspapers show neither fear nor favor in providing accurate information and insisting on accountability.

Hypothetically, consider an important and contentious Washington County commissioner’s meeting with no news reporter in attendance. The two majority commissioners publish a glowing, one-sided report on Facebook, lacking accurate information and balance. The public is left uninformed about an issue that affects every citizen.

Local news organizations are able to take matters of national importance like health care, gun control, or the opioid crisis and give them local context.  Lives may be saved and disasters averted through investigative reporting. Citizens are encouraged to become involved in important volunteer work through local human-interest stories.

What is the cost to “getting the story straight” if journalism disappears as a profession? Remember that reputable journalism has always been considered “the first rough draft of history.” With artificial intelligence (AI) this fact is critical.  AI requires the constant updating of new and accurate information from independent sources to remain a dependable and helpful tool. The work products of well-trained human journalists are indispensable to keep inferior data from taking over the AI networks.

It would be short sighted to believe that the old business model for the print media will keep them afloat in the coming decade. Older readers need to be patient as newspapers and magazines move on-line, change content, and modify their advertising campaigns. These revisions attract the attention of the younger readers the print media needs to survive.

For those of you, like me, who love to get newsprint on their fingers while drinking their morning coffee, we need to offer our support. First, pay for your subscription with pride, knowing you are keeping a cornerstone of democracy alive. Second, advertise your business and community events in its pages. Lastly, stop complaining about occasional typos or lack of coverage. Most newspaper staffs have been cut in half. The journalists that continue to bring you the news are doing so while working increased hours with reduced pay.

We owe them our gratitude and the occasional letter to the editor when they brighten our day.