People have been predicting the demise of newspapers for years, but now that newsrooms are shutting down, some are taking a hard look at what comes next. And the view isn’t a good one. In a lengthy piece the New Republic bids adieu to newspapers, and hello to a staggering rise in corruption among public officials, once they realize they’re less likely to be exposed.
Yes, there have been some instances where bloggers have uncovered wrongdoing. But the blogosphere is mostly parasitic, feeding off traditional news media, even as they revile the MSM. The story looks at numerous cases where investigative print reporters who have rooted out corruption have since been axed to cut costs. Whatever hopes we’ve put in new technology to replace professional news gatherers are likely to be dashed. The resources that permitted the old media to develop sources, conduct rigorous fact checking and expose corruption are vanishing faster than the new media can replace then.
Full story here: http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=a4e2aafc-cc92-4e79-90d1-db3946a6d119
I think many of you could predict I personally disagree with some of this as I do not feed off of the MSM. Most of what we bring forth in local politics is original, not copied. Most of what we bring forth on Salisbury News is in fact copied by the local MSM. The WWTP, Graffiti, Prostitution, the Zoo, the Ray Lewis Trial, audio transcripts of the KC Tilghman, Rachel Polk Trial, Sheriff Bobby Jones, the list goes on and on. I'll add, I speak to WBOC and WMDT almost every single day. I present stories to them we are onto. The goal for Salisbury News is to bring you everything you have not seen in the past 12 years, even if it means we need to turn it over to other news outlets. We tried doing this with the Daily Times but they simply refused to cover these stories until we grew so large they have no choice now.
Bloggers have been given the short end of the stick for years now. Many of our stories are copied, yet there's no protection for the Blogger. For me personally, I really don't care. The fact that the information we've presented is making it to an audience we don't have, all the better I say. The Bobby Jones case is a perfect example. IF Salisbury News had not broken that story, the Daily Times would never have had the guts to bring it to the table, period. If there were no Salisbury News, another Good Old Boy situation would have happened and disappeared.
The price we pay, lawsuits from the Chief of Police. The Mayor of Salisbury. When and where does it end? It ends here at Salisbury News. You can no longer trust what the Daily Times tells you because they're too afraid of their own shadow. Anyhow, I just wanted to throw in my two cents on this piece.
22 comments:
I'm 54, and remember that our local paper in Springfield, Illinois, who i delivered for on a bike, had reporters that went out into the community and took pictures, interviewed, (even me when I adopted 2 robin chicks and taught them to fly and hunt worms)and pretty much kept up on local affairs on foot.
Of course, they were a conservative paper, and Dad always complained that the editorials were one sided, but at least they were written from one on one interviews with the local people.
I was only interested in Ann Landers and the comics anyway, so it didn't bother me much.
Now, they have taken a bit toward the mass media, but still have a lot of local stuff going on, and it is still a full paper with about 3x the stories or more that the Times has. www.sj-r.com has more that the Times has ever thought of having, and that is why they still thrive. When news happens, they report it. Even if it has a conservative slant, it IS in the paper the very next morning. THAT makes the difference and sells papers.
What we don't need is copy-paste reporting and cars.com / Monster for classifieds. If I want to get a job or buy a car, I want it to be local. If i want to move away from here, I can google Monster and Cars.com.Can we all say DUH, now, DT?
Sad to say Orsonwells, but the masses aren't agreeing with you. While it's free to look at the classifieds in the local paper, except for the cost of the paper itself, it isn't free to the person or company placing that ad. Internet sites like Craigslist, which allow anyone to post an ad and color photos for free, is funneling critical revenues away from their traditional outlet: the newspapers. And unlike the ad placed in the local paper, where only those people purchasing the paper will see the ad, ads placed on the Internet are available, for free, to anyone in the world with access to the Internet.
Newspapers have a tough nut to crack.
Newspapers have the right to dismiss charges for classifieds if they so choose! It's a free market system! Bringing the news to the locals has always sold papers, and America DOES like to peruse it in the morning over a cup of coffee.
Too bad the Times has decided to delete that portion of the paper to the point we have to rely on blogs for the truth.
Sorry 8:10, that dog won't hunt.
P.S. They HAVE to report the news... That's why they are called NEWSpapers!!!!
You know what Orson, you just brought something to light I hadn't thought of in the past. Newspapers have to do what they do in order to make a living. Bloggers do what they do to make a positive difference. You know, say things that make people happy in order to keep your job. Bloggers tell it like it is because most of them have other jobs and don't rely on pleasing their advertisers.
Orson, "dismiss charges for classifieds." What exactly does that mean? Are you saying the papers should offer free advertising to individuals and businesses that will make money off of that same free ad? If not for advertising revenue, where do newspapers get the money to pay for the material and labor costs necessary to produce that paper you like to hold in your hand while drinking your morning coffee?
Joe, to put out your slop, you simply need a computer, electricty, and access to the Internet. What are we talking, $2-$3 a day in electric and Internet access costs? You spend more than that at Panara Bread. This is like Facebook, but without all the pictures and wave files. This isn't news. Like your banner says, it's all opinion. And you know what they say about opinions, they're like a--holes, everyone has one. News is factually based.
Well, Joe, i think you have a point there. It makes all wonder what the advertisers want. If I were to advertise in a media, I would want to choose the most circulated media in town; after all, I'm a business in hard economic times and need to spend my advertising dollars in a way I get the most bang for my buck.
Whether or not the media is one sided or not only would concern me in one way, and that is circulation, I.E., who is going to see my ad. But when the media becomes "No-Sided" and just plain doesn't print what is obviously going on in the area, and know for a fact that I have to go to the internet to get my LOCAL news, I have to assume that others must be doing the same.
I pay for advertising for my business, and don't have a big budget for it, so I have to pick and choose. The DT is not on the short list. THAT is the reason I choose to advertise on a certain blog instead; I go to wher the FOOD is.
If the DT resumed active news reporting, their circulation would rise, they would help Gannett out of the hole they're in, and people would buy and read it.
Maybe in 50 some days that will begin to come about, but until then, here I am.
anonymous 8:44, ROTFLMAO! Yet you're here, Idiot!
If it's so easy punk, why don't you start a Blog and at least give a service to your community? Talk is cheap, punk.
8:37, absolutely! You are charging local people advertising for employees and cars in your paper, but when internet customers search your paper for them, we get sent elsewhere! Can you say "DOLT"?
Salisbury News starts advertising in March. It's far less than the Daily Times and all you have to do is look at any event we have promoted to see what kind of bang you get for the buck. Contact me when you're ready.
Joe, I was glad to see the Bobby Jones/Mrs. Pusey saga on WBOC, but as you said, it's a week late, and well, likely a few dollars short.
While every clamor isn't real that is posted or called in, I think a lot of real news isn't being investigated, especially by our local paper which used to be SO good.
It hasn't been for a decade, or thereabouts, with Mel Toadvine leaving, there went the last of the good ones.
I stopped the paper years and years back, almost ten years ago simply because it was a waste of money. The only good thing it had was the comics and I can get those online for FREE.
No longer did they have OPEDs that were any good, no good lifestyle writers, nothing local other than what politically powered influence was the day's dogma.
Don't waste your money.
Anon:
Are actually that niave to believe that Ted Koppel, Keith Oberman, Pat Buchanan,
George Wills etc. etc. write one singe word that is not biased?
They like you and I are human. Humans by nature look to file and assimilate information in a way that we can best understand it.
We do this based on our personal, experiences and the experiences shared by those we respect.
Joe,
When given the opportunity of a free press, patriots will always share current events with others.
If the newspapers go by the way of the dinosaurs so be it. But in the wake of economic collapse and electricty being for the rich, it will be the citizen patriots that will communicate as they did in the days of old and post bills to the buildings and fences, or have a town crier.
News will go on, as long man has the ability to speak and free thought cannot be extricated from his brain
Here's another interesting thought.
When I gave up my subscription months ago, I have to admit, it wasn't easy, especially for me.
They gave me a ton of material to work with every day and I was still on dial up at the time so their on line version was simply impossible. I enjoyed looking every day to see if they beat me to a story or even waiting a couple of days to see when they finally used my information to create their own.
What I'm trying to say is, the paper was like an addiction with your morning coffee. So guess what, I gave up coffee too and it's been a double success.
That being said, Salisbury News is an addiction as well. Heck, if I walk away from the computer for a couple of hours and comments don't get moderated, people actually start complaining, yet it's FREE!
Because I know it's frustrating, we do our very best to deliver your comments as quickly as possible. Anyhow, only the very weak continue their subscription yet they're such fools because they're getting nothing for their money. Oh, unless you like Obituaries. I can't blame people for that.
To the nay sayer who's comment I just rejected, try this out for size. Look at the end results of the Salvation Army. Then look at ALL of the animals adopted at the Humane Society, in which they can't even keep animals there any more. Then look at the Fernando Guerrero fights. Not one but TWO! They were probably the most attended events of the entire year for the Civic Center!
Oh yeah, I could go on and on but you're not advertising with me so I'm not going to waste my time on you. The advertisers will come on board, unlike your piece of crap Blog that gets no hits and no comments. By the way Folks, the Anti Albero Blogs have a virus on one of them that shuts down your computer. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Forgive me for this personal message to the fat man. He doesn't live in section 8 housing like you do and collect food stamps.
And "Dear Joe" you seem to be our only venue for free press around this area lately.
It's not just The Daily Times who have to get with it but WBOC and WMDT as well. We've a LOT going on that is never shared with the public and your site provides much of that along with across the board humor which is so welcome.
Thanks for all you do.
Joe,
You know me but I'm not going to identify myself to you on this comment. I don't care what anyone says, you put a great deal of effort into bringing the truth to the people of Delmarva. All at no cost to anyone but you. The fact is that the local newspapers do this for profit. This means they can be bought and sold. It is obvious that this has been going on for some time. They won't report certain things because it would piss certain people off and they wouldn't be privy to certain information in the future that would sell newspapers. You can't be bought - in much the same way Ross Perot couldn't be bought. The only hope that we have as a society that freedom will continue to ring is that free speech will continue to flow to the masses. It cannot, will not, and has not flowed to the masses through MSM for some time because the MSM has been bought and paid for. There has, over the past several years, been an everincreasing demand for the truth. The truth can only come from an uncorrupt effort to bring it to light. I hope that as you begin to advertise, you retain the level of responsibility to the public you currently exhibit. I hope you make sure that your clients understand that the truth is what you stand for and that if they disagree with the truth, they can advertise elsewhere.
Joe here is what I dont understand, we live in a great city with many thing to offer. The Daily Times should have 2 more sections to it. There is more that enough relevant news to report on. Along with this they would have more advertising ie. more money. There refusal to report on the news that is in front of them every day will result in the demise of the Daily Times. Although, I do not have your "passion" for the direction the times should take, once again I feel there is more than enough, from local sports, to what is going on at SU. There refusal to not keep you honest will be there downfall.
Frank M
To All,
If people are heading towards free internet ads and away from paying for printed ads, why is "The Guide" so darn fat each and every week? And it's a free publication that prints no news at all.
The fact is, people DO buy print advertising, and it does work and make money. Local folks want to look to buy their stuff locally, not from cars.com And they want their ads read by as many local people as they can reach.
So print the news, cover the stories, cover community events before and after, write mind stimulating editorials, and sell it for a quarter. You'll have circulation. Then sell me an ad.
Aren't there a lot of "free" papers circulating around the shore, supported by advertising, alone. since the daily rag charges for it's copy they could have free ads, couldn't they? or at least reduced rates...they keep going up.
You exceeded all expectations in your reporting of Bobby Jones. The DT dropped the ball again, just like they did in the Detention Center case and other Somerset county issues. I believe that they are afraid to print anything that they cannot extract from court records. By the time they report it, it is old news. No investigative reporting at all, unlike your site.
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