Not long ago, the news industry went through a pivotal transition: moving from print to digital.
While it was a successful transition for many publications, many communities faced the fear of joining the “news desert,” in which they are left without a local daily news outlet all together.
Today, Philadelphia’s publications face this same crisis. Bankruptcies, furloughs, pay cuts, and layoffs, coupled with the long-term decline in print advertising have presented a blow for Philadelphia publications.
In July, Metro Corp., which publishes Philadelphia Magazine, reported that they’d cut eight positions and put 13 employees on furlough. Those who remained received a 20% pay cut for 90 days. Metro Corpclaimed this would allow for devotion to resources for their quality of journalism and audience’s experience. A document, “Interstate General Media: EBITDA Trend – 2000-2012,” acquired by Philadelphia Magazine reveals that their advertising revenue dropped from $465.5 million in 2000 to $113 million in 2012 and labor expenses dropped from $243 million in 2000 to $135 million in 2012. Despite these cuts, top publications in the Philadelphia area lost more than $5 million of their profit within 12 years. This was before the pandemic hit.
While some larger publications remain healthy, local journalism in Philadelphia is in danger. Some publications have resorted to questionable forms of advertising that conflict with the integrity of the publication. These methods have been largely unsuccessful and have put journalism’s survival to the test. We need public options and we need them fast. We can get opinions from our community and analyze our history to come up with the best way to support the foundations of journalism that the industry, and our democracy needs to survive.
Journalists are the watchdogs of our society, they serve as the check on democracy. The job of journalists is to inform the public and pursue the truth on behalf of the common-good. Everyone deserves to have access to information grounded with integrity and truth, on both a national and local scale.
Local news directly serves the Philadelphia community. Publications tailor their content to the public-interest of their audience. However, journalists are almost always underappreciated for the work that they do. The Jeffery Epstein case was one of the few instances in which a journalist was credited for their role in a major court case. Julie Brown of the Miami Herald gained recognition for her role in the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein. Brown said, “I was pretty stunned along with, I think, everyone else in the journalism world. It’s rare that a prosecutor ever admits that a reporter somehow helped them with their investigation.” In a society where journalism serves such an important role in our society, Brown’s shock from this basic recognition is problematic.
Despite local newspapers’ efforts to keep the government in check and serve the common-good, many of them are facing serious trouble. Prior to the Coronavirus, over 2,000 newspapers shut down. For journalism, the pandemic is only making a pre-existing problem worse. Local newspapers could be the first to completely disappear, leaving a nation-wide news desert.
To help save local journalism, people need to understand why newspapers are experiencing such financial trouble. First, the transition from print to digital has destroyed the large profits newspapers used to make off of advertisements. Due to peoples’ reliance on social media as a new source, revenue often end up in the bank accounts of major corporations like Facebook and Google. Unfortunately, these social media platforms don’t always provide trustworthy news.
Strong local papers are the solution to the chaotic social media environment we live in. However, people need to appreciate journalists, recognize them and the essential roles they have in our communities. With all that 2020 has forced upon our nation– the pandemic, protests, and hostility– local journalism cannot die. Journalists are our nation’s unsung heros, and we are needed in the fight to save journalism.
https://www.cjr.org/local_news/american-news-deserts-donuts-local.php
https://www.inquirer.com/business/philly-mag-job-cuts-covid-19-inquirer-buyouts-20200731.html