I read an article a few days ago that Gannett was trimming staff across the country. The CJ had a couple of people take early retirement late last year. I don't know if there were any other reductions. As someone that learned to read by reading the CJ and the Louisville Times every day, I hate to see what has happened to newspapers. I know that they aren't what they used to be, but they are an absolutely essential part of the community. I encourage everyone to take a subscription to their local paper. I almost see it as a civic duty. Local TV news is mostly about heartwarming stories or bleeding. There isn't much in-depth reporting except in newspapers. We need to support them.

Consolidation was the beginning of the end. They didn't know it at the time because profits were so big in the 1980s and into the early 1990s, but it was. Now that corporate behemoths fed off them but didn't have the foresight to innovate as news moved to non-traditional outlets, they're suffering, and the publicly-traded nature of these huge companies means they can't use profits to try anything new because that would eat away dividends and share prices. It's a spiral at this point.

 

Now Gannett is in turn going to sell to a private equity group and that will really be the end. Private equity will sell these papers for scrap and take what they can. I don't know how much longer institutions like the C-J, Indy Star, and Cincinnati Enquirer have left, but it isn't long.

I've been working in the Courier Journal building on and off since about August. I can tell you for sure there have been quite a few layoffs, and whole departments being relocated or outsourced. From what I've heard, the people that are still left in this building, are all being consolidated to only one floor here in the very near future.

Newspapers are useless these days.

 

I can't think of a single reason to waste hard earned money on one. JMO. :idunno:

Newspapers are useless these days.

 

I can't think of a single reason to waste hard earned money on one. JMO. :idunno:

 

Basically the only groups covering local government around the country very well at all. Once they're gone, a big check on local government goes with them. For that reason alone, I'll keep at least my digital subscription until the day they stop running stories.

Now, I get all my news online or through social media. However, a part of me misses the days when a Lazy Boy chair and a thick (old style) newspaper was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Basically the only groups covering local government around the country very well at all. Once they're gone, a big check on local government goes with them. For that reason alone, I'll keep at least my digital subscription until the day they stop running stories.

 

To each their own. Local government has very little importance to me.

To each their own. Local government has very little importance to me.

 

I think my #1 observation in the last 3 months on this site is this: you are an interesting cat. :thumb:

Basically the only groups covering local government around the country very well at all. Once they're gone, a big check on local government goes with them. For that reason alone, I'll keep at least my digital subscription until the day they stop running stories.

 

This is really evident in NKY, where there is no real "paper of record". Local elections get little or no coverage, and voter turnout is putrid, and amongst the lowest in the state.

 

I worked for Gannett from 2011-2015, and during my 4 years there, there was the constant fear of layoffs. I didn't work for Enquirer Media (the publishing company of The Cincinnati Enquirer), but did work in the building. And on the 17th floor, by the time I left, there were very few people that were there when I started, and only a handful of people on the floor working at all. I can only imagine what it's like in that buidling now.

This is really evident in NKY, where there is no real "paper of record". Local elections get little or no coverage, and voter turnout is putrid, and amongst the lowest in the state.

 

Yeah it's a shame, and I've never lived there so don't know if the Enquirer used to have a halfway-decent NKY edition or not, but it would be great if they had the reporters available to do some work in Covington, Alexandria and Burlington.

To each their own. Local government has very little importance to me.

 

You may not have much interest in local government, but local government supplies the police that keep you safe. Local government maintains the streets you drive on. Local government picks up your trash. Local government handles the zoning that means you don't have a pig farm in your subdivision. You may not have much interest in local government but I would suggest that there is no level of government that is more important to your daily life.

You may not have much interest in local government, but local government supplies the police that keep you safe. Local government maintains the streets you drive on. Local government picks up your trash. Local government handles the zoning that means you don't have a pig farm in your subdivision. You may not have much interest in local government but I would suggest that there is no level of government that is more important to your daily life.

 

In general, local government affects the average American much more than national government.

The Newspaper business has noone to blame but themselves. They never thought the money train was going to end and didn't take the internet serious until it was to late. I remember on this very site back in 2004 or 2005 there was a topic discussing how the internet revenue was going to surpass print newspaper very soon and many posters disagreed with me and said it would be a very long time.

 

If your business is standing still you will eventually fail. No matter what industry this always holds true. We are seeing it in the cable industry now with a lot of media companies trying to play catch with the newer tech companies.

In general, local government affects the average American much more than national government.

 

I agree with this. Even though some wish it was the opposite.

The Newspaper business has noone to blame but themselves. They never thought the money train was going to end and didn't take the internet serious until it was to late. I remember on this very site back in 2004 or 2005 there was a topic discussing how the internet revenue was going to surpass print newspaper very soon and many posters disagreed with me and said it would be a very long time.

 

If your business is standing still you will eventually fail. No matter what industry this always holds true. We are seeing it in the cable industry now with a lot of media companies trying to play catch with the newer tech companies.

 

I agree.

 

I could go on and on and on about flaws in the newspaper industry and why it is failing but the bottom line is the Internet mostly levels the playing field and in many cases works against larger, established businesses.

 

On tangent, think of what the Internet did to the music industry.