I just commented on Rob Karwath’s limp defense of journalists getting into bed with advertisers. No doubt Rob would resent that analysis and I’ll admit he did put in lots of caveats, but that was my take. I know its not easy being a print journalist these days. Circulation declines at major papers are accelerating. The Trib is woefully understaffed compared to the past and its local news coverage keeps shrinking.
Compared to Karwath’s column the one written and published on 4-26-2009 by the CEO of Forum Communications was positively bullish:
Who said newspapers are dinosaurs, extinct, obsolete? I don’t think so. Newspapers today, both in print and online, have more readers than ever.
Unless you plan to spring for $2.95 to read it don’t bother looking for it. Its already hidden away on the Net.
As I read it I was thinking to myself that if the owners of the newspapers have to tell us they are doing well it was a little like the CEO of General Motors telling me to buy a Humvee because America’s automotive business was headed for a come back. I’m a Trib subscriber. I want to believe this. Its just that I used to spend an hour reading the Trib each day. Now its more like fifteen minutes. I read the Trib for local news and only local reporters write those. Whose left to tell them?
