As Cities Go From Two Papers to One, Talk of Zero (Dinosaur Media Extinction Watch)

NYT ^ | 03/12/09 | RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA

[TigerLikesRooster]

As Cities Go From Two Papers to One, Talk of Zero

By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA

The history of The Seattle Post-Intelligencer stretches back more than two decades before Washington became a state, but after 146 years of publishing, the paper is expected to print its last issue next week, perhaps surviving only in a much smaller online version.

And it is not alone. The Rocky Mountain News shut down two weeks ago, and The Tucson Citizen is expected to fold next week.

At least Denver, Seattle and Tucson still have daily papers. But now, some economists and newspaper executives say it is only a matter of time — and probably not much time at that — before some major American city is left with no prominent local newspaper at all.

[TigerLikesRooster]

For newspapers, the current economic crisis is ELE (Extinction Level Event.)

[2ndDivisionVet]

How will we line our birdcages, wrap our fish or clean our dirty windows?

[My Favorite Headache]

Let me help them with that dagger...I worked for a bunch of papers and they all need a gutting and a shutting.

[kittycatonline.com]

I enjoy reading a paper. There is something unique to it, compared to say, freeping online, or watching the TV or radio. Millions of Americans are of the same mindset.

However, I’m sure I can speak for the majority of freepers when I say that my disgust for the leftist smarm that passes for journalism ruins any would-be joy in the act of reading the paper.

If I wanted to read an advocacy paper from a leftist organization, I’d have pulled one of those freebie tabloids out of the rack near the university. But I don’t. So that’s why I have little sympathy for the current state of the US newspaper industry.

[Goldsborough]

Whenever I first lived in a two newspaper town I read them both for a week. Then, oddly enough, I invariably discovered that both had spent the week printing leftist gibberish.

Their respective "voices," making them indistinguishable from one another, always made them entirely unessential.

[Star Traveler]

Well, there will be funky little papers that pop up, instead of those bigger papers. Those will be the ones advertising for..., uhhhh..., you know..., guys with guys, girls with girls, or “I’m twenty and naked, so come over...” and so on...

[raccoonradio]

The Boston Globe aka the NY Times Jr is said to be losing a million a week. It made the list of 10 papers most likely to fold

[Rick_Michael]

Are there any ‘conservative papers’ folding?

[Jaysin]

are there any conservative papers?

[Rick_Michael]

“are there any conservative papers?”

touche’

[irishjuggler]

If newspapers really die, I’ll only truly miss the daily puzzles. Yes, I know that you can do puzzles online, but it’s not quite the same experience.

[NTHockey]

>>are there any conservative papers?<<

Philadelphia Bulletin - NOT the Inquirer - comes close.

[tvdog12345]

are there any conservative papers?

The Manchester (NH) Union-Leader, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and the Orange County Register come to mind.

Maybe that's all. At least, there is never one where I live.

[ari-freedom]

“How will we line our birdcages, wrap our fish or clean our dirty windows?”

and with fewer newspapers to excerpt on FR...we’ll just see more vanity posts!

[familyop]

Those of you who have any editing experience for small publications, morality ideals and good manners should prepare to start community newspapers. With the economic and other international situations as they are, Internet access and computer supplies could possibly be interrupted in the near future. When economic situations get rough in fascist and communist countries, leaders in those places tend to become afraid of insurrections and to escalate blame against other nations.

[ari-freedom]

but we have craigslist for that

[ari-freedom]

we get the WSJ...it’s conservative except for that %^$&! Thomas Frank and nobody understands what Peggy is talking about

[Gator113]

Now THAT’S change I can believe in.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Good Riddens to the Seattle-PI and its dumping ground for amateur liberal activist reporting. One of the most biased fish wraps I’ve ever seen. They are nothing more than a propaganda mouthpiece for Washington state democrats and comfort food for all the liberals in Seattle. Now that they’ve lost their advertising revenue streams from real estate and retail, it cannot stand on its own feet and even break even. Its the perfect example of a media company thats hijacked by the left and then becomes financially insolvent as sales and ratings tank. Then when its goes under, everyone starts whining about how the public is going to be at a major loss.