Posted on 07/08/2020 9:03:15 AM PDT by rintintin
Journalism is just one of the industries hard-hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic. While we reimagine journalism’s structures and funding models, what role might the government play in intervening to support the role of a functioning press—not just someday, but now?
In a new report published by the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina, Penny Abernathy—a collaborator on our Cutback Tracker project—underlines the stakes. Since 2005, more than a quarter of the country’s newspapers have disappeared. In the same fifteen-year span, the number of local journalists working in newsrooms has dropped by half. She describes the covid-related recession as a watershed moment. “The choices we make in 2020–as citizens, policymakers and industry leaders–will determine the future of the local news landscape,” Abernathy writes.
In the report, Dana Miller Ervin dives into some of the proposed policies for government intervention in the crisis, noting an attitude shift on Capitol Hill. “Before the pandemic, journalism was seen as a pet interest on the Hill,” Ervin quotes Viktorya Vilk, of advocacy group PEN America, saying. “That perception has shifted now. We’re finally at a moment when conversations [about assistance] are absolutely happening.” Still, the November election presents a time crunch; if interventions don’t happen soon, Ervin warns, they’ll likely have to wait until January or beyond.
Stimulus payments and loans provide one option for intervention, though distribution can be inconsistent and flawed. In late March, Craig Aaron, president and co-CEO of Press Action, wrote for CJR in favor of a Congressional stimulus for journalism. “Now is the time to act,” Aaron wrote. “We need significant public investments in all corners of the economy, and journalism is no exception.” Soon after, the CARES Act was signed into law, with some stimulus money made available to a
(Excerpt) Read more at cjr.org ...
Yes the local papers died here, as most cities. But what if a local politician runs a new lucrative graft ring now? Who will expose it? How can anyone tell thousands of others about it? Chat at the coffee place or the bus stop?
No one really runs a hyperlocal online news service in most places. We are just in the dark (”where democracy dies” as a paper said.
First leftist propaganda, and now no news at all.
Just who reads these yellow rags? Go out of business...do the United States, civilization and honesty a favor.
Big business took over small town news. Normal people don’t care for their agenda and aren’t buying. Go figure. Small town news can come back if they focus on what matters to small town folks.
There is no role for government to subsidize failed business models, such as acting as an arm of the DNC and failing to publish factual news that may be of interest to the marketplace.
Headed down the tubes long before the pandemic, the article says so. About the time they turned from 90% liberal to 99.9% liberal.
“Since 2005, more than a quarter of the country’s newspapers have disappeared.”
I blame Al Gore for inventing the Internet.
I shouldn’t be surprised such garbage is coming from corrupt legacy-corporate media and their cronies
Almost all local pols are Democrats. Democrats are never held accountable anyway. Nothing to see here. Move along.
Nope.
Let it learn to give people the truth, like they want to hear, not propaganda that the MSM wants us to hear.
Uf EFF that.
> No one really runs a hyperlocal online news service in most places.
What’s stopping them? I’ll answer, money.
Unless supported by subscriptions, who is going to advertise on such a site? Local businesses that would be intimidated by the local thugs. Nice store front you’ve got there, I’d hate to see something happen to it.
Of course though, the overhead for hosting a wordpress based site is probably $2000/year. Don’t have to worry about distributing any dead trees.
There is also the example of blogs like “Second City Cop”. great stuff.
“We cannot get the news”. I remember when the departed Newark Evening News even had the bowling scores from across N.J.
“As local news crumbles, should the federal government intervene?”
What could possibly go wrong?
You get more real news in 5 minutes on a site like FR than you do in “Mainstream” news in 1 day.
Not to mention that conservative news sites have to pay the bills and often deal with censorship to boot.
They can sink or swim on their own.
it pains me greatly our local news stations weren’t looted and burned out.... they’re super ‘woke’ propaganda mills.
You know that’s exactly what those idiots in the GOPee will do. Kinda makes me sick to know our President has to put up with these morons.
Separation of press and state.
LMAO! These a-holes want a bailout. They are pure scum and need to FOAD.
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