Newspapers matter
“Newspapers are a critical part of the American news landscape, but they have been hit hard as more and more Americans consume news digitally,” says a 2018 Pew Research report.
In an April 24 article, Governing magazine reported that “around the country, major regional newspapers … have shed 80 to 90 percent of their reporting and editing staffs” and that since 2004, 1,800 newspapers have closed their doors altogether.
The article, “When No News Isn’t Good News: What the Decline of Newspapers Means for Government,” goes on to say that while the decline in newspaper reporters is bad for journalists, it’s also bad for the state of politics and government.
One of the primary purposes of local newspapers, says the Governing article, is to act as a watchdog over politicians.
Jim Zachary, editor of The Valdosta Daily Times, shares on the Georgia Press Association website: “We know if newspapers do not stand up for citizens and protect the rights of free speech and the rights of access to government, then no one will. We work in our communities each day to build a culture and incubate an environment where those elected feel accountable to those who elected them. Elected officials should never be surprised or irritated when citizens, or the newspaper, question their judgment, their words or their decisions. Citizens have every right to question everything government does, whether elected officials like it or not.”
News reporting online is up, but does it do the same job as a local paper? No, says Governing magazine.
First, people tend to read headlines online and skip the meat. “A recent study confirmed this phenomenon isn’t in our heads,” says Jayson Demers in a 2016 Forbes article, “in fact, 59 percent of all links shared on social networks aren’t actually clicked on at all, implying the majority of article shares aren’t based on actual reading. People are sharing articles without ever getting past the headlines.”
Second, when people do read news online, a lot of it comes from non-local papers, like the New York Times or papers with a bigger online footprint than local papers have, and they miss out entirely on local news.
From Governing magazine: “By removing geographic barriers to distribution, we’ve created an environment that’s even more hostile to community-level journalism,” says Phil Napoli, a public policy professor at Duke University.
Third, as has been in the news a lot in relation to Facebook, other social media, and search engine algorithms, news suggestions tend to align with people’s already-held views and shelter them from opposing views.
And that’s not all. “Recent academic studies show,” says Governing magazine, “that newspaper closures and declining coverage of state and local government in general have led to … fewer candidates running for office. … According to a study published this month in Urban Affairs Review, cities with steep declines in newsroom staff had less competition in mayoral races. Fewer people bothered to run.”
One local Catoosa County resident who wishes to remain anonymous, recently shared that she is ready for change in the county and in her city. “Three council members and three commission members come up for reelection next year,” she said, “and I want them all out.” But she’s concerned no one will run against the politicians with whom she is displeased.
“Newspapers should be the most powerful advocate citizens have,” says Zachary, “and be their open forum for a redress of grievances. … It would be irresponsible for the local newspaper to not champion the freedom of expression and to not reflect the views of the public in its coverage and commentary.”
“Any newspaper that represents the interests of the governing more than the interests of the governed,” Zachary says, “is not worth the paper it is printed on or the ink that fills its pages. We may not always agree with outspoken citizens or defend what they say, but we should defend with all our might, all our ink and all our paper their right to say it.”