Saturday, July 12, 2008

News And Political Poverty

clipped from pajamasmedia.com

This paper produces a wide variety of niche products. The figure that they
reach about 80% of their region with one of their products. The products are
focused on parenting, retirees, entertainment, etc, as well as online and print
versions of the daily paper. They are making money.

One of the explanations for the demise of the print edition of the
traditional newspaper that they gave him was the change in the demographics of
the community. They told him that increasingly people move there, spend a few
years, and move elsewhere. They don’t move into town and take up an intimate
concern for the community. They find that the percentage of the local population
that is engaged in local issues is shrinking, and therefore the numbers of
people who are interested in a newspaper is shrinking. As a result, the problems
of local newspapers are the connected to the problems of local communities. May
explain why the quality of people who run for local public office is so
poor.