A large grouping of newspaper publishers have joined together and launched a public relations campaign to inform readers that, yes, newspapers are still relevant -- despite the financial hardships and layoffs of thousands of employees industry wide.
Unfortunately, the PR campaign does not seem to recognize that one of the main problems that newspapers are having is with their own content, not just the economy and the Internet.
A new ad funded by some 300 of the nation's newspapers informs readers that 100 million newspaper customers forms a larger audience than that of the Super Bowl. Additionally, this cooperative of newspapers created a website called Newspaperproject.org to further the cause. There, the group will post pro newspaper industry stories and further ads to encourage readers to stick with newspapers as an important news source.
But, it seems that at least one of the industry's troubles is not being addressed: catering to readers' interests. "The crisis has to do with revenue, not with audience," said Donna Barrett, director of The Associated Press. This seems to miss the important issue of content and also seems to say that the newspaper industry is ignoring one of its chief failings.
Many people are turning away from newspapers, not just because of a bad economy or a new reliance on the Internet, but because they no longer trust newspapers as a legitimate news source. The slanted, leftward bias hidden behind a thin veil of legitimate reportage is getting readers fed up. People are just sick and tired of the faux stance that these papers are "unbiased" or unpartisan. Readers too easily see through the veneer to the leftward bias informing much of what newspapers publish.
Many would not mind so much if these papers simply admitted their obvious bias. At least then the lies and obfuscation that goes with pretending at being nonideological would be dispensed with. And there would be ample precedent for such an admission. After all, there was no such thing as any assumption of an "unbiased" newspaper until the 1960s. For much of our nation's history, each newspaper in each town in America had an open and admitted viewpoint that was vigorously pursued.
Heck, in the 1800's politicians even had their own newspapers to promulgate their own policy ideas and viewpoints as well as their own candidacies. No one expected to pick up Speaker of the House Henry Clay's campaign newspaper and read an "unbiased" story! Everyone knew that people reading Clay's newspaper was a Clay man.
In any case, PR campaign or no, it doesn't seem like many of these newspapers understand why they are losing readers. It isn't only because the Internet is replacing them as the chief mode of getting the news for Americans today. It is because they just aren't held in very high regard by the reader. Until this seminal problem is addressed, not doubt the PR campaign will not bear much fruit.
(Graphic credit: Colorado State University)
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
NYTimes
February 4, 2009 - 05:48 ET by Fist of EtiquetteI don't think simply admitting a journalist's bias is enough, unless those leanings are printed under the headline. (I know, most of the time the bias is written in the headline, but unfortunately not everyone recognizes it.)
The best for me was when so many "newsmen" were pointing to The New York Times article on the Obama/Ayers connection as proof the two were not "friendly".
Well, you know, Virginia,
February 4, 2009 - 06:36 ET by motherbeltWell, you know, Virginia, if it's printed in the NYT, it's true!
They are still in the first stage of impending death: denial.
MB
February 4, 2009 - 07:13 ET by thebutlerdiditYou know it's a real problem when 90% of the older people in my neighborhood, where the mean age in 65 plus, and most don't internet, that they think that the paper is garbage. Lifelong newspaper readers.
Bringing the government in to run Wall Street is like saying, "Dad burned the dinner, let's get the dog to cook." PJ O'Rourke
Looks good on them.
February 4, 2009 - 06:56 ET by 5kidsnadogHA! I will never have a newspaper subscription again. It's my effort to go green -- save those trees from a fate worse than death.
Last night, I noticed an article in the Detroit Free Press (online) where they detailed a vicious attack by the police on a woman and her seven children "in their own home". The article went on to describe the utter brutality of the treatment this woman and her family were forced to endure as a result of the corrupt police who just woke up that morning looking to victimize single moms. Why, they even twisted her arms behind her back.
Later on, I found information that said that the police had arrived at this home at the behest of the neighbors, as the woman and her seven children were squatters. The woman resisted being removed from "her home", and her arm was twisted behind her back when the police tried to put handcuffs on her. Neighbors who observed the actions of the police said that they did not see any violence going on.
I'd like the "Free" Press to know that I will not ever pay to read their paper because of "journalism" like this.....
Kicking out
February 4, 2009 - 07:19 ET by motherbeltKicking out squatters????
Why, that's even meaner than not allowing illegal aliens to pay in-state tuition!!
Wonder why newspapers don't
February 4, 2009 - 06:56 ET by mostlymoderateWonder why newspapers don't just give people what they want: unbiased news-reporting. Maybe then more people would buy a paper?
Hell, I kinda miss the smell of a crisp newspaper in the morning with my cup o' joe.
May they die a quick
February 4, 2009 - 07:24 ET by taterMay they die a quick painful death...unless you know they actually report news without their opinion.
www.theholyrosary.org
"There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we can not resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary." -Sister Lucia
It will be impossible for
February 4, 2009 - 07:47 ET by nadadhimmiIt will be impossible for the papers to change at this point. The reportage point of view is too ingrained and rote. Everything is first put into categories, then churned out with standard phrases, construction and viewpoint. They are dinosaurs with 3 feet stuck in the tar pit and don't even see the problem. They are also biased, lying bastards. Pinchy Sulzberger just ran a centuries old, honored, firm into the ground in what?,,15 years?. It coundn't happen to a more deserving group of zealots.
In the past, when I've
February 4, 2009 - 07:55 ET by hydrodynDMIn the past, when I've received phone calls asking if I'd like to subscribe to the local paper I've been able to get off the phone with little hassle by saying I'm not interested because of the paper's liberal bias.
If I had said I can't afford a subscription, I'm sure they would be ready with "Well, you can just have the Sunday paper delivered ... blah blah blah".
If I had said that I get my news online, they'd be ready with "Well, the paper also comes with a coupon section and ... blah blah blah."
But bring up bias and all I get is "Um, Ok, Um ... Thanks for your time."
Until just one newspaper
February 4, 2009 - 07:57 ET by WorriedUntil just one newspaper (other than the WSJ) gives me a story about The One's dirty deeds I will not be buying. I've find out more about the guy from bloggers, as well as NB and Drudge, than any journalist cares to share with its readers. The honeymoon is over for Obama. The evidence is in the last 2 weeks and I didn't learn that from any newspaper.
I don't have much free
February 4, 2009 - 08:08 ET by EdhenryI don't have much free time.
When i read, i need to get good information.
Newspapers don't give me good information.
Well put!!!
February 5, 2009 - 01:45 ET by davehmWell put!!!
Curiousity might help
February 4, 2009 - 08:13 ET by Red JeepA little curiosity on the part of the MSM could dramatically raise slumping sales of newspapers.
One story the MSM could investigate, for example, as the result of the Daschle Affair is: Is something amiss at the IRS? Why do tax cheats like Daschle and Geithner go unnoticed for years but Grandma Moses in Smalltown, USA is sent a frightening IRS warning letter because she forgot to check a box on her 1040?
Another story could be about how Tom Daschle and his wife made millions in Washington. Would term limits eliminate people like Dasche playing the system in DC?
To be a true 4th branch of government and gain readership the newspapers and MSM has to hold both political parties equally responsible for what happens in DC. Power and readership comes from making both political parties scared that the MSM will ferret out the truth of what is happening regardless of party and report it.
Obviously being an unpaid DNC mouthpiece is not working, and is a stupid business practice.
The days of Cincinnatus
February 4, 2009 - 09:10 ET by Hunter12The days of Cincinnatus being called from the fields have long since passed in politics, especially American politics. Look at the recent call for Caroline Kennedy to become senator from New York. She had a pedigree as her qualification for the office. We see the Daschles cashing in on his contacts. Harry Reid has created a financial empire back home from his senate seat. His children are all employ through his senatorial connections. Where is his blind trust? How does federal land go federal-, state-, county-, and then privately-controlled and the money for the sale of that land then go into his pocket legally? If we could get about 90% of the people leaving federal government planted in a field near Cincinnati [ ; ) ], this country would be a lot better off.
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." - Sir Winston Churchill
um...
February 4, 2009 - 09:18 ET by Warner Todd HustonWell, I come FROM Cincinnati. Does that count for anything?
Newspapers have Internet Sites Too...
February 4, 2009 - 09:05 ET by Kimnota...but not enough people are interested in referencing them. If the readership was down because people are getting news from the Internet and not because they have lousy, biased news reporting, people would be tuning in to their web sites. The bottom line, like me, most people interested in the news don't go to the websites of the old media.
Excuse me...
February 4, 2009 - 09:40 ET by CobraMan"The crisis has to do with revenue, not with audience"
...but doesn't the generation of revenue require that you actually have an audience?
Obama: My job is above my pay grade
Who Wants to Read Biased Reporting?
February 4, 2009 - 09:53 ET by GothampcI gave up reading the NY Times several years ago because of its bias. Then about two years ago, a work colleague had the paper, so I thought I'd just browse through it. In an article about changing zip codes in NYC, the author wrote:
"The 10021 code, which had covered East 61st Street to East 80th, between Fifth Avenue and the East River, was divided into three parts. Just as Iraq might be some day, come to think of it. Hardly an encouraging thought, is it?"
http://select.nytimes.com/2007/07/24/nyregion/24nyc.html?scp=1&sq=zip+code+upper+east+side+iraq&st=nyt
Wow!
February 4, 2009 - 09:59 ET by Red JeepI thought you were joking until I clicked on the link. Unreal.
This is Normal for Them
February 4, 2009 - 10:59 ET by GothampcYou know their business isn't news reporting when they have to mention Iraq in a story about Manhattan zip codes.
Gothampc
February 4, 2009 - 12:30 ET by thebutlerdiditIt makes you wonder if they have any clue how silly a story about having a trendy zip code, or phone prefix is? I can't help but picture some Midwestern farmer picking up the paper and reading a story like this. He's already been working for 3-4 hours, and it is just now sun-up. he sits down to breakfast, finally, and opens the paper and sees this crap. He must think they are from an alternate universe. And a mighty shallow and insignificant one, at that. Then to mention Iraq in the story, just too much. Typical leftie thinking.
Bringing the government in to run Wall Street is like saying, "Dad burned the dinner, let's get the dog to cook." PJ O'Rourke
I suppose newspapers will
February 4, 2009 - 10:15 ET by celatorI suppose newspapers will use their own pages to convince people who don't ever read the newspaper that they ought to be reading the newspaper they are not reading.
Makes pefect sense to me.
Buggy whips, anyone?
For liberal Democrats and the Old Media, everything is crisis, chaos, calamity and catastrophe. That justifies stealing your property and liberties.
As Larry the Cable guy
February 4, 2009 - 10:25 ET by EdhenryAs Larry the Cable guy says:
"Now that's funny, i don't care who you are"
funny post celator
Yeah, it's all fun and
February 4, 2009 - 11:23 ET by ConservativeRexYeah, it's all fun and games until you don't have anything to wrap fish guts in! Paper towels are too expensive to waste on fish guts. Any Hearst newspaper worked just fine, especially the Houston Chronicle.
I haven't bought a Houston paper since the Post went under. My hope is that the Chronicle goes under, the sooner the better. And that goes for any Hearst newspaper.
If newspapers are serious
February 4, 2009 - 15:31 ET by TN MomIf newspapers are serious about getting their readers back instead of a PR campaign they should publish full page ads apology to the public for their bias slanted 'reporting'. They should hire the NB crew as editors, to check each story they run!