Today marks the last day of print editions for the 146-year old newspaper Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The paper, owned by Hearst Corp., had been for sale since January with no takers. It’s a sad, but growing trend around the country. Due to the increasing shift of readers and advertisers flocking to online news sources, papers have been losing subscribers and money for quite awhile. And forecasters predict yet a further decline in ad revenues this year.
This story kicked off 2009 right here on Threeminds. Seattle marks the second major city to lose a daily newspaper already this year. Denver lost The Rocky Mountain News for the same reason. And Gannett Co.’s Tucson Citizen in Arizona is set to close Saturday. The list continues with the San Francisco Chronicle, which will either be sold or close if it can’t cut enough costs to sustain itself. It’s only a matter of time before others likely follow suit. Four other major papers have recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Last week, Time.com reported the top ten printed papers in jeopardy.
In an effort to save some semblance of the paper and its editorial stance, some publishers are proposing a new model. One that moves subscriptions online instead of folding entirely. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer will become the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. to make the shift to a completely digital offering.
With so many readers used to getting news for free online, will loyal readers pay for an online version of their once favored print paper? Some of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s prized writers, photographers and illustrators are staying on for the new online edition. So readers still get that familiar, personable storytelling. But is that enough? The New York Times and Wall Street Journal’s online paid editions manage to do okay.
News is news. But editorial is different depending on the author who pens it. News sites will have to work even harder to brand and distinguish themselves from the news site three or four states away.
A few weeks ago, I received a letter in the mail — printed nonetheless — from my local newspaper (the Detroit Free Press) letting me know they are discontinuing some of their daily deliveries in lieu of online editions, postal delivery or purchase through a retail outlet. Thankfully my Sunday delivery is safe — for now.
There’s something about waking up a bit later than usual on Sunday mornings, knowing that there’s a paper waiting outside my front door just beckoning to be held, studied, saved, carried, clipped, shared…
But I still wonder: what will my son read on Sundays when he’s my age?
Sarah Jo Sautter
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Great piece Sarah Jo!
You should also read Mitch Joel’s blog today and read Clay Shirky’s comments.
I think we all know what the past was like and can speculate what the future may look like but the interesting thing for me is watching the transition between the old and new. We’re witnessing the transition in the music industry, the book publishing industry and now the newspaper industry.
David, thx for the interesting POVs on this.
my hubby had a tough time parting with his CDs. Took him over a month to set them out for our recycling pickup. But we don’t miss them now. it takes a while to ease into it, but the discomfort will subside.
i wouldn’t be able to part with my books though. we use bookshelves to decorate our walls.