In an interview released only for Kindle users on July 31st, President Barack Obama commented on the downward spiral of local newspapers everywhere.
It has been widely reported for a number of years that print newspapers have faced declining subscribers, rising costs and other challenges with the onset of social media and leaner, meaner and more adaptable online-only media organizations which have taken a foothold in the news industry.
“It used to be there were local newspapers everywhere,” Obama said in the interview. “If you wanted to be a journalist, you could really make a good living working for your hometown paper. Now you have a few newspapers that make a profit because they are national brands, and journalists are having to scramble to piece together a living, in some cases as freelancers and without the same benefits that they had in a regular job for a paper, What’s true in journalism is true in manufacturing and is true in retail. What we have to recognize is that those old times aren’t coming back.”
The interview was released on the same day that it was reported that reporters at the Cleveland Plain Dealer were told by management there to stay home from work and wait by their phones.
peter. grow up
How old is Peter L? He must be pushing 50 or fast approaching it. Does he have a job? I mean a real job? Where does he live? Does he have a home or an apartment? What kind of car does he drive?
absolutely no idea
@Peter L.-take another pill and go back to bed. You are not yourself when you fall off your meds. Here’s a thought for you, if you dislike N.I.T. so much, why don’t you start your own web site and the you can spout your hatred all you want. Of course, no one except you will be there to see it. But, you are probably used to talking to and answering yourself by now. Just my opinion of course.
HA! I was gonna suggest a Snickers.
@Peter L.-wow, I thought you were. I am entitled to my opinion whether you like it or not. We just get tired of reading the same old stuff from you all the time.
I agree with general revelation that print news is in the decline. Obama made some excellent points but lot of inference and assumptions made regarding the Globe. I understand that their last quarter earnings showed profitability. This also leads me to wonder why a start up publication like NIT is even giving it a run. I understand the public thirst for an alternative news source but you gotta make money and lots of it or its history too.
“their last quarter earnings showed profitability”
— Are you speaking of the Globe or Lee? Big difference. Lee may have made a profit somehow as they downsize and their newspapers get physically smaller and smaller. I highly doubt the Globe is anywhere near solvent.
“wonder why a start up publication like NIT is even giving it a run”
— Of course you would wonder, since you have zero experience in running an online news source. Let professionals like me handle the job. You can just continue to come to NIT and read.
“you gotta make money and lots of it or its history too”
— Not true at all. NIT has nowhere near the overhead the Globe does. It’s called running a tight ship, something the Globe and Lee are foreign to. We’re doing just fine here and will continue to expand as conditions allow.
Good points Matt and I too think it’s only a matter of time before the Globe is gone. What is really too bad is that we just spent millions on our library and these also are not far behind the Globe in going away.
Thanks Reggie. The library has to make some tough choices and I believe it will be doing so. I also have a plan I will reveal later on how to offset some of those cost over-runs (tens of thousands of dollars in the red at this time at the MCPL). Not to take a shot here, but the library’s financial predicament was totally ignored by mayor and council at budget time this year. My plan would bring thousands of taxpayer dollars back to the library every month and it’s an easy fix.
I’m anxious to hear what you’re plan is Matt. If we can somehow recoup our multimillion dollar investment, even slightly , that would be awesome.
@Matt-Good points. My experience says stay small and control your cost and overhead and you should do fine. It is always a balancing act you know.
Sources like NIT ARE the future of news. The sooner the Globe can figure it out, the better for them, but I think time has passed them buy. Local Radio News is next.
I agree with the signs of the times. But, as far as the local Globe Gazette– if they had better reporters and less bias, they would be in better financial shape– they would have more readership and advertisers would still be clamoring to get their ads in …. They only print what Bookmeyer and the Chamber want them to print…No investigative reporting, no looking under the rocks, won’t believe the truth about people or happenings if it bit ’em in the ass. TRash decent people who do not agree with them etc…. I have been at meetings where they have a reporter– then I read the paper the next day– and I cannot believe I was at the same meeting…. It is that biased.. They have said that telling the truth will hurt economic development– businesses and people will not want to locate here…. They seem to have backed off on telling the stories of the north end and anything else that isn’t pretty. Well, I give them today– they did print the drug bust… that will be about it… But, what about the last weeny wagger to go to court. He wanted a trial, apparently had one, but now no news…. well of course not, he was a NIACC professor, if it was JOe Schmoe– it would be all over the paper….. I still like to read papers–lots of them, I like to have my coffee and paper in bed and relax. It is just a comfortable habit… I know those days are numbered…
Anyways– can’t wait to hear what else will be going out by Marshall’s….
Newspapers print when your arrested with 35 pounds of high grade bud. THEY DO NOT PRINT when the case is dismissed, dismissed because your constitutional rights had been violated. No one cares if your civil rights are violated when it comes to any drug, including pot.
However the same people will often scream bloody murder if you reduce the number of assault weapons they can purchase.
America is an insane country. High school whores to soccer mom sara palins in three easy steps.
Maybe this story is another of those phony scandals?
I think print newspapers and public libraries are both loosing their share of the market place they once so strongly held.
The way I hear librarians talk, you’d think that they just invented the book and need money for parking lots and whatnot….
huh?
Todd Blodgett posts exclusively to the Globe. When we get him over here the Globe will sink for good. He’ll RoCk out this site like he RoCkeD out hot yummy chicks in da 80,s bro. Todd Bwoy presided over the Reagan Era and is no stranger to the back stage of a RoCk show bro.
I would say the Globe Gazette is on life support, although I am suspicious that its corporate master Lee Enterprises subsidizes its existence.
Listen, when your number one export is barbecue and not news, you got a problem if you are a news agency.
Goodnatures and the Globe….both institutions in North Iowa, but these are new times and they cannot compete. Goodnatures with the big box stores, and the newspaper is a old technology. Plus how can the Globe make any money? They must have 30 full time employees and many more part time. Advertising sales are way down and they simply do not make any money.
I have had a few friends that have come and gone from the Globe, that were there for quite a few years…they have different jobs now because they were downsized and positions eliminated. Talented people who got off a sinking ship just in time…personally I give them 3 years and they will be out of business.
I know, lets give them poor old unemployed newspaper reporters the ag jobs that our government so desperately believes need to be filled by illegal (soon to be legal, I hope not)immigrants. Anything wrong with that? And what about the old adage of ‘supply/demand’? If these subsidized farmers (wealthier than you and me) can’t pay a fare wage then WTF? We have to bring second class citizens here fill those jobs? Well, now we have unemployed reporters. Call off the immigration discussion. And start paying fare wages farmers or quit the subsidizing!!!!!