Sunday, July 29, 2007

Community newspapers and the shift to digital: Plenty of life, but new challenges loom

“Do we have a future?” That was the question seven media executives tried to answer for 100 editors and publishers at the North Carolina Press Association meeting Friday in Charlotte. The companies represented own newspapers and broadcast stations large and small, and some remarks had rural relevance. This report is exceprted from a much longer one filed by Jock Lauterer, director of the Carolina Community Media Project at the University of North Caroilina at Chapel Hill, on his Carrboro Commons Web site.

“I’d like to make a case for weeklies and community dailies. ... There’s a lot of life there,” said Max Heath, vice-president of Landmark Community Newspapers, based in Shelbyville, Ky. “We think we’re still number one source for news. [Because of online] we’re becoming the daily market of the weekly world. There’s some really good papers out there … including the Brunswick Beacon [of Shallotte, N.C.] ... So we’re bullish. … We’re looking to grow our online presence too.”

Moderator Tom Curley, president and CEO of The Associated Press and former chairman of Gannett Co. Inc., asked Heath, “We’re hearing a lot about about local, local, local. We hear a lot about that. Or is it the same old thing just wearing a new dress?” Heath replied, “Those of us who have been doing [community journalism] for a long time [know that’s] our bread and butter … and we sorta resent the term ‘hyperlocal’...”

Lauterer reports: “Heath said Landmark is also investing in online and interactive media. However, Landmark has seen some loss in the community market in circulation areas, which is unusual for them. Heath blames higher gas prices. . . . Heath says average readers say they just can’t afford the newspaper subscription.”

Asked how they keep employees motivated when resources are declining, Heath said, “Most community newspapers have a lot of cross-training. ... Everybody does everything anyway. I do think in the community market there is room for niche publications,” such as newspapers targeted to the lake communities in Tennessee. “We’re trying to niche our Web sites too. ... Innovating is what we’re trying to get people to do. ... Recruiting and retention is one of our biggest challenges. We often have to be growing our own.”

Curley told the group, “Whether you’re at a small paper or the largest in the country, it’s decision time. ... The end of the world is not upon us. ... The market for content is growing … whether it’s for general news, sports, entertainment or finance … more people are seeking that content … but we’re doing a terrible job telling our story, because we’re not sure of what our story is.” He added, “Fear of change remains one of our biggest obstacles. . . . The biggest challenge is how we define community, whether they be print or online.”

Other panelists were Reid Ashe, exec vice-president and CEO, Media General Inc.; Scott Flanders, president/CEO, Freedom Communications; Jay Smith, president, Cox Newspapers Inc.; Howard Weaver, vice-president/news, McClatchy Co.; and Mary Jacobus, president/COO, New York Times Regional Media Group. She said, “Our Hendersonville, N.C., paper [the Times-News] is doing extremely well thanks to strong leadership there. We have never had a larger audience for our content, including weeklies and niche products. ... What we quite haven’t figured out how to monetize [online] yet. And I think it’s just going to take some time for our advertisers to come around and see how much it’s worth.”

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