Newspapers Still Have a Chance to Save Themselves

If you've ever studied journalism, you know the industry has had its ups and downs over the centuries. From accusations of muckraking during the American Revolution to charges of Yellow Journalism during the turn of the 20th Century, the industry has had to re-define itself more than once.

Journalism and a free press are the linchpins of a democratic society. Our founding fathers believed this and most astute, intelligent politicians and other people still understand and support this concept today.

So, why are traditional old-line newspapers losing revenue everyday? Why are readers not picking up the daily paper or standing in line to fill out subscription forms?

Well, the fact that most newspapers have placed all of their content online plays a huge role in the decline in revenue and subscribers. However, let's look back at the past to understand where something old can become new again.

In the days of Patrick Henry and other true patriots, there was no Associated Press, no Reuters or no New York Times Wire Services to feed us all news. There was no Cable News Network or other cable news channels to keep us filled with fodder 24/7.

What did newspapers do before the days of the 24-hour news cycle and the plethora of wire services? They wrote about their local communities. They went out and uncovered things. They talked to the street-level person to get a feel of what's going on in their daily lives.

These days, as newspapers budgets have shrank, editors have given more and more duties to reporters without raising their pay. These duties hindered greatly the reporters ability to get out of the newsroom and go find the street-level man or woman and find out 'the word on the street.'

Alas! Let's fill in some spaces with news from around the world and the nation and the state. This made the wire services happy. Wire services flourished and grew and became even more powerful. Now, newspapers looked more comprehensive. Newspapers now gave the reader a feeling that 'hey, we're giving you not just your local news, but the world as well.'

In the meantime, newspapers continue to suffer the slings and arrows of economic recessions that come and go like swinging pendulums, newspapers didn't really adapt well. As new media came into play in the 1980s and 1990s, some newspapers tried to bridge the gap with television stations where they shared news in the name of convergence. Many newspapers trained their staff on how to go on TV and play reporter all in the name of thinking this would drive revenue and increase readership. Well, in reality, they were giving away their clout. Many newspapers have since abandoned this thought process as well.

What if every newspaper in America that is facing a decline in revenue and readership took a stand and said, "We are open to change. We are going to go back to the basics."

Throw out the wire services. Although no numbers are available, it's possible to believe that subscribing to the many news wire services could cut thousands of dollars from the accounts payable line item from your budget, Mr. Publisher.

What do you do to fill the space left with the cancellation of the wire services? You send your reporters out of the newsroom and get local again. Tell me how the street-level person is doing to make ends meet in this global economy. Tell me what the average Joe or Jane feels about the President's War in Iraq. Tell me how we can stop Global Warming. Tell me about the person who made a difference. Just stop giving me news wire stories that I read online the night before I got your morning paper.

Set yourself apart from the rest of the news herd. The answer is right in front of your faces.

Some newspapers are scrambling so badly, they are even considering merging their Lifestyle pages and their Business sections in a sad attempt thinking this will lure in a new generation of readers. Where's your market research to back that up?

Get local. Get new readers. People love to see themselves in the paper; they have for centuries. This is your chance to embrace a new generation.