Despite the breathless ranting and record audiences of the cable news networks and some dynamite investigative reporting by major news organizations this year was a particularly brutal one for local news operations, especially newspapers. Print revenue was down nearly 20%.

All of us should be particularly concerned about the plight of local newspapers.  They’re a fundamental channel –particularly for older folks—for information on community problems and needs.  An essential channel for spotlighting challenges in our communities and the steps local nonprofits are taking to meet those challenges.

As we all know, social media (especially Facebook), and internet advertising (especially Google) have done severe financial damage to the ad revenues on which local newspapers depend.

The two biggest local newspaper holding groups — New Media (GateHouse and Gannett) and McClatchy, which collectively own over 700 newspapers — had a combined market capitalization value of less than $800 million as of December 20^th.  By comparison, Apple, which this year launched its own news product, is worth more than $1.2 trillion.

These challenges have taken a human toll on journalists and news industry employees around the country. By some estimates, nearly 8,000 people were laid off or lost their jobs in media in 2019. That level of attrition is on pace to be the highest it’s been since the 2009 recession.

Regardless of the Trump bump, now beginning to wane, there’s no sign that the economic outlook is going to get better.  So, if we want to keep news of our local nonprofits and keep the work they’re doing front and center let’s each do what we can to support and subscribe to our local papers.

That’s why I’m giving  subscriptions to local papers—or their digital editions– as presents this year.

Local papers are not only an information lifeline for local nonprofits they’re a wonderful window into the idiosyncratic nature and special details of our local communities.

Last week Rachel Maddow celebrated the value of local news in her report on how the Queens Daily Eagle maintained its perspective around the impeachment of President Trump. While every national newspaper trumpeted impeachment with banner headlines, there on page 16 of the Eagle’s print edition was the story –sandwiched between other stories on subway openings and local crime was the headline:” Queens Man Impeached”.

Here are some excerpts of the digital version of the story:

“Former Jamaica Estates resident Donald Trump was impeached Wednesday by the U.S. House of Representatives. He is the third president to be impeached in United States history — and the first from Queens

“Trump’s old Jamaica Estates home, where he lived as an infant until he was four years old, went back on the market after it was sold to a Chinese investor and rented on Airbnb for $725 a night, according to Curbed.

“Trump’s parents’ graves are located at All Faiths Cemetery in Middle Village. The cemetery was slapped with a lawsuit by New York Attorney General Letitia James earlier this year for allegedly misappropriating funds.”

Please do what you can to support your local paper.

Roger