Now a 15-year-long story, news of the newspaper industry in decline continues to hit home here in Massachusetts. GateHouse Media is consolidating 50 Massachusetts newspapers into 18, according to a memo posted by blogger Dan Kennedy on Friday. The news comes just days after GateHouse Media recently announced its second round of layoffs since the start of the year. More than 100 employees were cut at 45 different local newsrooms including the Providence Journal, Worcester Telegram and Gazette, New Bedford Standard Times, and Worcester Magazine. Two newspapers in Minnesota resorted to starting a Go Fund Me campaign to try to keep their doors open.
Another troubling development is that the big media companies continue to get bigger, which gives concentrated control to fewer entities. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that USA Today’s publisher Gannett Co. with its 110 publications is talking about a merger with GateHouse media, which has more than 150 publications.
What does this mean for public relations professionals, nonprofits, and socially responsible companies?
- Decreased opportunity for coverage – Fewer local papers means fewer outlets for sharing news about companies’ positive developments and work in their communities, as well as fewer places to place advertisements, should they have the resources and desire to do so.
- Stretched staffs – When newsroom staffs are small they have to cover events over a wider area and focus their efforts on covering spot news. This leaves fewer opportunities for feature stories and investigative pieces that could highlight the work of deserving organizations.
- Decreased awareness about local issues – The local paper is where many people find out what is going on in their community. This is especially true in an election year when people rely on their local paper to learn about the candidates and issues before they get to the ballot box.
- Fewer voices in the media conversation – Fewer outlets concentrated among fewer companies increases the likelihood that what we read is being controlled by a smaller number of people who may or may not have a political agenda driving their coverage decisions.
However there are some things you can do to adjust to this new media reality.
- Create content for the remaining outlets – Newspapers and magazines with smaller staffs need content now more than ever to fill their pages and attract readers. They may be more open to an opinion piece written by one of your leaders, photographs of one of your events, or announcements about your latest developments. Send it to them in a format that makes it easy for it to be posted or published and you will increase the chances of getting it included.
- Leverage your coverage – When your work is included in a local media outlet, make the most of it. Share it on all of your social media channels and be sure to tag the outlet when you do. Put the posting on your website and mention it in your newsletter.
- Seek out other outlets – Look for other ways to share your message such as blogs or podcasts. These opportunities are not limited by the constraints of a newspaper layout or broadcast and can often lead to a longer, more comprehensive discussion of the issues you care about. While newspaper may be diminishing, there are increasingly more media outlets that need lots of content to keep their machines running 24/7.
There are some signs of hope. According to the Boston Globe, since being bought by a local judge, the Berkshire Eagle has maintained print subscriptions and increased its digital subscriptions by 60 percent. The Dorchester Reporter’s recent Dot Day edition reportedly got the strongest advertiser support in years, great news for an important voice in one of Boston’s biggest neighborhoods.
