From the Washington Times:
Kerry aims to rescue newspapers
Troubled by the possible shuttering of his hometown paper, Sen. John Kerry reached out to the Boston Globe on Tuesday, then called for Senate hearings to address the woes of the nation’s print media.
Is there anything these asshats on that hill in Washington think they cannot or should not stick their noses into?
“America’s newspapers are struggling to survive, and while there will be serious consequences in terms of the lives and financial security of the employees involved, including hundreds at the Globe, there will also be serious consequences for our democracy where diversity of opinion and strong debate are paramount,” Mr. Kerry said.
Most newspapers are in similar circumstances as the industry struggles with the worst job losses on record and plummeting revenues.
Evidently, Kerry is yet another dinosaur that hasn’t figured out that we have this new-fangled thing called the “internet,” because if there is one thing that the internet has aplenty, it is “diversity of opinion and strong debate.”
Seriously, can Kerry honesty say with a straight face that the majority of newspapers in this country have historically published articles and editorials with “diverse opinions?” Guffaw.
Here is the deal, Kerry: Newspapers are dying for a host of reasons, and all the “stimulus” and “hearings” and central-state planning in the world won’t stop it. Want to know why?
First, because every piece of “news” in the newspaper that hits my front porch (yes I still have a subscription to the local bird-cage liner) is old and stale by the time it gets printed. Many times, I will read an article on an event two days after I read it somewhere on the internet. By the time it hits my doorstep, it ain’t a “news” paper any more, it’s a history book.
Second, in case you haven’t looked lately, there is a whole generation behind us who gets every piece of news, information, data and communication ELECTRONICALLY and in REAL TIME. There isn’t one thing I can think of in a local newspaper that can’t be obtained on the internet and/or via a cell phone call or text message. Latest baseball and soccer scores? My son gets a constant stream of sports text messages on his cell phone. Movie listings? Go online and look them up – and while you are at it, buy & print your tickets right now too. Classified ads? Helloooo – Craigslist and Ebay anyone? It is all at peoples’ fingertips, constantly updated and as portable as a cell phone or Blackberry. Right now I am carrying the Encyclopedia Brittanica, Webster’s Dictionary, every phone book in the U.S., and box scores for every game ever played – right in my pocket.
Third – “reporting?” “Investigative Journalism?” Quit pissing on our boots and telling us it’s raining. The managers of newspapers publish whatever they see fit (and the reverse of that is also true – they get to decide what isn’t fit), with whatever spin, opinion, and innuendo they want. And they do it pretty much without having to worry about being challenged – or at least they used to. Because even if you write a letter to the editor, he or she gets to decide whether they are even going to publish it. Call them on something embarrassing or challenge their opinion on an issue, and they don’t have to publish your letter. And if they do, they’ll make sure you look like a nut case. They (and news anchors – who are also losing customers) have had complete control over every bit of news you saw or didn’t see.
But once again, that pesky internet thing cropped up. Now, for every newspaper “article” or opinion piece that gets published in a paper, there are 30 bloggers (like me – only better) to call bullshit or refute statistics or bring other, relevant facts to light. No more monopoly on information for you! Too bad.
Nextly – Mother Gaia! That whole new generation of kids that has been brainwashed in the government indoctrination public school systems? They have been told their entire lives that trees are more important than people. (They evidently were never told that trees grow back, but that’s a topic for a different post.) It is a despicable sin in their world to cut down trees just to print newspapers – newspapers that will end up (gasp!) in the local landfill (and will revert to dirt, just like the tree would have – but again – another post).
Now, econ 101 John. Supply and demand. Newspapers’ revenues are “plummeting” because their advertising revenues are in free-fall. Advertising revenues are in free-fall because they are based on declining circulation numbers. Circulation numbers are declining because the old farts who grew up reading newspapers are dying off and the young farts – as previously discussed – don’t read newspapers. Demand is not only down, it is getting the 10-count as you read this. The Sunday coupon section has been replaced by the pop-up ad .
It is amazing to me that these legislators think they can wave their tax magic wand and rescue dying industries like this. There is a reason you don’t see riding crop makers on every corner and ice deliverymen on every block. Look up the word “obsolete” in your dictionary Senator Kerry.
Curtis Lowe 