Sunday Newscape Magazine

Who would have thought the media would be getting a taste of its own medicine? The doom and gloom agenda pushing outlets that were institutions of this country at one point are now in deep trouble. With advertising down and consumers finding other ways to inform themselves, the streets are now being littered with many who thought their livelihood was secure.

How did this happen to such a powerful voice in our society? The media; newspapers in general, have such a history it is hard to comprehend what is evolving. The once mighty newspaper is now being outsold by tabloids and teen magazines that offer redundant gossip and bad lifestyles. It is appalling to think the rich and famous exposing themselves takes priority in this market.

Undoubtedly what is occurring is a good wake up call to an industry that for years offered a bad product nobody wanted. The constant barrage of bad news reporting has taken its toll and these companies have no one to blame but themselves. It is not the economy, nor advertising revenues as most think, but the leaders who ultimately decide what to report. More than ever America wants information at an alarming rate and yet these companies still can’t sell something that was once so informative. If millions of consumers are willing to pay almost $5.00 a day for a cup of hot water with a fancy name then marketing a newspaper should not be a problem.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel in this time of change. The small town and community newspapers are the forgotten icons that ultimately could save this industry. Though grossly under funded, these publications have managed to stay afloat with old fashion beat reporting that community news readers can rely on. These operations may lack the funds, but have mastered the fundamentals.

The future will be bright for the news industry if reporting is about what happened instead of what these reporters want to happen. As shown by the steep declines across the board agendas, bias, and propaganda will not work. This country’s population is not comprised of uneducated proletarians at the mercy of these institutions, but people who want to be informed and not told how to think.

Even as most so-called experts predict the newspaper’s extinction, the small town and community newspapers will always have a place in American society. Their personalized reporting and traditional values inspire families to read and local businesses to redirect their advertising dollars.

The dinosaur will rise again if newspapers understand the power they have to influence its readers. Unfortunately, the larger conglomerates haven’t gotten the message to their newsrooms yet.