DISQUS

JoMa · 1 year ago

One of many problems with the "old" media (and I include TV news, by the way) is that the owners view the outlets as money machines only. Even the New York Times itself is withering.

There is so little original reporting in the local media. Many of the stories are a rehash of what's been printed in the national media, often days after the fact. Yes, I know its cheaper and more profitable to rehash an existing story than to send out a reporter and get an original, insightful local story, but that's the game - profit first, news last.

The local TV outlets are really getting bad. I'm told that the greater Albuquerque metro area is now about 600,000 people, yet nothing seems to happen here. Certainly nothing good. because its all about crime ("if it bleeds it leads" is alive and well). The rest of the broadcast consists of commercials and pieces lifted from the network. Cheap.

And don't even get me started about the weather report. I can find out in 30 seconds all I need to know about the weather on the net, but the weather reporter tries to entertain me for 5 minutes, saying little of any value and even asks that I send in free pics to waste even more air time to host the screaming car commercials.

By the way, NMI can easily fall into this trap too. Its one thing to use a NYT column as a subject but at least you add your own thoughts and opinion, Tripp. Unfortunately, I'm seeing more "Cut and paste" stories here too. Careful, guys!

jfleck · 1 year ago

It's not clear to me where you get the notion that there is a lack of original reporting in local media, at least not the one where I spend my days. This morning's Albuquerque Journal had 41 separate locally produced stories in its various editions. We were the ones covering the flood control authority election out in Rio Rancho and the opening of the new Sandia Vista Elementary School. We had gobs of civic mission stuff like that, the unglamorous basic day-to-day community journalism that is precisely what can't be done by rehashing national media coverage. You've got to go to the school opening if you want to cover your community.

I'm excited by what my friend Trip and his colleagues are accomplishing here at the Independent. They've turned it into a must-read for me every morning, doing things better than many in old media (myself included, frankly). But it's clear by now, after enormous experimentation across the country with new media local news alternatives over more than a decade, that approaches other than print simply don't generate the revenue stream to have enough bodies to generate 41 local stories a day, and to send reporters to the opening of the local elementary school. Trip and his colleagues are never going to be able to offer that level of coverage to the many communities in their "circulation area". That sort of civic mission is simply being lost. I recognize the new realities, and I'll adapt. There's no real choice. But I'll be sad when nobody's covering the flood control bond elections any more.

gshurley · 1 year ago

The writing has been on the wall for years. I am a "new media" person, so I have adjusted rather easily. But why is everyone in old media taking so long to figure out how to adjust their business models? Cuts in expenses is very obvious to me. New media cannot charge the ridiculous advertising rates as traditional print magazines. There is simply too much competition online - this is good, in the end, for the consumer. While the quality of online media can be questionable, I never trusted what came out of the anchors on CNN when I used to watch cable news. I take my chances online. Time for old media to stop complaining and start figuring out how to adjust. Those that figure it out will prosper. Those who keep complaining will end up in unemployment lines. By the way, I think the NMI has it right. I look forward to visiting this site on a daily basis.