Recycled Content: Don’t Complain – Its Free!


I’m posting my response to Franklin Avenue’s critique of the Glendale News Press below, recycling my comments for this blog. My action is probably a blogger’s equivalent of some of what Franklin Avenue objects to about the GNP. But publishing a community blog presents this editor with some of the same limitations faced by print journalists in 2009 and I can’t help but commiserate today. GNP may not have enough staff at this time to process and publish the wide variety of news relevant to different audiences in the city; perhaps that explains the obituary omission that motivated the critique.

This blog has collected a number of links on how the press is affected by the wrenching transition to digital media. Processing and publishing relevant news, from neighborhood life, to city and county issues, and finally to state-level, national and international trends, is why Sunroom Desk was established. As I encouraged citizens to do for the Glendale News Press below, readers can help out this blog as well by sending along comments, news, and background information on local issues, as well as constructive suggestions.

Recent links on changes in the profession of journalism:

How to Save Your Newspaper – Time.com
A vacant echo within L.A. County press corps – LA Times
Top Ten Media Stories of 2008 – RealClearPolitics.com
Web Blows By Papers as News Source – RealClearPolitics.com
All I Wanted for Christmas Was a Newspaper – LA Times

Sunroom Desk’s response to Franklin Avenue:

I subscribed to the Glendale News Press for many years. I canceled the subscription in 1993 when the LA Times bought it and informed me and other subscribers that we would have to subscribe to the Times in order to continue receiving GNP.

I did without the newspaper for 15 years, then renewed my subscription several months ago, for two reasons:

1) I’m publishing one of the small number of active Glendale community blogs (SunroomDesk.com), and

2) newsprint is a mortally-threatened business in this new digital era and I’m actively rooting for the profession of journalism to survive the siege.

I have noted that the GNP is now more limited in coverage. I have also noted that compared to fifteen years ago, much less newsprint piles up every week.

Cuts in quantity and quality of local news coverage are by no means limited to print journalism. A Wall Street Journal cover story today reports a big decline in local TV broadcast station revenues and an accompanying decline in locally-produced content. Falling audience numbers are leading broadcast networks to consider bypassing local stations to sell primetime shows direct to cable.

The bottom line for the profession of journalism is that the news business needs a new business model. Ad revenues cannot support the multitude of cosmopolitan and provincial print publications (or broadcasts) they supported 20 to 30 years ago.

Comments on two of your suggestions:

– Aggregating blog content on the GNP website:
Running a community blog is a time-consuming proposition; digging up original news and sources is serious development work. If the GNP wants to co-opt local blogs, I’m all for gaining the added readers for my blog. I’m working hard to provide additional news coverage for Glendale readers, but realizing more and more just how valuable a resource full-time reporters are for concerned citizens.

– Weekly business column from the inside:
Finding people in industry to provide columns on happenings inside big businesses in Glendale has conflict written all over it. Someone inside the company would be approving and sanitizing that copy.

I wish all the best to the GNP. To the citizens of Glendale: if you care about your local paper, call with relevant tips (the few reporters on payroll just can’t be everywhere), help supply information, support their advertisers, and send in more ideas like Mike’s.