The latest announcement that BuzzFeed and Vice Media have made large layoffs in February shouldn’t be much of a surprise. While these outlets had a LOT of news and, sometimes, great stories, they are just more casualties in the digital world.
Those of us who lived (and worked) through the Dot Com Bust could have pointed out that all the warning signs exist. Media Titans are pushing hard for AI, so they don’t need ‘old school’ journalists. You have pioneers and digital ventures (like BuzzFeed and Vice Media) trying to marry digital distribution with more traditional Journalism. And then we have Bloggers; some are good, and some are not. A few are extraordinary journalists, and others are little more than propaganda or false news; sadly, the latter has destroyed some of the credibility of the former. This is almost the same screenplay we saw with Dot Com.
For us print-based companies, too many of the ‘Titans’ are pushing hard for Digital distribution to cut costs, use AI to cut jobs (and costs), and shore up the bottom lines that, while they are slimmer than in the past, are still grotesquely bloated. The few independent papers are generally relegated to being weekly affairs, and many cannot do their own presswork and must rely on the declining number of presses for hire. Reporters are almost becoming extinct in the rush to cut costs, and in the meantime, raising rates and adding additional fees for distribution.
So what is the end game? No one knows, and we can only make some good guesses about it. Ultimately, the market will decide which will be the new reality. I’m naturally suspicious when some “expert” claims that an industry is dead. Far more often, that expert is proven wrong.
Here at the Gazette, we found a way to self-print; we utilize our website to enhance the weekly paper (however, you can still download a PDF copy of the paper if you are a subscriber!) It’s a matter of focus. And while we have, in the past, almost entirely ignored state and national news, we will be bringing more statewide stories in the coming months, as well as some national news that hits home for us.
The big thing is not to lose the local perspective. We repeatedly hear that our focus on print publication, our local focus, and being open to all viewpoints are our strong points. We will never give those things up as long as I’m at the helm of this ship. Where many papers are slowly losing subscribers, we have seen a boon in new signups. Everything from digital to paper, we have been swamped getting people subscribed and gaining access to information.
