Thanks, Susan...I worked for Newsweek for 28 years and it warms my heart when people recognize that we--and TIME--published great journalism and offered a "lifeline" to many readers...
There are many excellent local digital news organizations out there but this interview doesn't highlight them. INN and LION (Local Independent Online News Publishers) have around 400 members each. Check out Berkeleyside (which I cofounded) or Mission Local in San Francisco or Noozhawk in Santa Barbara. The first 2 are nonprofits and get revenue through ads/sponsorships, members paying $5-$25 a month, foundations, individual contributions and events. Norm is correct that smaller sites are struggling. They are often run by one person or a small group. It's hard to juggle doing good reporting and selling ads when you are understaffed. That's why it is important to donate to your local news organization.
I won the Washington County Spelling Bee (eastern half) in1962. I remember the giant photo of me, my parents, and the runner-up in The Washington Observer-Reporter, the event sponsor, the following day. I was holding the first prize, a dictionary. It was a healthy time for local newspapers, and a great time for young achievers. I wish more of today's kids could feel that same sense of community as I did back then.
Many local newspapers today “walk on eggs” for fear of retaliation from offending someone by using factual information. Without local media providing accurate information about the ongoings of government, we’d never know! One should form his or her opinion based upon facts, not speculation or conspiracy theories!
I feel so sorry for the decline of formerly great local newspapers. I started reading one daily when I was 14 years old (now 77), but I stopped subscribing when I had surgery about 5 years ago and never restarted it. I miss it, but the newspaper is not worth subscribing for now.
When Warren Buffett bought a lot of newspapers several years ago, I kept wondering what he "knew" about them that I did not. Now we know: he dumped them!
My "crystal ball" is pretty foggy. I can't tell what's coming, but I probably won't like it.
I met Norm in 1986 when I joined the Journal. He was an extraordinary leader. Just the sound of his voice made me want to do great work. Perfect interview, except you skipped over the Bloomberg phase!
Fantastic piece on jimmy carter in NYT. Not surprised to see your contribution. D Lamas is daughter of old friend. Lovely and important. ❤️
We have no local newspaper for a large area. Murrieta-Temecula. There's a paper in San Diego, Riverside, and that's about it!
Why did Norman Pearlstine peel bananas with his feet?
It was a party trick...
My parents had subscriptions to both Newsweek
and Time so I grew up reading them cover to cover. Having grown up in the southwest desert, those news-magazines were like a lifeline informing me
about the rest of the world and about the culture
on both the east and west coasts of America.
Saying that journalism and reporting are different
now is a huge understatement, so I enjoyed reading
your interview--it reminded me of a more straightforward era.
Thanks, Susan...I worked for Newsweek for 28 years and it warms my heart when people recognize that we--and TIME--published great journalism and offered a "lifeline" to many readers...
I enjoyed your work, so when I saw your name on substack I had to subscribe. Thank you for lots of
good reading material that informed the person I am today.
Fascinating, Jonathan. Our local paper in Manchester, Vermont is struggling since it expanded digital coverage. Your interview prompted me to look up this report on building stronger local media... might be useful for you and others interested in the challenges of local news https://www.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/building-a-stronger-local-media-ecosystem-the-role-of-media-policy.php
Thanks, Ann...This is an important and useful report from the Tow Center at Columbia....Worth a look.
There are many excellent local digital news organizations out there but this interview doesn't highlight them. INN and LION (Local Independent Online News Publishers) have around 400 members each. Check out Berkeleyside (which I cofounded) or Mission Local in San Francisco or Noozhawk in Santa Barbara. The first 2 are nonprofits and get revenue through ads/sponsorships, members paying $5-$25 a month, foundations, individual contributions and events. Norm is correct that smaller sites are struggling. They are often run by one person or a small group. It's hard to juggle doing good reporting and selling ads when you are understaffed. That's why it is important to donate to your local news organization.
Thanks, Frances, for highlighting INN and LION. I don't agree that Norm didn't highlight some good models. He did.
I won the Washington County Spelling Bee (eastern half) in1962. I remember the giant photo of me, my parents, and the runner-up in The Washington Observer-Reporter, the event sponsor, the following day. I was holding the first prize, a dictionary. It was a healthy time for local newspapers, and a great time for young achievers. I wish more of today's kids could feel that same sense of community as I did back then.
Thanks, JoAnne...Many of us have similar stories.
Local newspapers are essential to public awareness! Their demise is unacceptable and undermines our democracy at the grassroots level! Sad!
Local news organizations are the lungs of democracy.
Many local newspapers today “walk on eggs” for fear of retaliation from offending someone by using factual information. Without local media providing accurate information about the ongoings of government, we’d never know! One should form his or her opinion based upon facts, not speculation or conspiracy theories!
I feel so sorry for the decline of formerly great local newspapers. I started reading one daily when I was 14 years old (now 77), but I stopped subscribing when I had surgery about 5 years ago and never restarted it. I miss it, but the newspaper is not worth subscribing for now.
When Warren Buffett bought a lot of newspapers several years ago, I kept wondering what he "knew" about them that I did not. Now we know: he dumped them!
My "crystal ball" is pretty foggy. I can't tell what's coming, but I probably won't like it.
I just dropped my LA Times subscription. I'm 70. I've read it since I was 9. The current owner is ruining it.
There are some good models linked to here.
I met Norm in 1986 when I joined the Journal. He was an extraordinary leader. Just the sound of his voice made me want to do great work. Perfect interview, except you skipped over the Bloomberg phase!
Yeah, we talked about it a bit but I had to cut something!!!