Does the Trib's Demise Help the Republic?

The Business Journal has a good story on how the closure of the Tribune might affect the Republic. 

The East Valley Tribune’s demise leaves The Arizona Republic as the sole daily newspaper in the 12th-largest U.S. media market. But media and advertising experts don’t see the Gannett Inc.-owned Republic gaining on the advertising side of the equation because of the Tribune’s closure at the end of the year.

So if you are looking for a comment on the demise of the Trib and its effect on the Republic, who would be a good person to call...one guess.

Greg Patterson, EspressoPundit.com blogger and a frequent critic of the Republic, said the Republic should heed the Tribune’s death.

“The Trib’s closure is important to the Republic because both papers were on the same path; the Tribune is simply further along,” Patterson said. “The Republic doesn’t have a viable business model, either. The question is simply how many years the Republic can hang on.”

Comments

[Travis]

One of the few instances when I totally agree with Greg. Newspapers, especially mid- to large-sized ones, are toast. It has little to do with perceived bias, editorial slant or even quality of writing. Their business model simply is broken and can't be fixed. No new models, including various online experiments, appear viable. If the economy ever heats back up, it may slow the decline. That's the best that newspapers can hope for.

[todd]

Travis is correct.

I would add, most newspapers do have a problem with their content, and that it that a great deal of it does not actually originate with them. The AP, Reuters, and papers like the Times and Washington Post will continue with less competition, but this will leave a real void in coverage of local issues.

[Veritas Vincit]

Just as society moved from horse drawn buggies to automobiles, so too how we receive our information is evolving from newsprint to digital. How much more information can you receive in scanning your Twitter page than you can in fumbling with a newspaper? Information as you need it comes directly into your hand held device or netbook.

Do tell, how can the Republic classifieds compete with Craig's List? Digital information allows the user to select the exact spin they wish to receive, be it from FoxNews or MSNBC.

How can a clumsy, lumbering and cumbersome newspaper compete? After all, once I scan the news online, I don't have those ghastly stacks of newsprint to dispose of.

Republic, New Times and Star? Its only a matter of time.

[Michel Marizco]

No Veritas, what your fantasy fails to address is the providing of content. Right now, all those silly Twitters receive the raw information they twit about from the newspapers. They're not creating the content themselves. If a new business model isn't formed that pays to create content, what are you going to have to post your anonymous comments about?

[DGN]

Veritas hit a major point about Craigs List. (Greg has posted about this, too.) Newspapers get so much money from classiifed ads that it significantly aids their bottom line... or it used to. Craigs List is killing that market. I spoke with the former Tribune publisher last year (we were at a ball game). He said he recently sold a dining room set through the classifieds... on Craigs List, not the Trib. The free market always trumps loyalty

[StotheizzE23]

So is twitter going to tell you about the Chandler cop who shot a woman in the pharmacy drive-thru? Are you going to read about some of the land barons in the Valley and their dirty laundry on some twitter post?
Are you going to read about the Maricopa County Community College professor who had a dead co-ed in his apartment through twitter?
The local stories will be left untold if the local newspapers continue to fold like they are. It's a harsh business reality but it is a shame that many East Valley stories are going to go untold in the future with the Tribune's closure.

[Jerry Brown]

Here, Here Stoth.

We are poorer as a community when watchdog journalism is replaced by "They don't agree with what I think" blogs. Yes, the business model needs to be changed, but this era of "say whatever sounds good" entertains but falls well short of informing and alerting.