A free press is in jeopardy

[MtnMan]

OK, I'm old school, I subscribe to my local newspaper, have for probably 50 years. But that is ending...

Like everything else, the local paper was 'acquired' some years back by a large media group, in this case Gannett. Today, Gannett owns hundreds of local newspapers in 46 states, not to mention USA Today. Gannett is #1 in the newspapers owned.

Recently they dropped all Opinion Columns, political cartoons, Editorials, and Letters to the Editor apparently from all of these local newspapers. They hinted they "might" run LTEs in the Sunday paper. They were eliminated because they spark discontent and divisiveness. I really doubt they will print my LTE submission, but I submitted it anyway.

I suspect the employment future for the local journalist, and at least in my case, there are several good ones, will be short-lived. One in particular that has expressed his views of Madison Cawthorn a number of times, and also provided details on Gannett's censorship of ideas by eliminating anything that might spark discontent and divisiveness. According to his article, Gannett only wants "feel good" stories.

That ain't fucking news, it's a fucking tabloid.

These "corporations" and their control of the new media remind me of TASS or North Korean new outlets.

Similar issue with local TV station, owned and controlled by Sinclair Broadcast Group. I cut the cable and turned them off years ago.

 

[nickqt]

OK, I'm old school, I subscribe to my local newspaper, have for probably 50 years. But that is ending...

Like everything else, the local paper was 'acquired' some years back by a large media group, in this case Gannett. Today, Gannett owns hundreds of local newspapers in 46 states, not to mention USA Today. Gannett is #1 in the newspapers owned.

Recently they dropped all Opinion Columns, political cartoons, Editorials, and Letters to the Editor apparently from all of these local newspapers. They hinted they "might" run LTEs in the Sunday paper. They were eliminated because they spark discontent and divisiveness. I really doubt they will print my LTE submission, but I submitted it anyway.

I suspect the employment future for the local journalist, and at least in my case, there are several good ones, will be short-lived. One in particular that has expressed his views of Madison Cawthorn a number of times, and also provided details on Gannett's censorship of ideas by eliminating anything that might spark discontent and divisiveness. According to his article, Gannett only wants "feel good" stories.

That ain't fucking news, it's a fucking tabloid.

These "corporations" and their control of the new media remind me of TASS or North Korean new outlets.

Similar issue with local TV station, owned and controlled by Sinclair Broadcast Group. I cut the cable and turned them off years ago.

The BothSidesDoIt™ mainstream media is designed to shrug it's shoulders in describing why society is collapsing, while selling dick pills and reverse mortgages to the largest possible audience.

 

[allisolm]

OK, I'm old school, I subscribe to my local newspaper, have for probably 50 years. But that is ending...

Like everything else, the local paper was 'acquired' some years back by a large media group, in this case Gannett. Today, Gannett owns hundreds of local newspapers in 46 states, not to mention USA Today. Gannett is #1 in the newspapers owned.

Recently they dropped all Opinion Columns, political cartoons, Editorials, and Letters to the Editor apparently from all of these local newspapers. They hinted they "might" run LTEs in the Sunday paper. They were eliminated because they spark discontent and divisiveness. I really doubt they will print my LTE submission, but I submitted it anyway.

I suspect the employment future for the local journalist, and at least in my case, there are several good ones, will be short-lived. One in particular that has expressed his views of Madison Cawthorn a number of times, and also provided details on Gannett's censorship of ideas by eliminating anything that might spark discontent and divisiveness. According to his article, Gannett only wants "feel good" stories.

That ain't fucking news, it's a fucking tabloid.

These "corporations" and their control of the new media remind me of TASS or North Korean new outlets.

Similar issue with local TV station, owned and controlled by Sinclair Broadcast Group. I cut the cable and turned them off years ago.

Our Tallahassee newspaper is also owned by Gannett and has been for 15+ years. We have an Opinion page, political cartoons, Editorials, and Letters to the Editor. We even have Zings! everyday, which are pithy comments about local activities/gov't actions, etc.. Example: "It's a city management miracle! The Betton Rd project scheduled to take 90 days, was completed in only a year!"

Since we are the state capital, we have strong opinions, both for and against everything Ron DeSantis and other politicians do. Both sides get printed and they definitely are not all "feel good" stories.

I don't know about other Gannett properties, but ours certainly does not fit into the same mold as MtnMan's. Maybe it's coming our way. Dunno.

 

[tweaker2]

I recall when Murdoch bought out one of our local TV stations and its sister radio station, those very popular personalities that made those stations what they were had been turned into your standard FOX propaganda mouthpieces. The transformation was dramatic as it was alarming. These two very popular disk jockeys who were formerly apolitical and quite entertaining had morphed into FOX fuckers literally overnight.

From then on guys would inject their FOX propaganda talking points into their small talk conversations and I'd ask where they'd heard it from. Well of course it was from you know where. That led to some of them tuning into conservative AM radio and their transformations into FOX hounds were now complete. Interesting as it was sad for me to witness that.

 

[cytg111]

Fox isnt covering the hearings. Surprise.
At this point, Fox and Murdoch is at the same threat level as if Hizb ut-Tahrir was running their own media outlet.
Scared of Sharia law? Shit bro, FoxFascism is breathing down your neck.
I dont get it, these outlets are so OPENLY and PURLY trying to take down your country, your democracy, and for some reason you’re not burning it down…. shrugs.

 

[MtnMan]

Our Tallahassee newspaper is also owned by Gannett and has been for 15+ years. We have an Opinion page, political cartoons, Editorials, and Letters to the Editor. We even have Zings! everyday, which are pithy comments about local activities/gov't actions, etc.. Example: "It's a city management miracle! The Betton Rd project scheduled to take 90 days, was completed in only a year!"

Since we are the state capital, we have strong opinions, both for and against everything Ron DeSantis and other politicians do. Both sides get printed and they definitely are not all "feel good" stories.

I don't know about other Gannett properties, but ours certainly does not fit into the same mold as MtnMan's. Maybe it's coming our way. Dunno.

I'd have to say that your Gannett paper is a unicorn. Gannett seems to have a big presence in FL, and while I didn't look at all, I found most do not have an opinion section. Perhaps your editor has some backbone and didn't roll over.

Looking online at some major city Gannett offerings, most don't have opinion/editorial/political cartoon/LTE, including Detroit, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, and others.

 

[MtnMan]

Fox isnt covering the hearings. Surprise.
At this point, Fox and Murdoch is at the same threat level as if Hizb ut-Tahrir was running their own media outlet.
Scared of Sharia law? Shit bro, FoxFascism is breathing down your neck.
I dont get it, these outlets are so OPENLY and PURLY trying to take down your country, your democracy, and for some reason you’re not burning it down…. shrugs.

You TrumpTV? Guess it would cost too much to change all the logo's.

 

[pauldun170]

OK, I'm old school, I subscribe to my local newspaper, have for probably 50 years. But that is ending...

Like everything else, the local paper was 'acquired' some years back by a large media group, in this case Gannett. Today, Gannett owns hundreds of local newspapers in 46 states, not to mention USA Today. Gannett is #1 in the newspapers owned.

Recently they dropped all Opinion Columns, political cartoons, Editorials, and Letters to the Editor apparently from all of these local newspapers. They hinted they "might" run LTEs in the Sunday paper. They were eliminated because they spark discontent and divisiveness. I really doubt they will print my LTE submission, but I submitted it anyway.

I suspect the employment future for the local journalist, and at least in my case, there are several good ones, will be short-lived. One in particular that has expressed his views of Madison Cawthorn a number of times, and also provided details on Gannett's censorship of ideas by eliminating anything that might spark discontent and divisiveness. According to his article, Gannett only wants "feel good" stories.

That ain't fucking news, it's a fucking tabloid.

These "corporations" and their control of the new media remind me of TASS or North Korean new outlets.

Similar issue with local TV station, owned and controlled by Sinclair Broadcast Group. I cut the cable and turned them off years ago.

Editorial and letters to the editor is not "news".
Journalism is not about individuals journalist expressing their opinion. It's about investigating the issues and events and reporting the findings.

Freedom of the press is about freedom from interference in reporting the facts.
Editorial and letters of the editor is another animal.

I'm all for dumping editorial and keeping letters to the editor for it original function of allowing the public to critique the quality of reporting.

The world has an overabundance of platforms for opinion bullshit.
Fuck talking heads and wannabes in new outlets.

 

[Viper1j]

OK, I'm old school, I subscribe to my local newspaper, have for probably 50 years. But that is ending...

Like everything else, the local paper was 'acquired' some years back by a large media group, in this case Gannett. Today, Gannett owns hundreds of local newspapers in 46 states, not to mention USA Today. Gannett is #1 in the newspapers owned.

Recently they dropped all Opinion Columns, political cartoons, Editorials, and Letters to the Editor apparently from all of these local newspapers. They hinted they "might" run LTEs in the Sunday paper. They were eliminated because they spark discontent and divisiveness. I really doubt they will print my LTE submission, but I submitted it anyway.

I suspect the employment future for the local journalist, and at least in my case, there are several good ones, will be short-lived. One in particular that has expressed his views of Madison Cawthorn a number of times, and also provided details on Gannett's censorship of ideas by eliminating anything that might spark discontent and divisiveness. According to his article, Gannett only wants "feel good" stories.

That ain't fucking news, it's a fucking tabloid.

These "corporations" and their control of the new media remind me of TASS or North Korean new outlets.

Similar issue with local TV station, owned and controlled by Sinclair Broadcast Group. I cut the cable and turned them off years ago.

They'll still be around for the fires in old lady's homes, chain saw killers, and traffic accident beheadings.

People need their daily gore.

 

[Ajay]

Fox isnt covering the hearings. Surprise.
At this point, Fox and Murdoch is at the same threat level as if Hizb ut-Tahrir was running their own media outlet.
Scared of Sharia law? Shit bro, FoxFascism is breathing down your neck.
I dont get it, these outlets are so OPENLY and PURLY trying to take down your country, your democracy, and for some reason you’re not burning it down…. shrugs.

That whole, silly, freedom of speech clause in the Constitution.
First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Live by the sword, die by the sword. There is a reason that Ben Franklin said that we have a democracy, if we can keep it.

 

[pmv]

Editorial and letters to the editor is not "news".
Journalism is not about individuals journalist expressing their opinion. It's about investigating the issues and events and reporting the findings.

Freedom of the press is about freedom from interference in reporting the facts.
Editorial and letters of the editor is another animal.

I'm all for dumping editorial and keeping letters to the editor for it original function of allowing the public to critique the quality of reporting.

The world has an overabundance of platforms for opinion bullshit.
Fuck talking heads and wannabes in new outlets.

Local newspapers have died a death here (in UK). The big problem is it makes it that much harder for anyone to keep an eye on what local politicians get up to. I wasn't really sure why it was happening. But apparently it's because the internet and social media has killed the market for classified adverts. Presumably that's the same thing happening in the US?

Final editions: why no local news is bad news

Why communities must fight for local journalism – and regional reporters on how their work makes a difference

www.theguardian.com

 

[ivwshane]

Local newspapers have died a death here (in UK). The big problem is it makes it that much harder for anyone to keep an eye on what local politicians get up to. I wasn't really sure why it was happening. But apparently it's because the internet and social media has killed the market for classified adverts. Presumably that's the same thing happening in the US?

Final editions: why no local news is bad news

Why communities must fight for local journalism – and regional reporters on how their work makes a difference

www.theguardian.com

You know, if musk wanted to protect free speech he’d create a non profit group that funded local newspapers and reporters.

 

[DaaQ]

I'd have to say that your Gannett paper is a unicorn. Gannett seems to have a big presence in FL, and while I didn't look at all, I found most do not have an opinion section. Perhaps your editor has some backbone and didn't roll over.

Looking online at some major city Gannett offerings, most don't have opinion/editorial/political cartoon/LTE, including Detroit, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, and others.

Funny you mention Detroit, I was in the thick of it with the UAW, trying to support the newspaper unions, as they were trying to be broken.

Unions lost, The Detroit News, and The Detroit Free Press, both DE unionized. I believe both are or were owned by Gannett.

 

[DaaQ]

Local newspapers have died a death here (in UK). The big problem is it makes it that much harder for anyone to keep an eye on what local politicians get up to. I wasn't really sure why it was happening. But apparently it's because the internet and social media has killed the market for classified adverts. Presumably that's the same thing happening in the US?

Final editions: why no local news is bad news

Why communities must fight for local journalism – and regional reporters on how their work makes a difference

www.theguardian.com

Look up the Detroit News paper union breakup.

Was well before iPhones or social media.

 

[Muse]

I'd have to say that your Gannett paper is a unicorn. Gannett seems to have a big presence in FL, and while I didn't look at all, I found most do not have an opinion section. Perhaps your editor has some backbone and didn't roll over.

Looking online at some major city Gannett offerings, most don't have opinion/editorial/political cartoon/LTE, including Detroit, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, and others.

Any newspaper without political cartoons is not worth looking at.

 

[cytg111]

That whole, silly, freedom of speech clause in the Constitution.
First Amendment:

Live by the sword, die by the sword. There is a reason that Ben Franklin said that we have a democracy, if we can keep it.

And yet Hizb Ut Tahrir is banned in a number of western democracies… you’d have to be a free speech absolutist to think that ends their status as free open countries.

 

[Ajay]

And yet Hizb Ut Tahrir is banned in a number of western democracies… you’d have to be a free speech absolutist to think that ends their status as free open countries.

Yes, but shutting down Fox is a huge deal (Literally mass protests throughout the country). Try shutting down any American with popular support, it will fail. So, the amendment to the amendment is that free speech is 100% sacrosanct for anyone who can afford a top lawyer or has a political base.

Terrorist Organizations® need not apply.