I received word that a friend of mine passed away this week.
We weren’t as close as we were 15 years ago, but that happens. Life happens — you
get busy, you move on and before you know it you’ve drifted apart. Looking back
now though, I have to smile about the relationship me and this friend had.
Passion. I was filled with passion when I hung around this
friend. I still remember first time we met. It was at a bar, as a group of
people gathered to wish a friend of mine good luck in her new job. Far from
unhealthy, it was a great relationship that I cherish to this day. It was a
relationship that has launched me to bigger and better things in my life. Rest
In Peace, Hendricks County Flyer.
They say you always remember your first. The Flyer Group was
my first post as publisher of a newspaper. At the time of my involvement, it
was a twice a week publication that went to every household in Hendricks
County, Indiana along with a once a week publication for the west side of
Indianapolis. Community Newspapers Holdings Inc (CNHI) announced this week that
they were stopping publication after over 50 years. But it was a powerful
product, and produced revenue more than many daily newspapers at the time.
The Hendricks County Flyer isn’t the only paper
that’s been shut down in recent months. Sadly, I fear this is going to be an
all too common obituary playing out across this country. But it is sad in that
the industry has changed, communities have changed and in this case not for
better. Other newspapers will look to
fill in the gap and report on the city council, cover the upcoming graduation
at the high schools. But covering a market as a secondary newspaper won’t
provide the depth of the local newspaper. Stories won’t be told, memories won’t
be made.
Remember when you or someone you know had their picture in
the paper? You became an instant celebrity in your hometown if only for day.
Actually longer, as the picture would be clipped and placed on your
refrigerator for months.
In the case of the Hendricks County Flyer, I know of some
of the heroics that were utilized to try and save the publication. Lost
preprint and classifieds took away the cushion, and then slowly local
businesses turned to other resources for advertising. Google and Facebook
provided less expensive alternatives often times with more trackable results. And
before you knew it, this newspaper and others just like it are forced to cut
expenses; less money for circulation promos, fewer pages and less relevant
content for consumers. Death by a thousand cuts ended this and many other
publications. And more to come.
Not that many years ago Warren Buffett was being called a
savior for the newspaper industry. However even Buffett
is saying now that the end is approaching. Me saying that most newspapers
“are toast” might be interesting, but the guy that owns 30 newspapers saying
that is an attention grabber. By his estimation only titles like the New
York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal have
figured out how to cross the digital divide to stay viable.
What made newspapers successful and why I loved them so much
was the local connection. There is very little in common between the business
model for the Wall Street Journal and the Hendricks County Flyer.
That local connection for content; advertising and editorial are the lifeblood
of hometown newspapers. Pick up any newspaper today and count the number of
display ads. Many days, you might be able to count them all on your fingers.
Too often, you’ll see an entire section of a newspaper with no ads; often times
it is the sports section.
Maybe the passing of this newspaper isn’t a big deal. After
all, 1,400
other cities and towns across the country have experienced the same thing in
the past 15 years, according to an Associated Press analysis of data
compiled by the University of North Carolina. But it is for all the stories
that won’t be told now, the picture not taken and published and the government
not being watched over to make sure they are taking care of tax payer money
properly.
Thank you Hendricks County Flyer for all you did for
me and several friends of mine. You will be missed.
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