The newsweeklies could revive their flagging fortunes by closing their New York office and scattering their staff in various towns around the country - or replacing staff with people in those towns. Then they might achieve something reflective of the people they hope will buy them. As it is, they are hopelessly parochial.
i think you're absolutely correct about the parochial aspect of all this. Why has that been so often overlooked? (I realize that's a question of the category asking a fish if it knows it's breathing water.) It seems to me that a good regional press would have a good chance at a durable life, wherein locals get only the (parochial_ east-coast news, but their region and local news. On the other hand, no one has yet been able to convince New Yorkers that they have ever needed to know anything about anyone other than themselves; so I'm not holding my breath.
ReplyDeleteIf they took their resources and scattered, as you say, and published regional editions regionally, rather than universal editions globally (and parochially) they might very well save themselves.
—Your Regional Pal in the "Flyover" Zone