Philadelphia: Where Newspapers Go to Die?

My poor profession. My poor town. The combination of the two comes together in spectacular fashion in “Will Philadelphia be the place where the American newspaper dies?” from the guardian online.

Philadelphia has all modern America can offer, for better or worse: wealth, crime, politics, sports, art and culture. But what it might not have soon is a newspaper.

It is running in a race no one wants to win: which major US city will be the first to lose all its daily papers? Los Angeles, Boston, Detroit, San Francisco, Miami, Denver and Newark are just a few of the other reluctant participants. The impact of losing all newspapers in these cities is potentially profound; many fear it would be a blow to American democracy. They worry that the watchdog role the press has played will be removed. The bedrock on which much of civic society has been built since colonial times will start to crumble. Yet one of these cities could lose all print news within a year.

Emphasis mine because I’m just pointing out: Philadelphia Weekly, City Paper, Al Dia, Impacto, Metro, South Philly Review, Northeast News Gleaner, Philadelphia Business Journal, Philadelphia Gay News, Philadelphia Tribune, Jewish Exponent, Public Record, Mt. Airy News, El Sol, Legal Intelligencer, Weekly Press, Defenestrator, Germantown Courier, Chestnut Hill Local, Northeast Times, Roxborough Review, Fishtown Star, The Spirit … I’m forgetting stuff, but that’s a start. I’m not saying every one of these papers is excellent. But they are in print and they’re still employing writers and editors, etc., and they continue to supply the community with information and news.

These smaller papers matter to some people. Some are niche publications, sure. Justin Rigali isn’t going to be reading the Exponent anytime soon. But come on. You can still get those hands dirty with newsprint a little bit.

liz | 1:40 PM | media