EDITORIAL: From pennies to paywalls: End of print journalism
On October 30, The Star-Ledger, the largest newspaper in New Jersey, announced that it would be ending its print operations and closing its printing facility in February 2025. This comes after the newspaper ended its Saturday print run in September, citing low demand and high printing costs.
The Star-Ledger's printing plant closing has caused The Jersey Journal, a 157-year-old publication that was the daily newspaper for Hudson County, to end publishing altogether.
For many, this news is devastating. On October 31, Sen.-elect Andy Kim (D-N.J.) said on social media platform X, "The closure/reductions of multiple papers and the layoffs of seasoned journalists and editorial staff will damage transparency and accountability in our state and make it harder for New Jerseyans to be better informed."
In contrast, some have viewed the shift as understandable, citing that most people are getting their news online, and few Americans prefer print publications as a platform to get news.
But this is a conversation that many news organizations, including The Daily Targum, have had to have. While there is a common agreement that there is something valuable in having a print paper, is it worth sacrificing the existence of an entire publication on something seen as an outdated format?
Funding cuts ended the Targum's print operations in 2019 and forced us to focus on online journalism, leaving the last memories of the Targum in print as dusty news boxes across campus. It is not surprising that other news organizations have shifted their focus as well.
But we should all be concerned about the end of print journalism and its implications on local journalism.
Having a print source is incredibly important all around. Social media and the online world have been great for getting easy access to the news, but this easy access has also created certain problems.
The amount of available internet content has encouraged people to find new ways to stand out and get the most clicks and likes. This has led to the expansion of sensationalism in journalism, with articles focusing on flashy and shocking photos or headlines instead of disseminating information.
While this happened with print journalism — as evidenced by yellow journalism during the Gilded Age, which pushed the U.S. to declare war on Spain — it has become more of a problem during the 21st century, as evidenced by the mainstream media's platforming of falsehoods that brought the U.S. to invade Iraq in 2003.
This rise in sensationalism has crushed the favorability of the news media in the public eye, with only 31 percent of Americans saying that they have a great deal or fair amount of trust in mass media.
Enter print journalism. While online journalism has focused on compressing content into quick soundbites or articles that can fit in 10 Instagram slides, print journalism, while having some physical constraints, can still provide more in-depth and nuanced coverage of important events, leading to a more informed public.
Additionally, print journalism can help serve the most vulnerable populations. For senior citizens who may not be technologically advanced or low-income individuals with little access to technology, print journalism may be their best access to information and happenings in their communities.
The lack of a print publication makes communicating information much harder for journalists. This leads to these publications losing advertising support and eventually collapsing. This has been most evident in local journalism.
Local journalists have often been the ones breaking important news stories. For example, Julie K. Brown, an investigative reporter at the Miami Herald, was the first to break the sex trafficking allegations surrounding Jeffery Epstein and how they connected to President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Were it not for her, Epstein may have gotten away with his crimes, and the victims would not have been able to get justice.
Similarly, a Star-Ledger photographer broke the Beachgate incident when then-Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) and his family were photographed at the Island Beach State Park, which was closed to the public due to a governmental shutdown.
Additionally, local journalism can help bring communities together. With the national news media being accused of dividing the U.S., local newspapers (which remain trusted institutions) can support community cohesion and represent community members adequately.
This representation of the community is contrasted with the national news, which is often controlled by wealthy individuals who are more than willing to exercise their influence on the decisions made by the publication.
Furthermore, since local journalists are closer to their communities, they can cover issues that affect these community members more. From decisions made by a town council to what is happening in local schools, having local publications to cover these pressing events can create a more informed citizen base that can hold these elected officials accountable.
With all of these reasons for the importance of local journalism, the threat to these institutions cannot be understated. When local publications disappear, it creates news deserts, communities "with limited access to the sort of credible and comprehensive news and information that feeds democracy at the grassroots level."
Some might say that local newspapers can be supplanted by more local TV, but that would not fix the problem. With local TV, much of the coverage is focused on local crimes, with minimal coverage on other issues like budgets, transportation or healthcare. This still presents huge information deficits.
This issue is not going to be solved without people getting involved. The more we turn away from local newspapers, the greater risk they face. This is not a natural process but one that is spurred on by big business.
Alden Global Capital is a vulture hedge fund acquiring local news organizations, such as the Chicago Tribune and The Baltimore Sun. They acquire news organizations, fire staff, sell their buildings and jack up subscription costs. Alden Global Capital does not see local news organizations as public goods that should be preserved. They see them as profit-seeking ventures.
If you would like not to see local newspapers gutted, consider subscribing to them, supporting them monetarily and following them on social media. You might not think your individual decision matters, but keeping our local institutions alive requires participation, not indifference.
The Daily Targum's editorials represent the views of the majority of the 156th editorial board. Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect the views of the Targum Publishing Company or its staff.
