EDITORIAL: Journalism is fragile, so handle with care

(Editor’s Note: The following editorial appeared in the Jackson Hole News & Guide last week and is being reprinted here – with a couple of our own thoughts added in italics – because it says it all.)

The recent devastating news of the abrupt closure of eight Wyoming newspapers should give everyone pause.

Although longtime newspaper owners Robb and Jen Hicks of Buffalo, along with Rob Mortimore (of Torrington), have valiantly agreed to purchase these papers, local energy and investment from each of these communities will be essential in re-fortifying each town’s central news source.

Newspapers are vital to their communities, often taken for granted just like a public utility of water or electricity, dependable and consistently functioning in service of the public. Many newspapers in Wyoming and across the West began publishing prior to statehood, and are still widely regarded as the best or only source of professional, local journalistic reporting.

Journalism, and its role in democracy, is a fragile and critical part of America’s history. As the only profession mentioned in the United States Constitution, the press serves as the “fourth estate.” High-quality newspapers independently document the communities they serve, free of outside control or influence. We watchdog the government, seek transparency and public information, and document incredible people and events in a first draft of history.

News Media Corporation, which owns eight newspapers in Wyoming (and dozens across other states) made the unconscionable decision to cease operations without any notice, and without any type of succession plan. But in the Wyoming way, friends and neighbors rallied to carry forth the mission.

As newspaper owners, publishers and editors, we are custodians of our local papers, and have an obligation far greater than returning maximum corporate profits. (The Douglas Budget and Glenrock Independent are 100% locally owned and operated by Matt and Lisa Adelman, along with their children Alisha and Steve Carver and Jennifer Adelman.)

Recent struggles across the news industry reflect a variety of heavy challenges. Conglomeration by large news organizations and private equity ownership have siphoned profits away from local sustainability, and degraded the resources of high-quality hometown newspapers across the country. When local ownership and news leadership disappears, so does trust and connection with the community. As audiences decrease, so does revenue, and the downward spiral ensues.

Broad business conglomeration has coincided with the rise of tech giants. Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and Alphabet (Google and YouTube) attract billions of marketing dollars from large and small companies alike, as they seek the trendiest and most trackable digital ways to measure a return on advertising investments that ultimately only benefit global shareholders. All the while, Google and other search engines and AI bots use local news content to profit without returning anything in support of the news mission.

While the news-producing professionals across the country evolve with changing consumer behaviors and the ever-growing firehose of information and opinion from digital publishers, broadcasters, podcasters and influencers, there has never been a more critical time in history for healthy and robust journalism.

Congress has defunded the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which has long funded public radio and public television programming.

Independent news organizations need consistent and growing support from readers, subscribers, donors and advertisers. Just like any business, revenues and expenses must align. The heavy majority of what pays for news is advertising and underwriting investments, primarily from local businesses and nonprofits that wish to publicly support our work, and who find value to access a large, quality audience.

So, please take this moment to support local journalism by encouraging a relative, neighbor, friend or foe to read, subscribe, advertise and donate. In these pages we reflect the highly engaged and special community we serve, and without readers like you, we can’t produce the award-winning content you expect and deserve.