Overcome these obstacles to help the community and the newspaper's bottom line

Chip Hutcheson

Apr 1, 2024

In the 1992 modern classic, “A Few Good Men,” Col. Nathan Jessep orders a person to be transferred immediately off the base. His reason — he believed the man’s life might be in danger.

A young lieutenant asks, “Grave Danger?”

The colonel’s response: “Is there another kind?”

The “grave danger” comment exists not only in movies and wars, but in the newspaper world, as well. Grave danger exists when newspapers navigate away from what has made them successful throughout this country’s history. A newspaper is in grave danger when it:

1. Ignores the significant issues that arise in its community;
2. When a newspaper abandons its editorial voice to speak candidly and thoughtfully to issues that will affect generations to follow;
3. When the newspaper waves the white flag in the quest to attract advertisers and readers to its product.

LET’S LOOK AT EACH OF THESE

• While Mayberry has the makings of a town where many would feel comfortable calling home, those type communities are few and far between. Most communities have their share of drama — whether it be with a local government, school board or zoning authority, not to mention crime or drug problems that have ballooned in what traditionally have been small, peaceful towns.
Coverage of those issues is not for the fainthearted. In an age where it’s trendy to be an “influencer” on social media, our industry is in need of people who aren’t identified by their social media profile, but by their desire to report on issues in their communities which have long-lasting impact.

In recent years, there’s been a tsunami of misinformation/disinformation about elections and other topics that have threatened Americans’ confidence in our democracy. Community newspapers have a vital role to play in keeping its readers informed about the election process, and in so doing will hold elected officials accountable and provide confidence to voters that the local election process is not compromised. Studies reveal that readers of community newspapers trust what they read from local journalists.

• It’s disheartening to see community newspapers forsaking an editorial/opinion page. Historically, it was common practice for many newspapers to have an opinion page where the newspaper explained its point of view on the community. An op-ed page would be facing it where the readers were given the opportunity to voice opinions. My, how that has changed. For instance, in Kentucky, the Associated Press carries a weekly article featuring editorials from newspapers — mostly dailies in the state. Many times, the brief mentions there are no editorials to share for the week. That speaks to the demise of opinion pages. Kudos, though, to those who realize the importance of having a local voice to speak about issues and also about ways the community is excelling and ways it can do better. Unfortunately, it seems that most people are content to voice their frustrations and concerns on a Facebook post rather than in the local paper. But newspapers can combat that by making sure people are aware that their letters are welcome. Promote it at public meetings and at civic club gatherings.

• Local newspapers still have great value, yet in far too many cases, the concept prevails that cutting staff and resources will lead to financial viability. Reducing staff might be necessary, but that doesn’t mean gutting the staff. We stand firm on the age-old maxim that you cannot cut your way to prosperity. A newspaper that produces strong local content will be attractive to advertisers and readers. Newspaper management cannot succumb to the old movie adage, “If you build it, they will come.” No, it takes diligent and consistent messaging to the public that your newspaper is worth the subscription price and advertising is a sound investment in growing a business and its brand.

Newspaper racks are disappearing in many communities. Racks require maintenance, but that is just one of the costs of doing business. Seek groceries, convenience stores and any business that generates foot traffic, and see if your newspaper can be included in the items the business sells. The more locations your newspaper is available, the more newspapers you will sell. Whenever we had one of our outlets go out of business, we saw a drop in sales. Not everyone who bought a paper at that business will go elsewhere to buy your newspaper.

Solicit businesses to provide newspapers to schools, hospitals and nursing homes. Offer a discounted rate to businesses that sponsor those newspapers and explain the great PR value. Attach a sticker on each paper listing the business which provided the newspaper. Look for non-traditional advertisers as potential sponsors, such as local industries and non-profits.

Be ready to defend the advertising advantage your newspaper offers. Insist to a reluctant advertiser that readers trust the newspaper, and that will work to the advertiser’s advantage. Certainly the demise of many locally owned businesses is a disadvantage to finding advertisers, but there is still plenty of money to be made in community markets. Look for ways to celebrate your community, and offer local businesses the opportunity to be involved with an advertisement. When your local high school athletic team has success, the majority of businesses would be open to place a congratulatory ad to commemorate that achievement.

Finally, develop niche products to attract advertisers with substantial budgets. Topping that list are medical-related businesses. Our newspaper launched a quarterly magazine that focused on health. That paved the way for us to attract advertisers from the region, not just our community. And those were dollars we would not have gotten any other way. Those magazines were inserted into the newspaper but also placed in strategic areas, such as hospitals and pharmacies, where they could be picked up at no cost.

What are the grave dangers your newspaper faces? Identify them, then develop a plan to confront them and overcome them rather than be defeated by them.

Chip Hutcheson is the retired publisher of The Times Leader in Princeton, Kentucky. He was NNA president in 2015. He currently serves as a content strategist for Kentucky Today, the online news website of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. chiphutcheson@yahoo.com