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The collapse of the American newspaper industry....and its impact on NASCAR?
AP's Jenna Fryer, one of the best at covering NASCAR....but AP keeps cutting back (Photo: NASCAR Public Relations
By Mike Mulhern
mikemulhern.net
PHOENIX
As Bogie once said in Casablanca, in a larger context, "it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world."
But the latest news from the battlefront on the NASCAR media side of the U.S.' economic morass isn't good, and it bears notice.
The layoffs just keep on coming.
Now it may be difficult to work up much enthusiasm about just another bunch of the newly unemployed, in this big mess that has put maybe as many as 22 million Americans out of work, or 'under-employed.'
However this is about NASCAR and its fans, and their ability to get independent, fair and balanced news about this sport -- even unfair and unbalanced -- but at least independent opinions.
That is the issue here.
Where to find independent NASCAR journalism?
Heck, where to find real NASCAR news, except from house-organs and inside-the-beltway productions?
TV journalism has been treated with askance, and maligned at times, fairly or unfairly, because of its too-close ties financially with the sport being covered.
AP's Mike Harris (C) is retiring after 30 years. NASCAR's Ramsey Poston (L) and Jim Hunter. (Photo: NASCAR Public Relations)
And now even more newspapers are chopping out the NASCAR beat, virtually dropping coverage entirely. Big-time papers even.
The latest to be thrown out on the street – Kansas City Star veteran Jim Pedley, for one. And there are at least a dozen more who have been either kicked to the sidelines or pulled off or pulled way, way back: Fort Worth's John Sturbin, Atlanta's Rick Minter, Nashville's Larry Woody, Phoenix' Mark Armijo, Baltimore's Sandra McKee, Philadelphia's Bill Fleischman, Washington's Liz Clarke, New York's Viv Bernstein, Chicago's Ed Hinton….
All highly respected journalists who have spent years covering NASCAR as solidly as possible.
Kansas City even happens to be the home of Sprint Nextel, the NASCAR series sponsor.
The Raleigh News and Observer gave up its NASCAR coverage years ago.
The Charlotte Observer has even cut back.
Another veteran NASCAR journalist, Charlotte's Jim Utter, has all but vanished from the scene (Photo: NASCAR Public Relations)
And it's unclear just what USAToday has planned for NASCAR.
If anybody out there is even noting, the American media scene has rapidly diminished to perhaps three or four 'real' newspapers. The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the LA Times, the Washington Post. The rest of them are becoming little more than 'shoppers.'
So what does this mean for the sport of NASCAR racing, and your ability to find out just what's going on behind the scenes?
Okay, there are much bigger problems in the country to deal with, sure.
But it's time to point out how this issue is affecting this sport.
And sponsors, and potential sponsors, are on the front row, on the edge of their seats, for this show.
Of course how we all consume news has been changing, and the internet is the new daily paper – for NASCAR news, from http://www.thatsracin.com/ to http://www.mikemulhern.net/ to the newest http://www.racintoday.com/ . And there are dozens of others.
Me, I like http://www.speedfreaks.tv/ with Crash Gladys and Company, and John Daly's http://dalyplanet.blogspot.com/ , though Daly has lost his hard edge. (Sometimes it's hard to figure out just what to make of Disney's ESPN operation or Fox' NASCAR operations, considering their billionaire owners.)
But foreign reporters aren't getting lost in the shuffle: Ed Heuvink (L) from Start Autosports in the Netherlands, here talking with Jeff Gordon's Jon Edwards, is a NASCAR tour regular (Photo: NASCAR Public Relations)
This situation all began coming to the fore a couple years ago when the Dallas Morning News, a NASCAR stalwart since Bruton Smith opened Texas Motor Speedway, suddenly decided to drop its NASCAR coverage, closed its NASCAR beat, and took down its logo from the Texas media center.
Then the virus began spreading.
The in-house newspaper think has been that AP could handle NASCAR, so why spend money to have their own journalists on the beat.
Well, the AP itself is now cutting back dramatically on its own NASCAR coverage. And Jenna Fryer, the AP's ace NASCAR reporter, one of the best in the business, hasn't been seen that much lately, in part because The AP is relying more and more on 'locals.'
False economies, of course.
If you're in the hamburger business, you need to be selling hamburgers.
And what are all these once-great newspapers themselves doing?
Take last week at Texas, for example -- the usual race-week NASCAR tab came out – and it was virtually nothing but PR releases and PR art work. Hardly kick-ass journalism at its finest. Embarrassing, to say the least, to be honest, for one of the country's most important metro areas.
Writer Dustin Long: part of a vanishing breed (Photo: NASCAR Public Relations)
Here?
Phoenix is one of the biggest cities in the U.S. – it's the fifth-most-populous city, and the 12th-largest metropolitan area. For years it has been one of the fastest growing cities in the country.
So the Arizona Republic will be relying basically on stringers to cover this week's 500?
The insanity of it all is mindboggling, as is the arrogance.
In the end, that's the only way to describe it -- this mass suicide of American newspapers, like so many buffalo simply stampeding over the edge of the cliff.
Much has being written about the problems of the newspaper industry. However over the past two years it has been like deer in the headlights, too frightened to decide which way to run.
Yes, it is a bigger issue than just for the NASCAR world to deal with.
However, the NASCAR world is coming to grips with it, and much more swiftly than newspaper companies themselves.
Not that NASCAR doesn't have its own set of other problems to deal with too…
But even as the internet takes command of the media scene, it too has problems -- Yahoo's veteran NASCAR man, Bob Margolis (L), here with FOXSports.com's Jorge Andres Mondaca, has lost out too, in the great media shuffle, with Yahoo itself in a state of disarray. (Photo: NASCAR Public Relations)
Yet the changing face of American media is a big deal for this sport, and this sport's execs recognize it. And it's not just affecting NASCAR but Indy-cars and Grand American racing, weekly Saturday night racing too.
Fortunately this sport's execs are now moving swiftly to deal with it, as best they can.
That's good news. Because this is a sport I have covered for more than 30 years, many of them side-by-side (okay, maybe nose-to-nose) with the late Billy France Jr.
Now it may seem outrageous to the world outside the 'newspaper bubble' that that industry, after so many years of monopolistically high ROI -- return on investment – suddenly seems to find a more modest returns something like a house of horrors.
Fire everyone.
Save money at all cost.
Who cares about the product: 'You will read what I insist you must read.'
And 'Let AP handle everything outside the county line.'
For an industry that once thrived on cheap labor, from the reporters themselves to the people who hand deliver the product…for an industry that has thrived on its monopolies – and in what other area of business does a city or town have only one such major business, it is an amazing collapse.
Competition? After so many years of no competition at all, after so many years of avoiding competition, in something of an 'old buddy network,' suddenly newspaper publishers have realized there are other venues out there for people to get their news. And they can't seem to figure out how to compete.
Of course this is probably all temporary. Newspapers will return someday, revived and revitalized….and maybe even still coming to your front yard again.
But for the moment, newspapers appear to be dying, shriveling up like corn without rain.
At least NASCAR executives seem to have a game plan for survival.
However George Cunningham, that legendary NASCAR journalist, is probably rolling over in his grave.
Youtubing? Maybe that's the wave of the future for NASCAR journalists (Photo: NASCAR Public Relations)
© 2010-2011 www.mikemulhern.net All rights reserved.
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Part of the problem for
Part of the problem for newspapers is a generational thing - the younger generation is not that into reading, which might in part come from problems with our educational system as well as so many options available. I believe a big part of the problem is the arrogance of the news industry and its determination to almost always emphasize the negative. Very, very few of my acquaintenances have much respect for the local paper, and such loss of reader respect makes it much easier for readers to walk away, especially as cable and the internet provide alternative sources of news. But what do I know, since I am only a NASCAR fan and that noted authority, Lenox Rawlings, has written and stated publicly that NASCAR fans are "ignorant and gullible."
i disagree...yes, arrogance
i disagree...yes, arrogance is a major issue for papers -- make that publishers -- to deal with....but people, of all demographics, are consuming news at a prodigious rate, and it's just the way they consume that is the issue....people read, they just dont read papers that much any more, which is a problem newspapers need to resolve....lenox, a good bud of mine, is full of it -- nascar fans are very savvy, and certainly not gullible....and if you give them the news, in a believable package, they'll buy it....the problem is in the packaging.....or what do you think....
I'm not sure that the people
I'm not sure that the people who covered racing for print media ever did a really good job. I've seen people who never left the media center all weekend. Too many people came to the race for free food and PR releases. They watched the race in air conditioned comfort and hoped NASCAR would find them a couple of good pictures.
Richard Newton
Mike, I read this thread and
Mike, I read this thread and am reminded of the French cod fishermen.
French cod fishermen, you ask? Yeah, as a consumer of news, I'm confident you are aware they're on strike, bitter because they can't make a living fishing for cod (like their grandfathers did)'cause people's tastes changed, and they don't eat cod anymore, and they want the govt to financially support them in the absence of the market.
Newspapers aren't dead, there are 12 to 14 papers in London alone, just here in the US, 'cause this generational shift to cable and online news has made it inconvenient for many, and the rest just prefer to stare at a computer monitor. BTW, this same shift has occurred across industries...ask anyone in the music business.
I'm glad you made the leap to the online world and I further hope you find the ways to monetize it for yourself.
Go talk to the RIAA and you
Go talk to the RIAA and you will be able to see the real issue - the internet. Both industries are running into the same wall - there is no business model that can compete with "free". For the record industry that is their only problem but for newpapers there is a second issue that is much harder to overcome and that is time or, more specifically, timliness.
Since it takes 24+ hours to put a newpaper together whereas the internet posts news stories in real time most of the content of a newspaper is stale by the time it hits the doorstep. Add in the number of television news outlets that broadcast 24/7 in real time and newpapers become even more unnecessary. The consumer gets to the point where unless the newspaper offers something besides the news there is no point in paying for it.
Now, with that said, I am old school and like newspapers and enjoy the relaxing aspects of sitting down for an hour and parusing the news paper, but when you realize that most days you only read the comics and
a few commentary articles you start to question the wisdom of spending the extra dollars.
It's a shame because I think most people realize that newspapers present the news in much more depth and analysis than a 2 minute tv news report, but for most people finding an hour or two a day to sit down and read a newspaper is a luxury. I hate to say it because I think newpapers provide something the internet and tv can't but the newspaper has become obsolete. Well, at least for mass marketing to a large segment of society.
submitted by Chas on
submitted by Chas on 4/16/09
Mike, I gota hand it to ya! I remember when you and Tony Stewart got into that little tussle at Indy a few years ago. Then, I thought "good, an arrogant reporter got his head handed to him." Afterword, I started following your work more closely. And, what your paper did to you, well, I just HAVE to respect how you bounced back! That takes sand, something not oftened witnessed today. Back on topic, I'm one of those old-timers who still reads three papers per day. My take on the newsprint industry is that over the years, they offended too many readers. How so? By taking a left or right leaning slant. One local paper, The Star Ledger, is on it's deathbed. Why? Because they have become nothing more than the mouthpiece of the state Democratic party! Just give me the news straight. I'm smart enough to draw my own conclusions and opinions.
Hey Mike, Since all you great
Hey Mike,
Since all you great NASCAR writers are getting the boot all over the country, maybe you can pool your resources and come up with a way to cover NASCAR better than what's being offered now.
You could do written coverage, printed and online...or maybe syndicated TV coverage...or both.
Think about being able to give an editorial without having to worry about a network producer being worried that it will upset NASCAR...
Think about having no editors that don't understand the sport trimming your articles down...
There may be other NASCAR mags, rags and shows out there, but if all you good guys pool your efforts, you can come up with a superior product.
I know the W/S Journal isn't worth reading to keep up with NASCAR anymore. I can read the same AP wire stories online the night before.
Anyway, it's a fun idea even if not viable at this time. Good luck to all you guys that kept us fans informed.
We're doing our
We're doing our best...thanks....keep watching....
Well the W-S Journal made it
Well the W-S Journal made it clear how they feel about NASCAR fans and the community - they got rid of you, kept the mean-spirited Rawthings, and outsourced customer service to India or the Phillipines.
If newspapers were smart,
If newspapers were smart, they would KEEP their writers, and focus their new target audience: the INTERNET. Video, blogs, discussions, the internet is where the future is. Keep writers and good content, just focus on the web. Newspapers need to realize this but sadly may never figure it out.
Newspaper empires are going
Newspaper empires are going the way of the dodo....the future of newspapers may be in new local ownership...but I agree -- if you're in the hamburger business, you need to be selling good hamburgers...newspaper management across the country appears simply unable to cope.....
Not only has the internet
Not only has the internet been the death of many papers, the corporate conglomerate has very much contributed to it. The income is dwindling because, as mentioned above, free news is better than paying for news. News can be found free all over the internet and with more detail (stats, standings, etc.) than what can be found in your local paper. The Winston-Salem Journal is $159.63 per year right now. That may not sound like much, but compared to $0 for the same information that can be found with a few clicks, it is expensive.
As has happened to radio, the corporate conglomerates have gobbled up most of the hometown newspapers. The first thing they do is walk in and start cutting veterans to "save" money. There goes your paper, and even more subscriptions are cancelled. While the second reason has not killed as many subscriptions as the internet, it's getting rid of many long-time readers.
Mike, the website is great and gives a lot of insight to things you won't see on TV or read elsewhere on the net. Ever thought about a podcast? I just started listening to many of the podcasts available through iTunes once somebody told me about their availability. Don't know what the cost would be to "produce" and upload, but if you could get the audio from your webvids along with some news and other interviews, I think you'd have a good start and another good outlet to promote your site/services on a weekly/twice weekly basis. I looked for a good NASCAR/auto racing podcast, and the only one with much substance is Dave Despain's Wind Tunnel podcast. Just an idea, as it's relatively uncharted territory for auto racing news reporting.
actually i have thought about
actually i have thought about a podcast, but figured the video would serve the same purpose....so you get the podcast how? would that be a cellphone thing? i'm still trying to get sprint to put my mikemulhern.net link on its nascar page.....
You upload the podcast to
You upload the podcast to iTunes (and I think you can upload to other sites as well), and then people can download it from the iTunes store (or other similar site). I think all they really need is the link, and then they can put it into their podcast software to get it. I really don't know if there is a fee or not to upload the podcasts. I subscribe (just a term, as the ones I listen to are free) to several ESPN Radio programs, the Dan Patrick Show, and Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain, via iTunes. Those podcasts are in the iTunes store, which made them easy to find and subscribe to. The great thing about podcasts is that you can download them to your iPod quickly and take them with you the next day, listening to them when you can't be near a computer to watch webvids or listen to the audio.
My idea for you was to stream all of your audio from your daily webvids into one podcast, maybe over a couple of days to make it longer so you only have to upload one podcast verses many shorter ones. Interviews with drivers, crew chiefs, past racing legends, etc., could also be included. A Sunday night recap of the weekend race featuring your observations and insights would be great, and maybe some interviews from drivers after the race who were not shown on TV. You can do as many or as few podcasts as you want each week, it's just easier for the listeners of the podcasts to have fewer, longer playing files than more shorter ones. I'm throwing this out there not knowing if you have the same media access/credentials that you did with the W-S J to gain interviews and such. I'm assuming you do.
There is semi-regular podcast called The Final Lap I downloaded that was recorded last Friday that had a nice interview with Bobby Labonte. It started off discussing how his car was after practice and went into discussing Detroit and the auto manufacturers (just a week or two behind your story). It was neat to get some insights from a driver that you don't always hear in the pre-programmed TV interviews. Many drivers know you, so my guess is they would do an interview with you from time to time.
okay, you've got me
okay, you've got me intrigued.....let me start working on this for you. thanks for the idea....
mm
I hate to say this to another
I hate to say this to another guy, but, I sure have missed you. Spending fifty cents two or three times a week on the W-S Journal was getting to be a bad deal but I knew you would be there somewhere in sports section with all the low down from around the pits and somehow that made it all worthwhile. My better half had her section of the paper and I had mine. It made for a good breakfast at Clemmons Kitchen, then one day you were gone, not just on vacation, gone, and those other people that write about NASCAR, well, they aren't from around here. U felt like I was being cheated out of at least 45 cents each day, then, they raised the price to 75 cents. Wow, that is way over priced now. But, anyway, I have found you once again thanks to google. Keep up the good work, and tell your sponsor I promise to read daily and I still do my own oil changes and minor stuff like that, oh yeah, I buy lots of beer too and have never been too loyal to any one brand. I can be convinced to switch brands.
Chris
Clemmons NC.
yep, we're right here, three
yep, we're right here, three months now, raising hell, aggravating people every day, same old mike mulhern.....writing twice as much....and getting some interesting feedback. maybe i need to get a billboard ad out there on I-40 or I-85 maybe, to let people know where i am...help me pass the word. and keep sending in some comments....
thanks...
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