The Rise of Free Newspapers

by lisa ~ September 28, 2009

The contraction in the number of news outlets in the U.S. is detrimental to the American public and to those of us in public relations. If only to build more relationships and access more outlets for our clients, it behooves us to support emerging outlets ranging from hyper-local web sites to newly launched newspapers.

Wait…newly launched newspapers?

Yes, they do exist.

The latter is a rare animal but, while well-known papers such as the Seattle Post-Intelligencer have ceased their print editions, other printed newspapers are launching. When the Village Voice, New York’s alternative weekly, went free in 1996, every observer predicted disaster. Today, it still exists and it’s been joined by two free dailies - amNewYork and Metro New York. This New York Times article gives a peek into the phenomenon of the commercial, or for-profit, free newspaper.

While these publications operate the old-fashioned way - making a profit by charging for advertising - there’s also a growing movement to give news organizations not-for-profit status to remove the pressure to make money. This New Yorker article explains that only by turning existing media outlets, specifically newspapers, “into a nonprofit trust and raising a university-size endowment to support the newsroom could the paper retain the vitality it requires to serve as a successful watchdog over our constitutional system.”

Warren Hellman, the chairman and co-founder of San Francisco-based private equity shop Hellman & Friedman, is putting the idea to the test by financing the Bay Area News Project via his private foundation. The not-for-profit project will use professional journalists and journalism students from the University of California to produce local coverage for public broadcasting’s KQED. Editor & Publisher even floats the idea that the operation’s print edition will be produced by The New York Times, “which has been planning to increase its coverage of the San Francisco Bay area,” it wrote.

Rather than ignoring these news outlets (which will obviously have low circulation / viewership in the beginning), PR professionals should support them and even seek out the editorial staffs. Although there are vast differences between PBS’ “Nightly Business Report” and amNew York, editorial diversity benefits us - and our clients.

Lisa Tibbitts (Lisa.Tibbitts@Me.com) is the principal of Tibbitts Creative, a public relations and marketing service that emphasizes corporate communications. She has an extensive background in financial services and an MBA in marketing. Follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/FinancialPR.

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