Northern California newspapers have collectively downsized by more than 800 journalists since 2000. At the same time, almost all major Bay Area papers, with the exception of the San Francisco Chronicle, have been consolidated under one owner, Denver‐based Media News Group.
In February 2009, the Hearst Corp. announced that it would impose extreme budget cuts at the Chronicle and possibly sell or shutter the paper.
These trends have palpably changed news coverage in the Bay Area for the worse, eliminating many neighborhood beats and reducing the frequency of time‐consuming investigative reports. With less public‐ interest reporting at their disposal, newspaper editors are tempted to emphasize in expensive or commercially lucrative topics such as fashion, celebrities, travel, food, wine and luxury real estate. Though not always apparent to the typical reader, such changes do alter the public’s perception of the role of the press in their communities, and could explain recent studies that note waning interest in civic affairs.
This local disinvestment in news reporting on core issues of public concern offers an opportunity for a startup to compete — but only if it focuses its attention and resources on original reporting about news that affects a large number of local people in deep and lasting ways.
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