Arkansas Traveler feels the pain of weakened economy
The Traveler Editorial Board
Issue date: 3/25/09 Section: Opinion
Over the past semester and a half, the Traveler has reported on various aspects of the journalism industry's struggles - the mass layoffs occurring at newspapers across the country, the budget and staff cuts at collegiate newspapers, and how the stumbling economy will affect UA journalism students upon graduation.
So, of course, Traveler staffers have understood for a long while the harsh reality the journalism world is facing. The deaths of The New York Sun, Rocky Mountain News and the print edition of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer are evidence enough of that.
We've felt the pain of our fellow journalists, but somehow, the struggles never felt too close to home.
Until now.
The Traveler has joined the list of college newspapers that finally have been hit hard by the budget struggles of the national newspaper industry, partially because national advertising sales are low.
Specifically, according to the Newspaper Association of America, newspaper advertising dropped 9.4 percent in the United States in 2007.
Luckily, the Traveler's survival doesn't rely on cutting entire issues (like the Ball State Daily News, which stopped publishing Fridays) or reducing the number of pages (like the Daily Nebraskan). Yet.
But certain steps must be taken to ensure the Traveler continues to effectively serve the UA community. These steps, in the future, might include publishing fewer pages, including less color or implementing other cutbacks.
We've learned that the Traveler clearly isn't immune to industry woes, but our jobs are still clear. Readers can and should be assured that the newspaper will always remain the voice of UA students, by UA students, regardless of any changes that may occur in the future.
So, of course, Traveler staffers have understood for a long while the harsh reality the journalism world is facing. The deaths of The New York Sun, Rocky Mountain News and the print edition of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer are evidence enough of that.
We've felt the pain of our fellow journalists, but somehow, the struggles never felt too close to home.
Until now.
The Traveler has joined the list of college newspapers that finally have been hit hard by the budget struggles of the national newspaper industry, partially because national advertising sales are low.
Specifically, according to the Newspaper Association of America, newspaper advertising dropped 9.4 percent in the United States in 2007.
Luckily, the Traveler's survival doesn't rely on cutting entire issues (like the Ball State Daily News, which stopped publishing Fridays) or reducing the number of pages (like the Daily Nebraskan). Yet.
But certain steps must be taken to ensure the Traveler continues to effectively serve the UA community. These steps, in the future, might include publishing fewer pages, including less color or implementing other cutbacks.
We've learned that the Traveler clearly isn't immune to industry woes, but our jobs are still clear. Readers can and should be assured that the newspaper will always remain the voice of UA students, by UA students, regardless of any changes that may occur in the future.
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