My side of the line
The newspaper industry

By Rebecca JamesCourie
Editor-in-Chief

Recently, I had the privilege of speaking at the Active Claremont meeting.  Here are some of the thoughts I shared about the Claremont COURIER and the newspaper industry:

The Weinbergers and I have been watching the newspaper industry very closely.  In fact, Peter Weinberger said that we are witnessing the death of the general newspaper.

I’m sure you’ll agree that, that the Internet has given us information at our fingertips, and has become an important news source.  This has affected the newspaper industry and caused major conglomerates to join forces. 

Just recently the Los Angeles Newspaper Group announced an alliance between its Inland Empire and San Gabriel Valley properties. 

The Chicago Tribune has been hit with a series of layoffs; and the stocks of Gannett and McClatchy are at an all-time low.

So, the face of the daily newspaper is literally changing. In fact, a report released from the American Press Institute details a new vision of what newspapers can and must become.

The broadsheets will be trimmed which means you’ll be seeing smaller newspapers and they’ll look to diversify.

Steve Gray, managing editor of Newspaper Next, said, “If newspaper companies stay on their present path, the future is clear – the core business model will keep shrinking, along with circulation, advertising and profit margins.  It’s time to make the leap – a mental leap, a leap of vision and leadership – beyond newspaper companies, to a larger, more diverse kind of company.”

Now I find that interesting that they’re going to diversify.  Because, diversifying was Martin and Janis’ idea a long time ago.  In fact, our business name is COURIER Graphics.  So we’re already on the right path.

Now, how does what you just heard about the newspaper industry affect the Claremont COURIER? Not one bit!  As a community-based newspaper, we are what is called a “niche newspaper.” The majority of our paper is focused on the Claremont area.  Even the National Newspaper Association has reported that 83 percent of adults read America’s community newspapers each week.  This is in stark contrast to what is happening to daily newspapers. People love to read about their community and we fill that need.

Community newspapers are here to stay, and so is the Claremont COURIER.

From 1908 to 2008, the Claremont COURIER changed a lot in 100 years and, like any business, we will continue to change and evolve, but we will always be your community newspaper.

What E. B. Young, the Claremont COURIER’s first publisher, wrote in his greeting in the very first issue of the Claremont COURIER, still applies today.  In the September 16, 1908 Claremont COURIER issue, he wrote:

“We trust that our relations may continue mutually agreeable and helpful in this our latest business venture.”