STATEMENT: “When locally-based, family-owned newspapers.... were consolidated into publicly-owned newspaper chains, an essential dynamic, an essential trust between journalism and the communities served by that journalism was betrayed. Economically, the disconnect is now obvious. Where family ownership might have been content with 10 or 15 percent profit, the [out of town] chains demanded double that and more, and the cutting began..... fresh editors arrived from out of town.... they would be moving on to bigger and better opportunities. So much talent has been torn from newsrooms....”

Published: OVView, F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 0 • I s s u e 2 3