The State Newspaper’s Cindi Ross Scope wrote on the newspaper just today.
A sad good-bye. Thank you for letting me share my thoughts with you.
Sources tell us that The Sun News, another paper owned by McClatchy, layed off several key employees this week as well.
Ross was the head of all things McClatchy in the state of S.C.
In her article she writes, “ABOUT 15 YEARS ago, when the newspaper industry was first undergoing convulsions, I started thinking maybe I should get out of the profession while I could still leave on my own terms. Actually, I obsessed over it”
Ross goes on to say, “Newspapers the nation over are making a rapid transition into an all-digital future, and right now, there’s not a huge market online for fact-based opinion journalism, particularly when it isn’t extreme, or at least aligned with one side in our culture wars.“
THE FUTURE OF NEWS – 100% DIGITAL AND READER-CENTRIC
The problem that mainstream TV and print news are experiencing today in viewership is, changes in technology have personalized the viewer’s ability to hear only information he or she wants. Meanwhile the market has created unlimited places for businesses to advertise cheaply to a more targeted audience.
What this means for media like McClatchy is they have to lower their overhead and find a niche. Viewers today want more than simply a report of information. They want the information delivered in as much total context as possible. They also want the information presented from their world view perspective. Like it or not, media has to adjust to consumers. Consumer are not going to adjust to them.
[ads2]
NEWS – BACK TO EMPOWERING PEOPLE
In the 1700’s, when Ben Franklin was publishing his Pennsylvania Gazzette Newspaper, he printed radical and revolutionary-like news articles. His articles encouraged residents to challenge the British system. Franklin was an advocate who printed local news.
Beyond becoming digital for today’s viewers, local news has to work for residents once again. Local news must inform, empower, and encourage local readers into action.
The purpose of local news is the same as it was in Franklin’s day. Putting the wishes of politicians and advertisers aside and committing articles that speak to residents. Younger and older Americans see right through news that has a corporate or government-corporate partnership agenda. These Americans are changing the channel from such publications and news programs.
A NEW COURSE
Despite being denounced as fake and poisonous news by Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune on social media, MyrtleBeachSC news has found a connected voice with over 40,000 locals.
Our voice echos that same sentiment heard from our founding fathers. Publishers, like Franklin and Payne, enlightened their neighbors and encouraged them into community action. We are committed to empowering, informing, and working for locals just as they did. We continue despite the complaints from city and county governments.
We do not write for those officials nor do we write for the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Redevelopment Corporation, nor any one of several tax subsidized city and county organizations. News was never supposed to be about such.
America needs great local, resident-centered, community news now more than ever.
We appreciate Mrs. Scope and her outstanding work. We wish her continued success.