I received word that a friend of mine passed away this week. We weren’t as close as we were 15 years ago, but that happens. Life happens — you get busy, you move on and before you know it you’ve drifted apart. Looking back now though, I have to smile about the relationship me and this friend had.
Passion. I was filled with passion when I hung around this friend. I still remember the first time we met. It was at a bar, as a group of people gathered to wish a friend of mine good luck in her new job. Far from unhealthy, it was a great relationship that I cherish to this day. It was a relationship that has launched me to bigger and better things in my life. Rest In Peace, Hendricks County Flyer.
They say you always remember your first. The Flyer Group was my first post as publisher of a newspaper. At the time of my involvement, it was a twice a week publication that went to every household in Hendricks County, Indiana along with a once a week publication for the west side of Indianapolis. Community Newspapers Holdings Inc (CNHI) announced this week that they were stopping publication after over 50 years. But it was a powerful product, and produced revenue more than many daily newspapers at the time.
The Hendricks County Flyer isn’t the only paper that’s been shut down in recent months. Sadly, I fear this is going to be an all too common obituary playing out across this country. But it is sad in that the industry has changed, communities have changed and in this case not for better. Other newspapers will look to fill in the gap and report on the city council, cover the upcoming graduation at the high schools. But covering a market as a secondary newspaper won’t provide the depth of the local newspaper. Stories won’t be told, memories won’t be made.
Remember when you or someone you knew had their picture in the paper? You became an instant celebrity in your hometown, if only for a day. Actually longer, as the picture would be clipped and placed on your refrigerator for months.
In the case of the Hendricks County Flyer, I know of some of the heroics that were utilized to try and save the publication. Lost preprint and classifieds took away the cushion, and then slowly local businesses turned to other resources for advertising. Google and Facebook provided less expensive alternatives often times with more trackable results. And before you knew it, this newspaper and others just like it are forced to cut expenses; less money for circulation promos, fewer pages printed in the newspaper and less relevant content for consumers. Death by a thousand cuts ended this and many other publications. And more to come.
Not that many years ago Warren Buffett was being called a savior to the newspaper industry. However even Buffett is saying now that the end is approaching. Me saying that most newspapers “are toast” might be interesting, but the guy that owns 30 newspapers saying that is an attention grabber. especially Warren Buffett. By his estimation only titles like the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal have figured out how to cross the digital divide to stay viable.
What made newspapers successful and why I loved them so much was the local connection. There is very little in common between the business model for the Wall Street Journal and the Hendricks County Flyer. That local connection for content; advertising and editorial are the lifeblood of hometown newspapers. Pick up any newspaper today and count the number of display ads. Many days, you might be able to count them all on your fingers. Too often, you’ll see an entire section of a newspaper with no ads; often times it is the sports section.
Maybe the passing of this newspaper isn’t a big deal. After all, 1,400 other cities and towns across the country have experienced the same thing in the past 15 years, according to an Associated Press analysis of data compiled by the University of North Carolina. But it is for all the stories that won’t be told now, the picture not taken and published and the government not being watched over to make sure they are taking care of tax payer money properly.
Thank you Hendricks County Flyer for all you did for me and several friends of mine. You will be missed.
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