The Advocate marks its twelfth year today – and we find ourselves wanting to reflect on the many shifts in local media, and what we think the present moment means for our shared community.
But first, we do want to express some gratitude for the past. To be sure, we’ve had weaknesses and failings. But equally, we have often been able to punch well above our weight, and that’s because people have stepped up.
We’ve seen ridiculously hardworking reporters and editors leave indelible marks with their efforts at the paper – and they’ve changed lives and our wider community. When a reader messages us that a story drove them to make changes personally, or we see our work move public perception, or a piece leads area decision makers to rethink – it’s all motivating. Likewise, people from outside the paper have inspiringly furthered our work, contributing volunteer hours, wise counsel, and sorely needed dollars.
Of course, things change. And, as most savvy news consumers know, local newspapers throughout the country have taken a financial beating these last few years – between 2008 and 2020, newsrooms reduced staff by 57%. Today, there are a third fewer newspapers than there were nineteen years ago. In 2023, an average of two and a half newspapers closed every week across this country.
What’s happened is this – Facebook and Google have gobbled most of the advertising market, and they now account for about 73% of all online ad spend. Worsening matters, Google, and to some extent, social media platforms, also set the rules for how newspapers are found online, and what services we can sell to prospective advertisers, and even to subscribers.
In other words, our industry’s main competitors have become a duopoly – and they also set the rules by which we can supposedly compete. Congress has known about all this for two decades, and given their rulemaking for broadcasters and cable, they’ve had readymade regulatory frameworks that could have easily been modified to keep the newspaper industry healthy. But then, do members of congress really like having a bunch of nosy newspapers running around… maybe not. In short, the federal government has done nothing to even the playing field.
We at The Advocate have experienced firsthand what all this means. Our advertising revenue back in 2012 was eight times what it is today, and even with subscriptions making up for about a quarter of that lost revenue, we’re only bringing in about three-eighths of the dollars we used to.
We’ve generally relied on a mix of full-time and part-time, and contracted staff. Last decade, we would sometimes have a mix of over twenty staffers. Today, we have only four, all of whom are part-time. Not that we are complaining, we’re actually quite grateful to have the resources that remain.
What this has meant in Corvallis
Last year, we watched County officials completely miss the community zeitgeist – their justice facilities proposal was the zig to the community’s zag, and on election day, their proposal took a thirteen point drubbing. Outside observers could see the coming trainwreck two to three years ahead of time.
But then, how could County officials have known? Once upon a time, reporters, who are basically professional skeptics, would challenge decision-makers with tough questions about proposals like these earlier on, in the formative stages. Officials may not have liked the friendly grilling, but studies show it helps them form better local law.
This dynamic also has another impact. Voters see over a longer reporting period how government decisions are being made and can track for themselves how their leaders arrive at the action being taken. It’s a process that means folks understand the why behind the what of a decision, and it empowers a sense of engagement.
Nationwide research confirms this – for communities that have fewer reporters than they used to have, city and county services cost more than in places with better news coverage. Likewise, researchers found that voters in communities with fewer news resources become more polarized and less engaged. Researchers saw impacts to bond ratings, taxes, and unsurprisingly, voter turnout.
As we write this, we’re mindful the City will likely approach voters for tens of millions for a new civic center in the next few years, and the County is currently wading through the landfill.
You Knew this was Coming, our Shameless Pitch
The Advocate is this community’s only locally and privately held news provider – the dollars we get go directly towards actual reporting instead of investors, board members and stockholders. We have staffers that have served the community longer than anyone else at any other outlet in the area, which means we are uniquely positioned with local knowledge and context.
If you’re not already a subscriber, please consider joining those that are. You can click here to subscribe.
Also, if you’re someone with an advertising budget, we offer a wider demographic reach than any other medium in Corvallis – and we take your prospective support seriously. Also, we can tailor your placements to whoever you need to reach. Bottomline, we’re your best advertising value in town – and we represent an excellent opportunity for your business to do both do well for itself – and do good for the community. Click here if you’re interested.
Finally, for all of you currently supporting us – as always, thank you.
Do you have a story for The Advocate? Email editor@corvallisadvocate.com