Youngstown paper closing after 150 years

[Sctvhound]

The Vindicator, the newspaper in Youngstown, OH, is closing after 150 years in August.

http://www.wfmj.com/story/40723209/vindicator-announces-it-will-stop-production

[kevinb1994]

The Vindicator, the newspaper in Youngstown, OH, is closing after 150 years in August.

http://www.wfmj.com/story/40723209/vindicator-announces-it-will-stop-production

Long live the Vindicator! Or not. What a shame though, having such a news outlet shutter after a long time in operation. On the other hand, I can say that this was a long time coming, as the Youngstown area has been in decline for decades now.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

I know "largest city without an interstate" has been a staple of discussion on MTR and now here. But will Youngstown, with population around 64 K and still dropping, be the largest city without a daily newspaper?

[kevinb1994]

I know "largest city without an interstate" has been a staple of discussion on MTR and now here. But will Youngstown, with population around 64 K and still dropping, be the largest city without a daily newspaper?

Of course, that remains to be seen. We shall see, of course.

[Stephane Dumas]

I know "largest city without an interstate" has been a staple of discussion on MTR and now here. But will Youngstown, with population around 64 K and still dropping, be the largest city without a daily newspaper?

Of course, that remains to be seen. We shall see, of course.

Some major cities had lost one newspaper althought there was a 2nd newspaper still available like the Rocky Mountain News of Denver for example.

[SP Cook]

- Newspapers are like your crazy old uncle.  He knew who won the ballgame with details beyond details, who died and when the funeral was, what they were building out on route 63, who get arrested for what, what was on at the movies, what the city council wanted to do about the sewer rates, and what time the swimming pool opens on Tuesdays.  But to get that information, you had to listen to his crazed rants about politics. 

Then came the internet, which can deliver all of that information, a let you choose who to listen to about politics, if anyone at all, for yourself.  This is a great thing and overdue, in Youngstown and everywhere. 

- "Largest city w/o a daily newspaper" is a difficult question for three reasons.  First, like "largest city w/o an interstate" what counts?  Does a suburb of a couple hundred thousand, well served by media of the core city, count as not having a newspaper?  Second is what is a "newspaper"?  If somebody prints something about whatever and sells a few copies, is that a "newspaper"?  And, lastly, many newspapers, solid in their universal hypocrisy, are saving money by only publishing the physical newspaper less than 7 day per week, cutting the pay of their blue collar workers, and of the "independent contractors" who deliver the thing w/o even basic benefits.  So if a "web update" counts, why doesn't any website. 

The current answer is probably Pittsburgh, followed by Birmingham.  Hopefully in 10 or 15 years, the answer will be NYC, followed by LA, then Chicago, etc.  If government would have the sense to change the laws about legal ads (those agate type notices on the back pages no one reads) which cost a fortune, and move that to the internet, that wonderful day would come even quicker. 

[FightingIrish]

I know "largest city without an interstate" has been a staple of discussion on MTR and now here. But will Youngstown, with population around 64 K and still dropping, be the largest city without a daily newspaper?

The answer to that question is Birmingham, AL. The News publishes three times per week, beginning in 2012. The owner of that paper, Advance, tried to do the same thing in New Orleans, but that idea failed, because the Times-Picayune was actually doing well. Quickly, the Baton Rouge Advocate moved into NOLA with a local version of their paper, published seven days a week and pounded the crap out of the TP. Two months ago, the owner of the Advocate made a deal to purchase the TP, and the two papers will soon merge.

[jdb1234]

I know "largest city without an interstate" has been a staple of discussion on MTR and now here. But will Youngstown, with population around 64 K and still dropping, be the largest city without a daily newspaper?

The answer to that question is Birmingham, AL. The News publishes three times per week, beginning in 2012. The owner of that paper, Advance, tried to do the same thing in New Orleans, but that idea failed, because the Times-Picayune was actually doing well. Quickly, the Baton Rouge Advocate moved into NOLA with a local version of their paper, published seven days a week and pounded the crap out of the TP. Two months ago, the owner of the Advocate made a deal to purchase the TP, and the two papers will soon merge.

I don't miss getting the Birmingham News everyday.  We had dropped our subscription before then.  When I was a kid the Birmingham News was the afternoon newspaper (The Birmingham Post-Herald was the morning paper).

[kevinb1994]

I know "largest city without an interstate" has been a staple of discussion on MTR and now here. But will Youngstown, with population around 64 K and still dropping, be the largest city without a daily newspaper?

The answer to that question is Birmingham, AL. The News publishes three times per week, beginning in 2012. The owner of that paper, Advance, tried to do the same thing in New Orleans, but that idea failed, because the Times-Picayune was actually doing well. Quickly, the Baton Rouge Advocate moved into NOLA with a local version of their paper, published seven days a week and pounded the crap out of the TP. Two months ago, the owner of the Advocate made a deal to purchase the TP, and the two papers will soon merge.

I didn't know about the impending merger, thanks for that tidbit.

[kevinb1994]

I know "largest city without an interstate" has been a staple of discussion on MTR and now here. But will Youngstown, with population around 64 K and still dropping, be the largest city without a daily newspaper?

The answer to that question is Birmingham, AL. The News publishes three times per week, beginning in 2012. The owner of that paper, Advance, tried to do the same thing in New Orleans, but that idea failed, because the Times-Picayune was actually doing well. Quickly, the Baton Rouge Advocate moved into NOLA with a local version of their paper, published seven days a week and pounded the crap out of the TP. Two months ago, the owner of the Advocate made a deal to purchase the TP, and the two papers will soon merge.

I don't miss getting the Birmingham News everyday.  We had dropped our subscription before then.  When I was a kid the Birmingham News was the afternoon newspaper (The Birmingham Post-Herald was the morning paper).

Then again, Birmingham has been losing out to Huntsville as the place to be (and of course, to move to, thanks to the government) in Alabama for some years now.