Editor’s Note: Our Savvy Readers
Support Local Journalism, And Watch Out For Sharks
By Cara DeGette
GPHN Editor
First things first.
Thanks to everyone who opened their wallets to give us some extra holiday cheer. Last year the Greater Park Hill News was selected as one of 33 Colorado news organizations to participate in a matching ad grant campaign. The exercise was designed to raise awareness for the critical need for local news, as well as funds to help pay for community news.
In all, 88 supporters donated a total so far of $7,050 (and counting!) to us as part of the December campaign — called #newsCOneeds.
To keep it fun, we set up several levels of giving: $10 at the Newshound level, $50 to be a Gatekeeper, $100 for a High-Level Source, and $500 for Champions of the Fourth Estate. Really, any amount was appreciated — as were the messages of support and enthusiasm that accompanied several of the donations.
“Love the Greater Park Hill News!”
“Thanks for the great work that you do.”
“Keep up the good work!!!
“GPHN is the best neighborhood newspaper there is!”
“Thank you for helping make our neighborhood a great place to live!”
Since we crossed the $5,000 mark for donations (and then some), we received a $5,000 matching grant from the Colorado Media Project. The money goes toward our general operating funds. And it helps to augment the support from our awesome and dedicated newspaper advertisers who sustain us month in and month out — as they have for 63 years.
We live in an age when community news is, sadly, a commodity. Over the past 20 years, many local and community newspapers have fallen victim to a combination of deadly realities, including the rise of the internet and subsequent competition for advertising dollars, and the rising costs of newsprint.
Last June, the New York Times provided a bleak update on the state of local news in the United States. Since 2005, an average of two newspapers every week have gone out of business, mainly victim to a decline in advertising dollars. Just since the pandemic, more than 360 newspapers have folded.
When newspapers close, people have limited access to local news. More than one-fifth of Americans now live in news deserts — places with very limited access to understanding what is happening in their backyards. Of the surviving local media, many have had to make major cuts to staff. That is certainly true in Denver, where the surviving daily newspaper casts a faint shadow on its once-robust coverage.
So what happens when local news sources dry up and go away? Some people either fill their personal news void with national sources or turn to social media — or tune out altogether.
The Greater Park Hill News, with its tiny staff of part-timers and volunteer contributors, doesn’t pretend to be anyone’s complete news source. But we are proud to provide a quality helping every month. That said, it’s never been more important for savvy news consumers to seek out a variety of legitimate news sources. It’s also critical to learn to filter out the bull.
Which brings us to the spin.
While journalism is hurting, the business of public relations has never been more robust. For every working journalist, there are now more than six public relations people who are paid to spin the news to a sometimes unsuspecting public. As they say, consumers beware.
At their best, PR people are pros. They are committed to ethically promoting the product or client they are paid to represent.
Unfortunately there are other types of sharks in our waters — hucksters and hacks who are more interested in bloody attacks. And who pays for those messengers? Naturally, it’s the deep pockets who have the cash to do so, and who sometimes hide behind dark money.
The current campaign season is no better time for people to remember the difference between journalism, public relations, and flat-out lies. If you want to see the campaign messaging in full play, take a look at the mailers that arrive in your mailboxes from now to Election Day, April 4. Make a game of figuring out which claims are legitimate — and which are trailers full of horsepoop.
Better yet, make it a point of reading (and watching and listening to) as much legitimate local election coverage as possible. Democracy is worth it. With that in mind, see you next month.