I can’t say I have always agreed with our local newspaper, The Arkansas Democrat Gazette. During Little Rock’s famous newspaper war of the ‘80s, I was impressed by the Democrat, a conservative afternoon newspaper, and their tenacity in fighting the Gazette, the Gannett-owned corporate giant.
After the war was won by the small Democrat, I was dismayed at the loss of the liberal-minded Gazette, the oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi, and the consolidation of what we now know as the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
Big-Time Consolidation
As America’s long-time newspapers like the Chicago Tribune falter in the information age and get purchased by hedge funds, like Alden Global Capital, local reporting is disappearing. Newspapers are becoming less connected to their community. These new owners are often “suits” on boards, living elsewhere, with under-appreciated employees doing little more than regurgitating national news pilfered from the AP wire. With this new business model comes loss of morale, local jobs and local investigative reporting.
This may not seem like a big deal, but if there is no one minding the store, local politics can go unchecked.
Newspaper Lore
Arkansas is lucky to have two local newspapers once again. In 1974, Mr. Alan Leveritt founded the Arkansas Times and later expanded it to fill the void left by the closing of the Gazette. Today, Alan is still manning the helm of his publishing company. In addition to being the publisher, salesman, and author of his many magazines and papers, he, like his grandfather, is an Arkansas farmer.
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette is owned by the Hussman family. Mr. Walter Hussman and his children are the owners, living in the state, and showing up daily to run their Little Rock newspaper and media empire. Walter is an excellent businessman, who, unlike others in his industry, successfully navigated his paper through the dot.com boom and now the digital age.
Local Reporting
Lately, the importance of having local newspapers has become clear as the transparency of our Little Rock Mayor’s office comes into question.
From the Dem-Gaz’s investigative reporting, we learned of a real estate transaction, whether on purpose or an oversight, that was overvalued and a bad deal for the City. Because of public exposure by the local press, it was aborted, thus saving taxpayers $400,000.
Pay to Read
The next time you sigh at a local paywall when trying to read an article, or balk at the price of local advertising, remember the jobs you are supporting, the service these newspapers provide, and the rarity that is afforded our State by having two hard working families, who I personally know, that value their employees over stockholders.
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