Newspaper News Blues

I know I'm a little slow on the draw on this issue, but I do like to ponder when I can.

To summarize, The Duluth News Tribune, the primary paper in Duluth, has laid off many fine journalists, editors and staff in an effort to save costs. In the cuts: Ann Klefstad, who has dedicated herself to covering and helping to publicize the immense and diverse arts and entertainment in the greater Twin Ports region.

This great loss triggers a lot of emotions and thoughts. I took my day to ponder and still feel in a bit of a tailspin. Before I lose coherence, I want to urge any and all of you who, like me, feel that this is, at best an unfortunate shame and at worst a horrible sign of times to come, to contact the Duluth News Tribune and share your thoughts and opinions on the matter.

I've just re-written this paragraph 8 times. So instead of my over-simplifications, here are my questions about some of the difficulties:
How does the News Tribune retain its validity for the arts communities? For the greater community as a whole? How many alternative sources for coverage, criticism and publication do the arts have in this area (or any one area, to extrapolate the issue that is pervasive well beyond the Twin Ports)? Should there be a centralized source of information? How do blogs fit into this larger equation? Should we increase online communities or scale back in the face of developments such as these? What viewpoints are we privileging/supporting through a centralized Arts coverage compared to the dentralization/small community/fragmented communities of different blogs - both personal and communal?

There are many other considerations out there. I've never been much of a newspaper reader, but I've always liked the notion that I could pick one up at anytime and read news relevant to my experiences. Am I part of the problem? Can I be part of the solution?

My personal online stats: 4 email accounts, myspace, facebook, 2 livejournals, 2 blogspots, indiebound, mnartists 10 blogs actively (at least once a day) and about 20 more semi-actively (once a week). Itemized it seems like a lot, but I can think of many people who dwarf my numbers in any given category. More often than not, these medias enhance the personal interactions (I still find time for those!) day to day. They've also opened my eyes to many publications and authors out there who I value very dearly. All this online presence is being, in part, blamed for the current state of affairs for news print media.

Please, leave a comment, or come by the store for a quick chat. Let the DNT know your questions and concerns. I know that I don't have any answers or solutions right now, but I do know that this is an issue we need to address in our community.