But to hear a 40-year newspaper veteran say it is something else. That is why I asked Orangeburg Times and Democrat editor Lee Harter if I heard him correctly when he uttered those three words. Then I asked him if I could quote him on that. And he said yes I could.
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| Lee Harter points out a feature of the large printing press |
The daily expense of turning out thousands of newspapers is evident when seeing the massive machinery that is required. Huge round bundles of paper are all around and a big vat of ink sits to one side.
Therein lies the dilemma many newspapers face today.
"The business model is very expensive for a declining circulation," Harter said. "Once upon a time, before the web, we printed 20,000 papers every day. Today we print 7,000-8,000."
Empty office space in the large Times and Democrat building attests to the toll taken on staffing by the decline in circulation and the corresponding loss of advertising revenue.
Harter, though, makes a case that more people today are reading his paper. Back in the 1990s when circulation was at a peak, one paper, he says, would be shared by three people, on average. So the 20,000 printed papers would have a reach of 60,000 people. That has long been a way newspaper salespeople would get businesses to advertise.
Harter explained how the T&D's owner is Lee Enterprises out of Davenport, Iowa. Lee owns dozens of newspapers and specialty publications around the country.
Being part of a large chain of papers allows for economies of scale opportunities such as having a central layout and design facility and people. This means Orangeburg does not need several salaried professional that would add to its operating expenses.
Technology allows for such efficiencies, he said. Staff at Lee Enterprises' operations in Munster, Ind. receives articles and ads from the T&D staff (add numerous of its other papers), create PDF files and send them to Orangeburg for review.
Circulars for such stores as Piggly Wiggly and other printing projects bring in additional revenue.
"Trees are a renewable resource," Harter said. The cost of paper and ink will always have a major impact on the bottom line.
Some daily newspapers have gone completely online. Harter did not say the T&D is headed there.
Despite the challenges presented by the paper part of newspapers, he is optimistic that trained journalists will always be needed, no matter how news is consumed in the future.
"Journalism is still worth it," he told the young college students. "You will never do anything that's more exciting and more important."
"Someone will be needed to interview the fire chief, the neighbors, to get responses," he said. "We are going to need professional media to do it professionally and ethically.
"If we lose those things, we lose an important fabric of our society."
News will always be around and people who know and respect its important role in American society will always be needed.
"You should go to sources that you believe in and that are reliable sources," Harter said.
Many thanks to Lee Harter for his straight but still encouraging talk about today's newspapers and the ever importance of quality journalism now and forever.
The T&D is located in downtown Orangeburg at 1010 Broughton St.
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