“We Were Facebook before Facebook”

The Existential (Not Only Economic) Threat to Community Weekly Newspapers in the US

Bibliographic Data

ID22010654
AuthorsNick Mathews (0000-0002-3674-9131, University of Missouri, corresponding author), Benjamin Toff (0000-0001-7201-4389, University of Minnesota)
Year2024
Volume12
Issue4
Pages476-493
Publication date2024-04-20
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueDigital Journalism (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2167-0811 • E-ISSN: 2167-082X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/21670811.2023.2293936
OpenAlexW4389732368
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited47

Researchers and practitioners recently have observed the intricate and ever-evolving relationship between publishers and platforms may be reaching a crucial crossroads as each fight for relevancy and profitability amidst disruption in both media industries. This article draws on in-depth interviews with owners and editors of community weekly newspapers in the US to examine how such understudied local news organizations are responding to the threat posed by Facebook. Findings underscore the platform’s impact on these news outlets’ business models, especially how publishers see themselves as competing directly with the platform for a shrinking pot of advertising dollars, but they also highlight how many view the platform as a competitor for crucial content. Having historically given prominence to community-connecting cultural content to fulfill audiences’ “ritual” needs, owners and editors of community weekly newspapers struggle to carve out their own unique identity and stay relevant in a world in which many audiences have come to see their social media feeds as the more relevant place to chronicle their everyday lives. These changes have serious, negative and long-term implications for the survival of these smaller news outlets

Advertising · Business · Media studies · Newspaper · Political science · Public relations · Social media · Sociology · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Law · Media Studies and Communication · Social Media and Politics

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