Quo Vadis, Avalanche Journal?
What is black and white and (used to be) red/read all over? That would be the newspaper, at least back in the day when people actually read it, and when it had meaningful content written by people who actually knew how to write. And now comes the latest step toward the ultimate demise of print journalism, both in Lubbock and elsewhere.
Sadly, the Gannett chain publishers have decided that the Avalanche Journal no longer needs to print an Opinion-Editorial (Op Ed) page during the week, and instead, that the Sunday edition will feature an enhanced page of strictly local-interest stories. This follows the recent decision not to publish a Saturday edition at all. Their “research” allegedly shows that people don’t care all that much to read what’s going on in the “orbi,” preferring to enrich themselves with a full-on diet of the news from the “urbi.” So local news trumps all other options, as far as the major South Plains news provider is concerned. Can we really believe that? Or are we being subjected to yet another draconian cost-cutting measure to keep the newspaper from giving up entirely? And does this move indicate that the surrender flag is already waving above the AJ offices? And finally, do the subscribers get to share in these cost savings with the publishers?
A quick review of the implications of these decisions is revealing. What becomes immediately apparent is that the AJ readership is now deprived of the editorial opinion talents of some of the more brilliant journalists in the country. The AJ has never been known for being a flaming commie rag, but it has brought some semblance of balance to its Op-Ed pages. The paper, it should be acknowledged, reflects the political viewpoints of the region. That’s
not a bad thing at all, so long as opposing thoughts also find a home. The Sunday point-and-counterpoint of two scholarly regional professionals was always a classic in this regard.
Now we’re to be deprived of regular input from the likes of George Will, Cal Thomas, Dana Milbank, Kathleen Parker, and others who have contributed regularly. The newspaper was once considered to be a necessary supplement to our classes in government, civics, world geography, language enrichment, and more. Have we now arrived at the point where “in-depth” reporting is going to be the sole domain of cable news and the left, right, and centrist-oriented TV networks? I’d hate to think that the word “opinion” will be defined by Facebook screeds. I compare the forthcoming “depth” of thought to a local playa lake: wider than a city block and no deeper than a pizza. We’ve seen how these fragile lakes dry up when their nourishment abates. What will we offer to replace their life-giving sustenance?
Part of the epitaph being written for this dying medium should recognize its cavalier treatment of the elderly and/or handicapped readership. The New Year’s announcement of the discontinuation of the Saturday edition, was especially insulting to this segment of the readership. It stated that – not to worry – you can always go online and get all the news you’d be missing in the print version. Has there been any consideration given to the fact that many, and I do mean many, of our elderly citizens do not own a computer? Nor have they ever needed to use one. The newspaper was always just fine for them. Now they not only won’t have their Saturday reading, but they won’t be able to read their favorite opinion columnists at all. And by the way, what age group do you think has more stored-up knowledge about national and international affairs than any other group of literate people? To insult their (our) intelligence in such a blatantly transparent manner is a sign of pure desperation on this medium’s part.
Another aspect of the “big picture” to be considered with the AJ’s decisions, is the question of the areas’s growth, coupled with its future potential for marketing. Lubbock county has been growing, not at breakneck speed, but at moderate, sustainable rates for many years. When potential new residents contact the chamber of commerce, what are they looking for, in terms of a solid place to raise their families? Among the several key factors is the existence of a fine education system. The newspaper has always provided a much- needed supplement to our schools’ teaching materials. The provision of free daily copies to our classrooms brings much needed enrichment, along with a wide breadth of information services, to the classroom. The kids actually become actively involved in the community from the beginning. What the AJ is now devolving into, it would seem, is a country-town weekly with weak content. The marketing aspect, in the view of many potential advertisers, is greatly diminished when they see that the newspaper is losing readership (and leadership) due to a lack of meaningful content. So a city that prides itself in its manageable growth, is being undercut by a print medium that appears to be moribund.
In this reader’s view, the internet is not a suitable replacement for my daily newspaper, and the watering-down of this important part of my life may well put me in the category of the dinosaur who can’t keep up with the times. But I’m plenty tired of being bombarded with online junk mail, viruses and scam operations, and I really resent the low-common-denominator mentality that sinks ever lower on Facebook and Twitter. Yes, I know I can always hit the ESC button, but then what do I have?
George Thatcher, 2022
George is an American Bad Ass. He grew up in Jersey, flew B-52s in Vietnam, taught English, Spanish and other languages to children around the world, makes his own salsa, has been known to enjoy a beer or two and has called Lubbock home for a few years, just to entertain the locals. Welcome to Raiderland, Major. We are going to feature some of his writings going forward. Some new, some old. Some rhyme, some don’t. When it comes to George, there’s no box. So… enjoy our friend and enjoy his writings! – Hyatt
I miss the AJ. I quit subscribing when they seemed to just give up. Monday paper was the worst because nobody wanted to work Sunday.