Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/927312
4 UCW JANUARY 17-23, 2018 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM PUBLISHER'S PEN STAFF PUBLISHER Bill Bowman Bill@upandcomingweekly.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ EDITOR Stephanie Crider editor@upandcomingweekly.com OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Paulette Naylor accounting@upandcomingweekly.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Leslie Pyo leslie@upandcomingweekly.com SENIOR REPORTER Jeff Thompson news@upandcomingweekly.com SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR Earl Vaughan Jr. GRAPHIC DESIGNER Elizabeth Long art@upandcomingweekly.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS D.G. Martin, Pitt Dickey, Margaret Dickson, John Hood, Erica Walls, Jim Jones, Shanessa Fenner, Paul Hall, Lauren Vanderveen SALES ADMINISTRATOR/ DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Laurel Handforth laurel@upandcomingweekly.com MARKETING/SALES Linda McAlister Brown linda@upandcomingweekly.com ––––––––––– Up & Coming Weekly www.upandcomingweekly.com 208 Rowan St. P.O. Box 53461 Fayetteville, NC 28305 PHONE: (910) 484-6200 FAX: (910) 484-9218 Up & Coming Weekly is a "Quality of Life" publication with local features, news and information on what's happening in and around the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community. Up & Coming Weekly is published weekly on Wednesdays. Up & Coming Weekly wel- comes manuscripts, photographs and artwork for publication consideration, but assumes no responsibility for them. We cannot accept responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts or material. Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to edit or reject copy submitted for publication. Up & Coming Weekly is free of charge and distributed at indoor and outdoor locations throughout Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base, Hope Mills and Spring Lake. Readers are limited to one copy per person. ©2007 by F&B Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or advertisements without permission is strictly prohibited. Cover art/Various ads with art graphics designed with various elements from: vecteezy.com and freepik.com. BILL BOWMAN, Publisher, UP & COMING WEEKLY. COMMENTS? BILL@upandcomingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. Daily and weekly newspapers? Hey, cry me a river! by BILL BOWMAN e past decade has been a difficult one for daily and weekly newspapers and print news media in general. Financial sta- bility has been a chal- lenge as the industry gradually leaves the world of printed news on paper and transi- tions to the new, less dependable and ever- changing world of the internet and social media. I'm not wor- ried, though. ere is still a valuable and relevant market and community interest for locally printed newspapers – especially for weekly community newspapers like Up & Coming Weekly. However, today, there is a new breed of newspaper publishers, and, I use the term "publisher" loosely since many of the le- gitimate, honorable and traditional news- paper publishers are being replaced with corporate bean-counters and caretakers. ey have little knowledge of the communi- ties they serve, nor is there any interest in getting involved with the local missions and mandates that factor into having clear com- munication and a good quality of life within a community. With this being said, you can bet they have little knowledge of the news- paper industry let alone a clear understand- ing of what the Fourth Estate – the press, which is not officially recognized as part of the political system but wields a significant influence – contributes to society. No won- der there is such apparent public apathy toward any plight the newspaper industry may have. And it does have a plight. Currently, national leaders in Washing- ton, D.C., have been entertaining a propos- al they feel is critically important to protect and shore up the operations of one West Coast domestic paper-producing company rather than being guardians of the national free press, the stalwart foundation of the Fourth Estate. Daily and weekly newspapers across North Carolina (and the nation) are speaking out in an organized and col- lective voice, demanding that legislative delegations in Washington reject the idea of imposing tariffs on imported Canadian newsprint (uncoated groundwood). is is the type paper that many U.S. publishing companies use daily. The movement is being spearheaded by large conglomerate newspaper chains and by state and national newspaper associations that say these proposed tariffs on Canadian paper could vary from 6 to 10 percent. is would increase U.S. newspaper companies' costs of doing business and decay bottom-line profits. According to news- paper industry lead- ers, such an action by the Department of Commerce would create overall higher domestic newsprint pricing that would end up being passed on to the consumer while creating a financial burden on all newspaper com- panies across the state and country. I agree that on the surface, protecting a national industry may look like the correct thing to do. But as e Fayetteville Observer pointed out in its Friday, Jan. 12, editorial "A newsprint tariff 's unintended consequences," this kind of protectionism could have devastat- ing consequences to the already-struggling newspaper industry – including Up & Coming Weekly. Well, as the title of this editorial reflects: Cry me a river! Honestly, who cares what happens to the daily newspaper industry? After all, we have the internet. What's laughable is how the newspaper industry is claiming the vi- ability and importance of daily and weekly newspapers as a local community medium while declaring such a tariff would hurt American businesses by increasing operat- ing costs and reducing profitability, which would eventually lead to the loss of thou- sands of jobs in the newspaper industry. Well, during the last 18 months here in Fayetteville, we lost plenty of newspaper jobs, and it had nothing to do with the price of newsprint. Even more laughable is the arrogant self-perception that the news industry cares about the communities it serves. Here is a quote from e Fayetteville Ob- server's editorial: "We are at an important juncture right now, and our role of getting real news to you on a daily or weekly basis matters more than ever. A cred- ible news source that has a vested interest in community- based news and information is one of our bedrock principles as a free nation." ey are talking about themselves. ey go on, claiming that "Readers rely on newspapers to provide credible information about what matters most to them – news about local people, local government, local hap- penings, local businesses and important public notices that can impact a commu- nity." Again, really? Are they talking about our daily newspaper? I find it ironic that newspapers and newspaper-related associations have found it so convenient to, blatantly and without shame, violate the spirit of the Fourth Estate by publishing products with persistent politically leaning bias. And they do it with a mean-spirited pen- chant for sensationalizing fake news and half-truths while fostering ongoing and unfounded negative and disrespectful at- tacks on the office of the president of the United States. is injustice is as blatant as the disrespect many newspapers have for Americans who don't agree with their opinions and ideology. How ironic is it that now the mighty, arrogant liberal press is seeing its once- respected bully pulpit reduced to an insignificant stub? Even as liberal abuses continue to mock freedom of speech and other constitutional freedoms, the news- paper industry is asking North Carolinians and people from across the nation to step up, exert our influence and invest our po- litical capital to save it from an impending tax increase. Now that's arrogant. ey want those of us who they have continuously attacked and offended to speak out on their behalf by contacting the U.S. Department of Commerce, the offices of Sens. Burr and Tillis and anyone else who will listen to oppose this pro- posed Canadian newsprint tariff. Honest- ly, why would we do that? So the newspa- per industry can continue to assault our senses, make a mockery of the U.S. Con- stitution and spew the same disrespectful and biased reporting? I don't think so. I'm not going to second-guess our congres- sional leaders; don't be surprised if this falls on deaf ears. After all, this request is like asking the hangman for a new rope. Good luck. I do agree with e Fayetteville Observer on this point, though: "A free press is more important than ever, and newspapers have always been at the forefront of serving our communities. We remain steadfast in our commit- ment to continue doing so." Yep. is is what we do. I'll accept the price increase and make it work. After all, that's been a 22-year tradition. anks for read- ing Up & Coming Weekly. Even as liberal abuses continue to mock free- dom of speech ..., the newspaper industry is asking North Carolin- ians and people from across the nation to ... save it from an impend- ing tax increase. Now that's arrogant. Many of the legitimate, honorable and traditional newspaper publishers are being replaced with cor- porate bean-counters and caretakers. ... No wonder there is such apparent public apathy toward any plight the newspaper in- dustry may have. And it does have a plight.