Who Owns the Press?

Overview

A look into the newspaper business and its future

Explaining why newspapers are failing and how they can survive, this unique account examines the operations of eight locally owned newspapers and attempts to determine whether their different business methods might put them at an advantage. Offering guidance on what journalists can expect next, this record provides insights into newspaper ownership and how it affects the news as well as details on the effects of sliding advertising dollars, rising production costs, and the threat of the internet as a news source. The family owned newspapers that were analyzed for this discussion include the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Tulsa World, and the Spokesman-Review.

Reviews

"Whether one agrees with Prof. Pardue's conclusions, they are succinct and well worth reading--summarizing as they do the positives and the negatives, the question of why we should care, and a 17-bullet-pointed list of 'What Family Newspaper Owners Need to Do.'" —Media Ethics (February 2012)

Author Biography

Mary Jane Pardue is an associate professor of journalism at Missouri State University and a journalist whose articles have been featured in various publications, including Commercial Appeal, the Nashville Banner, and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. She lives in Springfield, Missouri.