The decline of local news in the United States is speeding up – the nation has lost one-third of its newspapers and two-thirds of its newspaper journalists since 2005.
Recent studies report an average of 2.5 newspapers closed each week in 2023 compared to two a week the previous year and most are weekly publications, in areas with few or no other sources for news.
And now the Lindale News & Times has been added to those statistics as we close the doors after 124 years.
For 124 years the News & Times (by one name or another) has shared good news and bad. We have announced the happy news of births of generations of Lindale children and shared the sorrowful news of local men and women passings.
For more than a century we have been the watchdog on your tax dollars – explaining where and why the city, school and county were spending your hard earned dollar.
At its current pace, the country is expected to hit 3,000 newspapers closed in two decades sometime next year, with just under 6,000 remaining. At the same time, 43,000 newspaper journalists lost jobs with the newspaper advertising market going elsewhere. Texas, the nation’s second most populous state, has grown 50% since 2005 yet has lost 65% of its newspaper journalists. Unfortunately Terry and Darla are now two of those casualties.
Newspapers are not funded by tax dollars, grants or non-profit organization. Really. Many people seem to think we have a bottomless pot of money and our employees work for the fun of it. I assure you I do not have an endless supply of cash.
The News & Times is a local small business, like our local restaurants and mom and pop retail stores. The only revenue we make comes from advertising in the paper. And while we appreciate the $35/year subscriptions, those are a break-even at best.
Mailing costs continue to go up, while mail service goes down. I mail a Lindale paper to my home just north of Gladewater each week to gauge the delivery service. And I know this probably won’t surprise you – but it takes seven days for that paper to travel 35 miles. That’s ridiculous.
And our employees have to pay their bills just like everyone else, just like the News & Times has to pay for rent, lights, gas, printing, phones, internet and so much more.
Last year I shut down my White Oak Independent newspaper because the community didn’t financially support it.
My late wife Suzanne, who died in a car wreck in 2022 and had taught at White Oak schools for 20 years, saved the paper when the previous owners retired and were going to close it. We ran it for many years. But after losing money for FIVE years straight I chose to shut it down. But they still deserved to have their people informed about their local government and schools, so we do that by merging it into our Gladewater newspaper.
Its important for residents to be informed. It was important to Suzanne and it’s important to me.
But frankly, I’m not too sure how much longer I can subsidize that paper.
The reason for our closing in Lindale is simple – money.
The advertising pie in the Lindale community only has so many slices and all we’ve seen are crumbs. The school sells multiple sponsorships and team products for sports and other groups all year long, while the chamber of commerce produces many publications with very high dollar rates. Local businesses happily pay up to $1,500 for a full page ad in one of many print magazines, while we can’t get the same businesses to pay $50 to help us keep the people informed about city council meetings, school board meetings, police and fire activities, and county business that will affect you – like tax hikes and/or increases in fees. You know – things that affect you and your family every day – you know, important things and things that matter.
Don’t get me wrong – the chamber does a great job doing what they do and they are an important tool in the city’s economic tool kit. I just really think a town needs substance also and that’s where the newspaper came in.
Guess I was wrong. I’ve only been doing this for 50 years – maybe 10 years too long.
Then there is Facebook. Businesses come in town, launch a free Facebook page and think that is all they need to do to draw in customers. The local newspaper is way down on their list when it comes to getting the word out.
We get it – that’s why we also have a digital version of the paper each week. And we have many digital subscribers. Actually many more than print subscribers. The cost is the same, but they get their news much quicker.
But again – no ad revenue means no newspaper.
I can only hope our closing doesn’t turn off the light to open government and the public’s ability to stay informed.
I’m confident there has to be a light at the end of the tunnel for our Lindale readers hungry for important information. The school’s Eagle Eye news department does an excellent job of keeping everyone informed about what’s going on at LISD. They are the next generation and maybe one of them will return home after college and start a hometown news source – whether it be on printed paper of in a digital format.
I just hope they will receive the financial support needed to make a living, while keeping their neighbors informed.
Until then – it’s been our privilege to do our part in keeping the citizens of Lindale informed these many years, but sadly, the economic reality is that we must shut the doors.
If you wish a refund for the remaining balance on your subscription please send an email request to: classifieds@lindalenews-times.com and please include the name on the subscription, addresss and phone number.
Good luck and best wishes.
– By Jim Bardwell/Publisher