Reader: Find 1 good story on school funding

Tim Engstrom, Pothole Prairie

Published Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Last week, I wrote about changes in journalism. I explained that newspapers can no longer be just newspapers. And I said the demand for news content is higher than ever. Paying for it is the problem, I said. I explained how I felt as technology changes the need for local journalists with tech-savvy skills that can draw an audience will increase.

I said someday monetizing journalism will improve as technology replaces paper and ad decisions are handed over to a digital-forward generation.

I wrote: “The sad part is between then and now many journalists, particularly at big papers, will lose their jobs, which isn’t good for the health of democracy. We are in the tough transition period caused by market changes but not for a lack of demand for news. More people are consuming news than ever before. That’s not going away.”

In the comments section after my column, “newyankee” wrote: “I am not sure about the ‘health of democracy’ line of thinking. I am not convinced given the slant in the print media. Find one in-depth article on school finances anywhere in this state alone. Or at the national level, you have a press room packed with journalists at the White House and the next day you have one headline and the same tag line for television. I would not be too worried about the out-of-work journalists, it seems they get jobs in politics fairly easily.”

One in-depth article on school finances coming right up. From your hometown newspaper.

Former Albert Lea Tribune education reporter Sarah Kirchner wrote several in-depth pieces on pressures facing schools in Minnesota in the weeks leading up to a levy referendum in 2007.

One that printed in this newspaper on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007, had this headline: “Funding schools: Why do so many Minn. districts seek levy referendums?”

The story explained the complicated funding formula so well — so easy to understand — that many newspapers in Minnesota requested permission to reprint it. Plus it circulated among many statewide education organizations.

It’s the first story that pops up when you type “school-funding formula” into the search field of AlbertLeaTribune.com.

I can tell you a few things about that story. It was hard to do. Sarah researched for days on it. As her editor, I combed that story and called her sources and pushed her to improve on the hard work she had done. In the end, the readers benefited.

You do see many journalists at the White House. According to www.whitehousepresscorps.org, they represent these news agencies: ABC, Agence France Presse, American Urban Radio Networks, Associated Press, Bloomberg, CBS, Chicago Tribune, CBN, Christian Science Monitor, Copley News Service, Cox News Service, CNN, Dallas Morning News, Dow Jones, Financial Times, Fox News, Hearst, Houston Chronicle, Human Events, Los Angeles Times, McClatchy, National Journal, National Public Radio, National Review, NBC, Newsweek, New York Daily News, New York Times, Reuters, Salem Radio Network, Scripps Howard, Slate, Talk Radio Network, Time, USA Today/Gannett, U.S. News, Voice of America, Wall Street Journal, Washington Examiner, The Washington Post and Washington Times.

I’m guessing, but perhaps the media “newyankee” reads and watches are members of the Associated Press, which can be found printed in your local paper or broadcast on your local TV station. AP does print and broadcast work.

The next time there is White House press conference, try your local paper and TV stations but then also check out Web sites for the New York Times, The Washington Post, the Christian Science Monitor, CBN, a Gannett paper such as the Des Moines Register or a Scripps property such as KSHB-TV in Kansas City, Mo., and the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colo. You’ll see the differences.

You can go further and check out English-speaking media in Europe, too. Or find a radio broadcast from American Urban Radio Networks.

In today’s paper, there is a story about Society of Professional Journalists President Dave Aeikens. One detail not in the story is him talking about how journalism costs money and more folks need to realize that. Reporters do more than cover politics. If there is a plane crash in the early morning hours in Buffalo, some guy has to get his butt out there to report about it.

“That stuff doesn’t just happen,” he said.

Don’t judge the press on the White House reporters alone. A big concern is with the loss of reporters who cover local government. Who lets you know about what your tax dollars are doing? Having more reporters would result in a better understanding of schools, not less.

Look, even people who dislike the news media consume a lot of news media. Even “newyankee” spends a lot of time at AlbertLeaTribune.com. Do people who profess to hate the media fail to notice how much media they consume? I mean, even the biggest hater of news media, Rush Limbaugh, is part of the media. And he’s not just making an observation. It makes competitive sense for him to discourage people from heeding any media other than his.

The Pioneer Press hopes you don’t read the Star Tribune. The Star Tribune hopes you don’t watch WCCO. WCCO hopes you don’t listen to Minnesota Public Radio. MPR hopes you don’t need MinnPost.com, which, well, you get the picture. But real media are ethical, don’t come right out and say that and aren’t rude to their colleagues. It is one of many reasons why Rush often is classified as entertainment, not news.

Besides, it’s hard to argue that Americans don’t like the news media when more Americans are consuming more news media than ever before in American history, even as there is less news getting covered. Saying you don’t want journalists is like saying you are apathetic about your country — and your state, your region, your county, your city, your neighborhood and, let’s not forget, your history. Someone has to record what happens.

Thanks, “newyankee,” for giving me something to write about this week.

Tribune Managing Editor Tim Engstrom’s column appears every Tuesday.

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