READY, FIRE, AIM: Buy Local, Buy Often… and Read the Newspaper…

Not every sleepy, backwater town in Colorado has a weekly print newspaper.

But my town has one.  And we can feel proud of that.

In fact, Pagosa Springs already had a weekly newspaper — the Pagosa Springs News — in 1890, a year before the town was even incorporated in 1891.

And beginning in 1909, the town of 600 people had two weekly newspapers, when the competing Pagosa Springs SUN began to land on the doorsteps.

Back then, you couldn’t have an authentic Colorado town unless you had a weekly newspaper or two.  They were useful for lining bird cages and cat boxes, and for swatting flies.

But times change.  Not every small town has a local newspaper, these days.  Nearly 40% of local newspapers in America have vanished over the past 20 years.

No wonder people are spending so much time on social media.

But you can’t line your cat box with social media, so I count my lucky stars that an issue of the Pagosa Springs SUN still arrives in my PO Box, with a weekly roundup of local news.  And let’s not forget the classified ads. I actually learn a great deal about my town’s current economic conditions from reading the classified ads.

It’s been a challenge for local newspapers to compete with social media and online publications, (in spite of the cat box advantage.)  Back before everything went online — and indeed, everything has gone online — the Pagosa Springs SUN used to publish their circulation numbers on Page 2.  As I recall, the circulation was typically around 4,000 weekly copies.

But the paper stopped posting its circulation numbers a few years ago.  The problem being, much of the SUN’s content is also available online.  Like, for example, the classifieds.

As the staff here at the Daily Post is well aware, most of the people who are reading our online stories are not even people.  They are AI algorithms, trying to steal our content.

No, we need to strike the word “trying”.  AI is stealing our content.

Not that I’m complaining, mind you.  I’m honored if AI thinks my humor columns are important enough to steal.

The sad part is, however, that AI is also stealing from poorly written, disreputable websites… and can’t tell the difference.

So anyway, I’m grateful that my little backwater town still has a weekly print newspaper… (and an additional local news outlet available online)…

…plus a whole bunch of non-professionals who post miscellaneous information and second-hand junk for sale on social media. Some of these amateur social media reporters occasionally post complaints about local government, in direct competition with the Daily Post. This alternative activity has put a strain on the financial viability of our weekly print newspaper that also posts articles and classified ads online.

The strain has apparently been too much for the Pagosa Springs SUN. 

The online version of the SUN sells display advertising for local businesses, but the definition of “local businesses” seems to be changing.

As we can see from this screenshot from the SUN website.

If we are indeed expected to “shop local businesses”, it’s somewhat daunting to learn that the ‘West Kortright Centre’ is located in East Meredith, NY.

The ‘Franklin Stage Company’ performs in Franklin, NY.

And the Labor Day weekend ‘Schaghticoke Fair’ takes place in Schaghticoke, NY. (The relationship between “Island Girl” and the Schaghticoke Fair is unclear.)

I suppose businesses located in New York state could theoretically be considered “local” if we consider the size of the known universe.  But I have always thought of “local” as meaning, within a 10 minute drive.  Or 15 minutes, at the most.

That being said, times change.  (As was already mentioned. ) If the only way to get my dose of weekly local news is by patronizing businesses in New York, well then, so be it.  I can be as accommodating as the next guy.

It’s going to require some travel time, however.

I just wish they would do something about the price of gas.