--- [ ARCHIVE ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=16) # Only One Newspaper Publisher for Southern California? ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/June-2015/046f.png)MEDIA-The publisher of the Los Angeles Times took over the San Diego Union Tribune last month and that seemed to confirm a projection I heard not long ago from someone high up in the newspaper industry: In the not too distant future, there will be only one newspaper ownership in Southern California. It’s all about the adverse trends that newspapers are suffering in the emerging digital world. According to the [Pew Research Center](http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/05/22/the-declining-value-of-u-s-newspapers/), “Steep revenue and circulation declines across the newspaper industry have left many newspapers struggling. Over the past decade, [weekday circulation has fallen 17%](http://www.journalism.org/2015/04/29/newspapers-fact-sheet/) and ad revenue more than 50%.” The economics indicate that many newspapers will battle to survive opening the possibility that the largest whale in the newspaper sea would gobble up the other fish in the area. Assuming that comes to pass, a question arises if newspapers under one management remain independent? That is the goal according the new owners of the San Diego paper. Take a look at the announcement that appeared in the Los Angeles Times after the merger. Two independent voices is the claim according to the announcement. It is important that distinct voices remain. One board overseeing the major newspapers in the state’s two largest cities should not dictate singular editorial judgment. If the prediction of only one newspaper publisher for all of Southern California newspapers comes to be, the concern will be even greater. Some may ask, “What does it matter?” Newspaper and editorial influence has been on the wane for a long time. Few people read editorials. The same concern was raised when multiple publications in major cities began to disappear and now most cities have but one major daily. Yet, the editorial content and the way it is presented does matter. The numbers of newspapers are down, it is true, but so is the percentage of voters. Those who do vote are influenced by editorials, if not directly, then in the multiple contacts by campaigns that use the editorials in advertising to reflect independent analysis. While that influence of editorial comment may have faded from the glory days of newspapers, it is still relevant and important. {module \[1177\]} One has to look at the promise of independence for different newspapers with a jaundice eye. Already the San Diego paper has seen some layoffs. Efficiency experts could suggest a reduction of employees by condensing or even eliminating editorial staffs. Different voices increase the opportunity for serious debate within the marketplace of ideas. If newspaper ownership is consolidated with a loss of distinct voices, a vacuum in that marketplace of ideas would be filled with many smaller but, hopefully, influential voices, both print and digital. *(Joel Fox is the editor of Fox and Hounds and President of the Small Business Action Committee. This column was posted first at [FoxandHoundsDaily.com](http://FoxandHoundsDaily.com))* -cw CityWatch Vol 13 Issue 46 Pub: Jun 5, 2015 Written by Joel Fox. June 04 2015 [](https://www.addtoany.com/share) ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/June-2015/046f.png)MEDIA-The publisher of the Los Angeles Times took over the San Diego Union Tribune last month and that seemed to confirm a projection I heard not long ago from someone high up in the newspaper industry: In the not too distant future, there will be only one newspaper ownership in Southern California. It’s all about the adverse trends that newspapers are suffering in the emerging digital world. According to the [Pew Research Center](http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/05/22/the-declining-value-of-u-s-newspapers/), “Steep revenue and circulation declines across the newspaper industry have left many newspapers struggling. Over the past decade, [weekday circulation has fallen 17%](http://www.journalism.org/2015/04/29/newspapers-fact-sheet/) and ad revenue more than 50%.” The economics indicate that many newspapers will battle to survive opening the possibility that the largest whale in the newspaper sea would gobble up the other fish in the area. Assuming that comes to pass, a question arises if newspapers under one management remain independent? That is the goal according the new owners of the San Diego paper. Take a look at the announcement that appeared in the Los Angeles Times after the merger. Two independent voices is the claim according to the announcement. It is important that distinct voices remain. One board overseeing the major newspapers in the state’s two largest cities should not dictate singular editorial judgment. If the prediction of only one newspaper publisher for all of Southern California newspapers comes to be, the concern will be even greater. Some may ask, “What does it matter?” Newspaper and editorial influence has been on the wane for a long time. Few people read editorials. The same concern was raised when multiple publications in major cities began to disappear and now most cities have but one major daily. Yet, the editorial content and the way it is presented does matter. The numbers of newspapers are down, it is true, but so is the percentage of voters. Those who do vote are influenced by editorials, if not directly, then in the multiple contacts by campaigns that use the editorials in advertising to reflect independent analysis. While that influence of editorial comment may have faded from the glory days of newspapers, it is still relevant and important. {module \[1177\]} One has to look at the promise of independence for different newspapers with a jaundice eye. Already the San Diego paper has seen some layoffs. Efficiency experts could suggest a reduction of employees by condensing or even eliminating editorial staffs. Different voices increase the opportunity for serious debate within the marketplace of ideas. If newspaper ownership is consolidated with a loss of distinct voices, a vacuum in that marketplace of ideas would be filled with many smaller but, hopefully, influential voices, both print and digital. *(Joel Fox is the editor of Fox and Hounds and President of the Small Business Action Committee. This column was posted first at [FoxandHoundsDaily.com](http://FoxandHoundsDaily.com))* -cw CityWatch Vol 13 Issue 46 Pub: Jun 5, 2015 [![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/ME%20DENTAL%20SPA/me%20dental%202026%20final.jpg)](http://medentalspa.com/) ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/banners/signup-for-cw.png) ## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays Last Name [ ![LA DWP #2 (Pay Your Bill Help)](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/LADWP/dwp%20level%20pay%205-7-25.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Pay Your Bill Help)") [ ![Home - HHR Rent is too High - SB-2](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/HHR/AHF-rent-too-high.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/104 "Home - HHR Rent is too High - SB-2") --- ## Featured CityWatch Stories [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/fd/064h-fdb0b507.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29355:remembering-ken-draper-citywatch-and-transparency-are-his-legacy&catid=12) ### [Remembering Ken Draper: CityWatch and Transparency Are his Legacy](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29355:remembering-ken-draper-citywatch-and-transparency-are-his-legacy&catid=12) LA WATCHDOG - Ken Draper, the editor and publisher of CityWatch for more than 20 years, passed away on August 8, 2022… [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/0f/061a-0f1ada2f.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33148:brace-yourself-for-a-worse-housing-crisis&catid=398) ### [Brace Yourself For A Worse Housing Crisis](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33148:brace-yourself-for-a-worse-housing-crisis&catid=398) PLANNING WATCH - The California State Legislature will soon vote on the following draft legislation. Please carefully… [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/54/064j-54f0ecbd.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33204:be-prepared-to-protect-our-democracy-in-november-from-a-trumpian-plot&catid=9) ### [Be Prepared to Protect Our Democracy in November From a Trumpian Plot](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33204:be-prepared-to-protect-our-democracy-in-november-from-a-trumpian-plot&catid=9) BE AWARE - Back in the days when conservatives were so hungry for media platforms that they’d come on progressive shows… [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/ab/063e-ab3b1ba1.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33174:nithya-raman-loses-the-homelessness-gavel-her-record-explains-why&catid=396) ### [Nithya Raman Loses the Homelessness Gavel — Her Record Explains Why](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33174:nithya-raman-loses-the-homelessness-gavel-her-record-explains-why&catid=396) THE BOTTOM LINE - Raman wants Los Angeles voters to promote her to mayor. Before handing her the keys to City Hall, v… [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/75/064a-75d5dbb3.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33199:your-boss-owns-your-workday-not-your-brain&catid=425) ### [Your Boss Owns Your Workday—Not Your Brain](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33199:your-boss-owns-your-workday-not-your-brain&catid=425) THE NEURAL WORKPLACE - California must protect workers before workplace surveillance crosses the final frontier: the hu… --- ## [ ARCHIVE ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=16) [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Apr-2018/034e.png) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15339:early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles&catid=16)### [Early Intervention and Jobs are Key to Stemming Chronic Homelessness in Los Angeles](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15339:early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles&catid=16) ### [Tucker Carlson and Gay Rightwinger Blame California Wildfires On Hiring LGBTQ People](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18755:tucker-carlson-and-gay-rightwinger-blame-california-wildfires-on-hiring-lgbtq-people&catid=16) ### [Anti-LGBTQ Veep Just Can’t Stop Talking about Mayor Pete](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17690:anti-lgbtq-veep-just-can-t-stop-talking-about-mayor-pete&catid=16) [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Apr-2018/033j.png) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15316:news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties&catid=16)### [NEWS PULSE: ‘Corrupt System’ Reason for Not Voting in 2018 … Majority Wants More Than Two Parties](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15316:news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties&catid=16) [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Jan-2016/1404d.png) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10245:dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles&catid=16)### [Dead Dog Set on Fire … Sparks Fears for Strays in Los Angeles](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10245:dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles&catid=16)