Sanford: An alarming call to salvage the soul of newspapers
USA Today’s then-editor Ken Paulson announces the newspaper's "50 States In 50 Days" election coverage, in partnership with ABC News, during a news conference aboard an antique train car at Grand Central Station on Sept. 8, 2008, in New York. (Jason DeCrow/AP file)
Otis Sanford
Otis Sanford is a political columnist, author and professor emeritus in Journalism and Strategic Media at the University of Memphis.
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Ken Paulson nailed it.
As a former newspaper editor with an impeccable reputation in daily and academic journalism circles, Paulson is sounding the alarm about the increasing demise of editorials in local newspapers.
It is a demise, he rightfully argues, that is costing newspapers their influence and diminishing their relevance in their respective communities. I would add that the demise contributes to partisan division, allows corruption and self-dealing to mostly go unchecked and stunts a community’s growth.
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