As Jacobsen details in her expose: “Media observers note that they [Alden] make cuts almost from day one. Pens and notebooks disappear from newsrooms. One newsroom was missing hot water. Then newspaper buildings are sold, and [the] staff is consolidated and cut.”
Alden’s pattern of behavior when it comes to budget cuts, layoffs, and general downsizing can be seen not only at the East Bay Times, but also at other publications.
This points to a likely outcome for the publications under the wing of Tribune Publishing, whose fate will be quite similar.
Today’s journalism is in crisis
A 2019 Brookings report points to the wider crisis facing newspaper outlets across the country. It is reported that over 65 million Americans today live in jurisdictions with one local newspaper or none at all.
The traditional business model utilized by local newspapers has fallen by the wayside as advertising and subscription revenues continue to decline. From 2008-2018 advertising revenues declined by a whopping 68%.
