Today, the Flier is part of the Baltimore Sun, itself part of some ridiculously named media conglomerate, and it has, basically, a staff of one.
Referencing the paper in the URL is done out of reverence. Local media matters. But it is hurting, and in turn, so is our discourse and our understanding of our community and each other.
Local bloggers and social media have filled some of the gaps, but these are not adequate replacements for professional reporters and editors.
The decline in local media is something I think about a lot, but a series of tweets from our local reporter last night brought these thoughts to the top of my mind and put the problems in stark focus.
When you're in person covering a school mtg & are also streaming a gov't mtg b/c you're the only reporter on staff and are literally trying to be in 2 places at once— Kate Magill (@kate_magill) March 9, 2018
Switching gears, now I'm at (in person, switched & am now streaming @HCPSS BOE) @HoCoGovExec's 2nd budget public hearing— Kate Magill (@kate_magill) March 9, 2018
I followed up with:
Kate is doing great work in really difficult circumstances. She's utilizing whatever tools she can do to a nearly impossible job. But it shouldn't have to be this way.Local media in 2018. On the one hand, great work, @kate_magill. You deserve a raise.— Ian Kennedy (@iankennedy7) March 9, 2018
On the other hand, this is a problem.
When I was a reporter years ago, I covered a town of 5,000 people (25k in the general area).
Kate is covering a county of 300,000 by herself. https://t.co/6juSjxnMpO
Of course, I don't have any answers, at least not for the ongoing contraction and disappearance of local media, something that is happening across the country in communities big and small and in between.
Nor do I think starting this blog will make any meaningful impact on our media deficit, but it's a better place for me to share words, thoughts, and information than Facebook.
So, here we go.
