As a print journalist–and one who wrote a column for the Tampa Tribune for more than a dozen years–I had more than a passing interest in “Stop the Presses,” the documentary about the demise of the Trib that recently played at Tampa Theatre. It was done by Deborah Kerr, a print journalism advocate and the wife of George Kerr, the former, long-time operations director at the Trib, who, on camera, effectively knits together the various aspects of the Trib’s ultimate end.
It’s well done–as it morphs from a day in the life of a newspaper to what has been wrought by the world of digital journalism. It was moving as well as maddening. It’s about lost jobs, severed relationships and the implications to our democracy when we have fewer voices to inform and hold accountable.
Here are a few takeaways:
*How ironic to see what has resulted from the Tampa Bay Times’ purchase and summary closing of the Trib. The Times cherry-picked some key Trib staffers and inherited a subscription base.
The resultant product when two regional daily newspapers became one: a noticeably thinner, inferior newspaper. One where copy editors and proof readers have obviously gone missing. One where even the page numbers are not always accurate, and some pages have been downsized by half. One where the editorial side has taken a pandering tack to the right. One where front-page news judgment is often head-scratching. One where without obits and Rooms To Go ads, the Times might look like a community freebie.
* Not unexpectedly, no one from the Times appeared on camera to offer input. We get that. The most riveting image, however, is that of Times’ publisher Paul Tash, arms crossed, frozen in frown and seemingly standing guard as employees find out their paper has just been euthanized.
* There was no formal, final edition. Hell, even the old Tampa Times exited with that touch of class.
* The city of Tampa showed well. Visually as well as anecdotally.
* In the abstract, it’s no shock that the Tribune closed. The signs had been manifest for some time. And multi-newspaper markets are ever dwindling. But when it actually happens–impacting employees and families and a community–it’s still a shock.