Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in Journalism

First Advisor

Samir Husni

Second Advisor

Charles Mitchell

Third Advisor

Joseph B. Atkins

Relational Format

dissertation/thesis

Abstract

Print newspapers in the 21st century America exist in a diverse media landscape. Radio, television and online media all compete with newspapers to reach news consumers. With 24-hour cable news and the widespread adoption of the internet, information is available to viewers and readers anytime and anywhere. Much of that information is available free of charge. Traditionally, advertising revenue has carried the costs of print news production. But as the media pie gets cut smaller and smaller, that traditional model is failing to support print newspapers. In the five years since 2010, America has seen a net loss of 331 newspapers and net drop in total circulation of 7,863,760. At a time when media analysts have said the era of printing ink on dead trees is over, this study looks at how one small town community weekly newspaper continues to operate in a complex media world. Small town news outlets are insulated from some of the pressures faced by larger daily papers. By providing relentlessly local content and keeping expenses low, the Pass Christian gazebo gazette, which began publication in 2006 and survived the economic downturn of 2008, continues to post profits year after year.

Concentration/Emphasis

Track: Academic

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.