Why Duluth needs the News Tribune

I've spent more than 50 years in community journalism, and one lesson has become clearer with each passing decade: communities are only as strong as their local news organizations.

That belief has not changed despite the internet, social media, smartphones, newsletters, podcasts and every other technological innovation that has transformed the way Americans consume information. In fact, I would argue the opposite is true. In an age overflowing with information, trustworthy local journalism has become more valuable than ever. That is why the future of the Duluth News Tribune matters.

For generations, the News Tribune has served as the newspaper of record for northeastern Minnesota. Long before websites, mobile apps and social media feeds existed, the newspaper documented the daily life of this community. It covered city hall, county government, school boards, businesses, courts, elections, labor disputes, championship teams, economic booms and economic downturns. Its archives collectively tell the story of Duluth, the Iron Range, the North Shore and northwestern Wisconsin in a way no other institution can replicate.

Today, like virtually every legacy newspaper in America, the News Tribune finds itself navigating one of the most difficult business transitions in media history. The organization is no longer simply a newspaper. It is increasingly a digital news company that also produces a newspaper. The distinction matters because it reflects the reality facing the entire industry. Readers consume news differently than they did 20 years ago. Advertising has changed. Subscription habits have changed. Technology has changed.

The challenge facing the News Tribune is not whether it can continue producing quality journalism. The challenge is how to sustain that journalism in a dramatically different marketplace.

That transition is neither easy nor unique to Duluth. Newspapers throughout the United States are wrestling with the same questions. How much content should remain behind a paywall? How much should be available to the public? How does a newsroom attract younger readers who may never have developed the newspaper habit? How does an organization maintain reporting resources while print revenues continue declining?

These are difficult questions without simple answers, and every legacy newspaper in America is attempting to solve them in real time.

The News Tribune possesses important strengths as it confronts those challenges. Its greatest asset remains its journalism. The newspaper continues to employ reporters who cover local government, education, business, courts and community affairs at a depth that few organizations can consistently match. Its institutional knowledge remains significant. Its archives are extraordinary. Its role as the region's primary accountability newsroom remains essential. When major issues emerge involving public policy, taxes, government spending, economic development or public safety, communities benefit from having experienced journalists asking difficult questions and demanding answers.

The newspaper also benefits from a newsroom culture that continues to value reporting. Journalism remains difficult work. It requires long hours, skepticism, persistence and a willingness to spend days or weeks pursuing stories that may ultimately affect thousands of residents. The reporters, editors, photographers and support staff at the News Tribune continue performing that work during a period of extraordinary disruption throughout the media industry. Regardless of where one falls politically or ideologically, that effort deserves recognition and respect.

The newspaper's challenges are equally apparent. Like most legacy media organizations, it must continue evolving from a print-first operation into a truly digital-first enterprise. Readers increasingly expect news to be immediate, mobile and available wherever they happen to be. Younger audiences consume information differently than previous generations. Competition for attention is relentless. Every news organization, including independent publishers like myself, faces the reality that readers now have countless options competing for their time every day.

Yet perhaps the greatest challenge facing the News Tribune is one confronting all journalism organizations: convincing the public that quality local journalism is worth supporting financially. For generations, newspapers relied heavily on advertising revenue. Today, subscriptions increasingly determine whether local journalism survives and thrives. Readers are understandably selective about where they spend their money. At the same time, investigative reporting, government coverage and enterprise journalism require resources. Communities cannot expect high-quality journalism while simultaneously expecting it to be free forever.

Duluth benefits from having a strong News Tribune. It benefits from having reporters attending city council meetings. It benefits from having journalists covering school boards, county government, state politics and the courts. It benefits from having photographers documenting major events. It benefits from having editors asking whether public officials are serving taxpayers effectively. Communities need watchdogs. They need accountability. They need journalists willing to ask uncomfortable questions on behalf of the public.

Across America, some communities have already lost those watchdogs. They have become what media researchers call "news deserts" — places where little or no professional local journalism remains. The consequences are significant. Civic engagement declines. Government accountability weakens. Citizens become less informed about issues directly affecting their lives. The absence of local journalism creates a void that is rarely filled by social media speculation or partisan commentary.

It is difficult for me to imagine Duluth without a strong local newspaper.

For more than 150 years, the News Tribune has helped document, explain and occasionally challenge this community. The format may change. The delivery method will certainly continue evolving. The future is clearly digital. But the mission remains the same. Inform the public. Hold institutions accountable. Tell the stories of the people who call this region home.

I have long believed that communities are only as strong as their local newspaper. Today, I would expand that thought slightly: communities are only as strong as their commitment to local journalism. The future of the Duluth News Tribune matters because the future of local journalism matters. Regardless of where readers get their news, that is something worth supporting.