The Lehigh Valley News Desert

Morning Call columnist Bill White left the newspaper Friday after 44 years. "I was accepted Wednesday afternoon for a company-wide voluntary buyout, which unfortunately carried a Nov. 30 severance date," he blogged. In his Sunday farewell column, he explains that he tried to use his "power," as the newspaper's only opinion columnist, to do good. Like Spidey. I believe he largely succeeded. While I sometimes disagreed with his opinions, he was always fair-minded. I never cared for his eating expeditions during Musikfest or his Christmas light safaris. I loathed his television reviews, especially "Dancing with the Stars." But he wrote well and never took himself too seriously. No matter what the topic, I still read him. Also, he cast a glaring spotlight on local government and leaders. For the past few years, his has been the only spotlight in the Lehigh Valley, aside from the blogs.

Ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes is said to have pissed on people who insulted him, shit in the theatre, and masturbated in public. Those antisocial behaviors might be more properly ascribed to a bottom-feeding blogger like myself than someone who dances with the stars. But like Diogenes, White carried a lamp into the dark caverns of local government, looking for an honest man. More often than not, it was in vain.

Some of you, especially those among you who are Trump supporters, will trash White because he detested the guy or because he failed to take disgraced Allentown Mayor Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski to task sooner than he did. This is unfair. The primary focus of White's opinion pieces were local, where he cast a jaundiced eye on both Republicans and Democrats. Although I think he should have been more critical of the corrupt Mayor than he was, he did actually check into one of my early stories about Fed Ed's non-tipping habit, as well as his refusal to even respond to the plight of mostly minority shop owners who were going out of business along Hamilton Street.

White's departure comes at a very bad time for local news. He is not the only person who was cashiered. While the emergence of Donald Trump has created a surge of interest in news, it's national news. People are glued to cable networks and national newspapers, but the situation is much different locally.

Just last month, Ken Doctor at NiemenLab painted this stark picture:

2018 may prove to be a turning point. The year has already been marked by an unforeseen acceleration of decline in the core local daily newspaper business, both in advertising and in circulation. At the same time, the hushed whispers of a local news emergency have grown louder. There’s talk — both public and private — of the need to raise huge amounts of money in order to address a crisis a decade in the marking.

The Express Times, at one time my favorite local daily, is just a shadow of its former self. The Morning Call appears to be following that model. There might be five honest-to-goodness reporters left.

The result?

News deserts.

As Doctor explains, "The print product itself — in most, but not all, cities and towns — continues to shrink, a 'news' paper in name only. Too little news, too little understanding of the community, too distant from readers’ concerns of today. Newspapers in name only."

While we blame the newspapers for shrinking, the real problem is us. We've become so polarized that all we need to know about a person is his party. The inquiry ends there, even on a local level. Never mind what's actually happening. We think watching Fox, CNN or PBS will tell us everything.

As a result, we get the government we deserve, and it's pretty bad.

What's also very sad is the loss of community. I really look forward to reading about the different high schools as they play football, basketball and baseball. Some of you might enjoy reading about other sports or other extracurricular activities. It's a shot in the arm to these kids when they are recognized, especially by affable Keith Groller. He seems to know every kid. Although both dailies are doing their best to cover high school sports, it's getting harder for them. They are spread too thin.

While I have no regard for the corporate-owned news, the answer lies with us. If we demand local news coverage, we will eventually get it.

Pittsburgh Becomes Largest US City Without Daily Newspaper

Over the years, I've often data-mined The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for stories relevant to the Lehigh Valley. But The Hill is reporting that this 232 year-old newspaper will no longer be a daily newspaper. After this weekend, there will be five newspapers published weekly, instead of seven. Pittsburgh will become the largest city in the country without a daily newspaper.

What I like about the Internet is that the readers tend to be active and often make significant contributions to my stories. A newspaper, much like television, is passive. You sit and watch or read without any opportunity to share an insight that the author may have missed.

What I dislike about the Internet is that there's such a rush to get a story out that sometimes, mistakes are made. I'm good for at least one a month, and am thankful when a reader corrects me. Print reporters make mistakes, too, but less often.

What I dislike about both print and Internet journalism is the emphasis on keeping stories short. Print journalists have a good reason for doing so - they only get a finite amount of apace. They try to pack as much content in with as few words as possible, a talent I envy. Though the Internet is unlimited, the trend is for stories even shorter than those you'll find in print, for fear that the reader will get bored if he has to read more than three lines.

It's as though everyone has ADD.

I tend to ignore this trend toward short stories  Some people are willing to read 700 words, if they want to be informed. I also do try to engage readers. I may write a story about a meeting I covered, and then get comments from someone who was also there, adding his or her perspective. This is what I like to call participatory journalism. I am beginning to see more of it on various Facebook pages.

Local News Deserts In the Information Age

The Morning Call's Bill White has chimed in with a story about what Tronc, which owns his paper, has done to The New York Daily News, now half the size it was a few short days ago. "I’m one of the lucky ones who still is working here, so I’m not inclined to rant and rave too much," he writes. That's a problem. I expect rants and raves from columnists. But Bill apparently feels he has to keep his head down. I suspect that attitude is now prevalent at most newspapers, Journalists have been replaced by content providers who tell us the best five places in town to buy a hamburger. You won't see them at most municipal meetings.

It's weird. We have iPhones, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and a host of social media platforms. But we now know less about what is going on locally than we did before the Information Age.   

The real problem is that, as this industry fails, so does democracy. There are still a gaggle of reporters who cover Donald Trump every time he passes gas, which is pretty much every time he opens his mouth. But there is very little coverage of what is going on locally. It's an atmosphere that invites corruption.

Believe it or not, a lack of news coverage also can be tied to an increase in the cost of government.

According to Governing, researchers at Notre Dame and Chicago Universities have determined that borrowing costs, government wages and taxes go up in a municipality when a newspaper stops covering it.

New Jersey recently has agreed to spend $5 million on a “civic information consortium” to provide news coverage of local communities that have become information deserts. Politicians will have no say in what is covered.

Lou Greenwald, who is the majority leader of the New Jersey state assembly, said this action is necessary for "the civic health of our communities. Study after study has shown what happens when local news is deficient or disappears altogether. Civic participation drops. Fewer people run for public office, fewer people volunteer.”

Print Media Plays Catch-Up in Sara Packer Case

For many years, I've attended news conferences about all kinds of local issues, involving both the print and broadcast media. Up until a few years ago, the print media would turn up their noses at the broadcast journalists, who usually would arrive late and unprepared. While print media peppered politicians with pertinent questions, the TV types would ask questions like, "What's your favorite color?"

Those days are gone. Despite being supplied with taxpayer subsidized offices, the coverage that daily newspapers provides concerning county government is abysmal. The Express Times has failed to send a reporter to cover NorCo government for months.It's been over a year since a real reporter, as opposed to a freelancer, has been there.The Morning Call is only slightly better. It still sends a real reporter to cover most Council meetings, but is absent or late from numerous committee meetings. WFMZ-TV69  has a reporter at every meeting, and sends someone to cover many of the townships and boroughs as well. One news source is still making an effort to hold government accountable

While the daily newspaper coverage has been shallow or nonexistent, just the way government likes it, TV reporting has grown by leaps and bounds. DA John Morganelli actually commended WFMZ-TV69 over its coverage of the Stockertown firing range, which eventually led to the prosecution of the person responsible for firing at people's homes.

The coverage that WFMZ-TV69 and NBC10 provided of the Sara Packer prosecution has caught print media flat-footed. I have told you that NBC10's Deanna Durante first reported about Sara Packer's employment as an adoption supervisor on December 28, but WFMZ-TV69 made the connection even earlier, on December 23. Despite having their own taxpayer-subsidized offices at the courthouse, both dailies yawned and celebrated Christmas. Only this week have they begun to cover an important story, and one that includes a county administration that is unwilling to do anything to reassure the public or defend beleaguered caseworkers.

Because of all the cutbacks, the only reporters left at the dailies are those who've been conditioned to keep their heads down and not speak out.The ones who did ended up at WFMZ-TV69.

So Tuesday, when Willie Reynolds was presenting his eight-point Bethlehem 2017 plan, one of the reporters asked whether anything had happened to prompt him to recommend campaign finance limits. What she was really asking is whether the shitstorm he took over Martin Tower made him realize he needed to do something. But she couldn't ask that question. She's learned to keep her head down.

And so it goes.

This and other blogs attempt to hold power accountable, but we lack the audience. Ironically,the persons they used to sneer at are doing what they once did.

When that stops, this democracy will officially be dead.

The 2016 Story That Daily Newspapers Want You To Ignore

At the end of every year, it's expected that blogs and newspapers tell you about the big stories over the previous year. The only person who really has this down is The Morning Call's Bill White. He always has a hilarious year-end wrap up. I usually play it straight. This year, as I began looking through about 1,000 posts on my blog over the past 12 months, the story that really stood out to me is one that the daily newspapers will never tell you. The top story is they have pretty much stopped covering the actual news.

Many of my stories about  the political corruption in Allentown are covered in both dailies. Bethlehem still gets some coverage. My series on gerrymandering  was covered thoroughly by Bill White. But this is the first year in which I exposed some significant stories that newspapers ignored.

My daily readers are aware of the strides that Amy Trapp and Dan Keen have taken to clean out some of the dead weight at Northampton County's jail. But there's been absolutely no coverage in the dailies. The political corruption in Nazareth, which included a Mayor skimming from poker machines and raids at the social clubs, was only covered after charges were filed and newspapers could no longer turn a blind eye. The Express Times actually hid from a major story occurring right under their own noses, in which Easton Mayor Sal Panto created two false names on the newspaper's reader forum to bully anyone who disagreed with him, while sanctimoniously attacking. That story was ignored until Panto was sued for defamation by one of his targets.

Though it is provided an office at taxpayer expense, The Express Times no longer covers Northampton County government. It produced no story concerning this year's budget. Or the appointment of an Administrator with multiple tax liens. ... Or the appointment of an EMS Director engaged in a blatant conflict of interest, in which he approves payments to his own father.  It has failed to cover a Council meeting since the end of summer.

That newspaper has stopped covering Bethlehem Township for nearly a year.

The Morning Call is slightly better. It will send reporters or freelancers to cover some meetings. But not nearly with as much frequency as it once did.

According to a 2015 Brookings Institution study, the number of newspapers per hundred million population fell from 1,200 in 1945 to 400 in 2014. Over that same period, circulation has declined from 35 percent to under 15 percent and the number of journalists has decreased from 43,000 in 1978 to 33,000 in 2015.

Some local governments have reacted to this vacuum in local coverage by using social media in an effort to reach the public. Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez sets aside one morning each month for the public,and his Chief of Staff has several news releases each week.Bethlehem Township also has a "Meet the Commissioner" policy once each month at the community center. They also are taking advantage of Facebook, Twitter Snapchat and Nixel. Tiny West Easton videotapes every meeting. Those are governments that at least try to be transparent and accountable.

But most governments love the lack of scrutiny.

Northampton County, for example, has a "new" website that actually contains less data than its predecessor. No contact information for elected Council members. It's an atmosphere in which someone engaged in payments to his father can get a major raise unanimously. It's one in which law clerks can be paid obscene sums of money and make careers out of holding a judge's robe,and even get a stipend on top of that salary. The second highest ranking county employee can be appointed despite having no education, no experience,six tax liens and a home in foreclosure.

This is how democracy dies.  
 

NorCo Takes Aim at Newspaper Advertising Costs

Northampton County's founding document, often called its Constitution, is a Home Rule Rule Charter that was written and approved by the voters long before there were laptops, tablets and iPhones  At their March 3 meeting, Northampton County Council unanimously approved a measure designed to both save money and take advantage of the changes brought about by the Internet. But because it is a change to the Home Rule Charter, it will also have to be approved by the voters during this Spring's primary.

This change deals with the County's advertising for jobs among its career service, or nonunion employees. Under the County's Home Rule Charter, job vacancies are posted on bulletin boards at County buildings, and must also be advertised in at least two newspapers of general circulation within the County. Council wants to eliminate the requirement to advertise these jobs or even post them on bulletin boards.

This change would have no immediate effect on union jobs, which are governed by the terms of union contracts with 11 different County bargaining units.

"The place to do advertising now is Monster," said John Cusick, referring to a popular job search website. He noted that the Internet has made newspaper ads unnecessary, and that the Intranet, accessible only by County employees, has replaced the bulletin boards.

Ken Kraft observed that when the Home Rule Charter was first adopted in 1978, he was a newspaper delivery boy for one of four daily newspapers then in circulation in the Lehigh Valley. Now there are just two.

Controller Steve Barron informed Council that the County has paid the following advertising expenses to the two remaining dailies:

Morning Call (since 98) $1,957,257.19
Average $115,132.79 per year
So far in 2016: $11,298.16

Express Times (since 98) $1,582,021.09
Average $93,060.06 per year
So far in 2016: $4,694.24

"On average per year between the two papers we pay $208,192.85," concluded Barron. "If we eliminate the requirements to advertise in two papers of general circulation we would get rid of a good portion of that expense."

In addition to paying to advertise at the dailies, Northampton County provides office space to both daily newspapers at no charge, even though both newspapers have substantially reduced their coverage of both counties as a result of layoffs plaguing the newspaper industry. Neither Lehigh County nor Monroe County make these kinds of accommodations to the press.

Currently, the newspapers are housed in offices next to Barron. He told Council, "They left their lights on in my building this evening when I got there at 5:45. The cleaning people did not do it as they were in the building when I left last night after the meeting. We give them office space, pay them fees for advertising the least they can do is turn off the lights when they leave at the end of the day."

Express Times No Longer Covers NorCo Government

Thomas Jefferson once said, “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter." Unfortunately, we are quickly becoming a government without newspapers. The Express Times has failed to provide any coverage for the last four meetings of Northampton County Council. It has failed to cover trials and other court hearings. This is good news for Executive John Brown, who is known for ignoring press inquiries and blatantly refusing to provide information requested by the legislative branch.

Online newspapers may eventually be the answer. Until that happens, the lack of scrutiny is bound to lead to local corruption and attempts to suppress or alienate the few independent voices that remain.

Updated 10:10 am: Should Public Subsidize an Unused Press Office?

Email to Executive and Council - Since The Express Times no longer bothers to cover the largest local government in Northampton County, and even fails to send reporters to cover criminal and civil proceedings, it has no need for the office that the County has supplied to it, rent-free, for decades. The newspaper has failed in its mission of informing the public, and should no longer be subsidized by the County.

John Brown is looking for ways to save money. This is one of them. The office should be converted into a photography center for those who file for passports but have no picture. The County can charge a modest fee for the picture.

Response from ET Editor Jim Deegan - Bernie is wrong.

Should you need any facts, information or if you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Response to Deegan - Do our eyes lie? The reality is that you have provided no coverage of the last four meetings of Northampton County Council, as well as numerous committee hearings. None. You have provided next to no coverage of the courts. This is a disgrace. There is no reason for the County to subsidize an office in the people's building that you fail to use. That area could easily be used for passport pictures. If you intend to start providing coverage, how about telling your own readers? Don't they deserve a little respect from you, instead of the lies you told about not laying off people in the newsroom?

Why Pols Should Have No Role in Funding the Press

As daily newspapers continue their decline, rocket scientists like Ezra Klein have actually argued that government should directly fund the news. What's good for the banking and automotive industry is good for the press. But seriously, would you really want some politician deciding how you get your news?  Unfortunately, it's already happening, as Noel Jones points out in her Easton Neighbors blog.

Noel's maintains a terrific hyper local blog that concentrates mostly on Easton's West Ward.  But her story is not about her own publication. It's about the West Word. That's published only three times a year. It's funded by the CACLV's West Ward Partnership Program, which in turn gets its money from both public and nonpublic sources.

It was up for a $9,750 renewal last week, and two elected Easton officials dropped by to complain about West Word. One of them is Mayor Sal Panto himself, who groused that, instead of reading about West Ward shootings, he wants to see more stories about girl scouts selling cookies.

Say what?

Panto still supported the funding.

The other Easton official? Mike Fleck. He's a City Council member, NIZ cheerleader, and political consultant to Democratic candidates and trade unions.

According to Noel, Fleck stated, "The primary objective of the paper is not to get the people thinking and discussing.”

In his case, I can see why.

Although The West Word was ultimately funded, I expect to see a lot more girl scout stories.

Bill White Chides Bottom-Feeding Blogger

In my post about bottom-feeding bloggers yesterday, someone observed that people don't really care about government and that's why newspapers give it such scant coverage. I responded by noting that if you take no interest in your government, your government still has an annoying way of taking an interest in you. That's why a democracy needs a free and independent press, and not one that is increasingly distracted by what really can only be described as mindless bullshit like American Idol or Dancing With the Stars.

I followed that up by using Morning Call columnist Bill White (who likes American Idol and Dancing With the Stars) as an example. I pointed to his recent columns about Congressional redistricting (Never vote for these Lehigh Valley Traitors, One issue voting? Yes, if it's ethics), noted I agree with him, but asked, "[W]here was he a few years ago, when redistricting reform was attempted? Where was I? Where was any of us?"

Apparently, he was writing about it, and has been doing so pretty consistently, and as long ago as 1991.

A slightly perturbed White emailed me a baker's dozen of columns he wrote about redistricting reform, convincingly establishing that I'm full of shit.

Although my remark was made in a casual comment, and not on an actual blog posting, I feel I owe it to him and everyone else to point out that I had my facts wrong on this issue. But I still insist that, in a democracy, newspapers and their columnists have an obligation to tell us what is going on inside government.

You can't do that while simultaneously writing four columns about the food at Musikfest.