Forum planned for journalists to discuss future of newspapers

More people would have read this story in a newspaper 10 years ago.

Since 1999, print newspaper readership has plummeted, with a wide array of offerings on the Internet among the many reasons why fewer people will get ink on their hands while reading this article.

With newspapers not gaining revenue from the droves of people who instead read their news on the Internet for free – as well as diminished advertising revenue from the print product – editors and publishers recognize their industry has seen better days.

They’ve lost enough advertising dollars, shed enough jobs and seen enough subscription cancellations to fully realize they no longer have a lock on being delivered to every doorstep every morning.

Those who work at the major newspapers in New Hampshire have long discussed this state of journalism among themselves. But this week, representatives from those papers will gather formally for the first time to talk about how they’ll try to survive and possibly thrive in the new media age.

Editors and publishers from nine newspapers will participate in a forum at University of New Hampshire on Thursday. Not only will they discuss their futures, but they’ll address readers’ concerns about journalism, said Terry Williams, publisher and president of The Telegraph.

Williams, who organized the panel, said Telegraph readers in Greater Nashua constantly ask him if the newspaper will survive. He hopes newspaper readers from all over the state will attend the forum to take advantage of the rare chance to speak with those who operate New Hampshire’s print and online news sources.

“The conference will look at a lot of things, but I think our readers would like to hear from us,” Williams said.

Much has been written about the dire straits of national newspapers, but New Hampshire’s papers should “define for themselves what they see for the future,” Williams said. “I don’t believe it’s the worst case for New Hampshire papers.”

Among the topics for discussion, Williams said, will be what would happen if newspapers eliminate more reporter positions to stay afloat. Newspapers need to review what will happen to their roles as watchdogs if their reporting staffs diminish further, he said.

Another issue to be discussed, Williams said, is a crossroads facing all newspapers: How much are people willing to pay for online content? When newspapers established Web sites in the 1990s, most of them decided not to charge for content, and that decision has harmed the industry. If that revenue stream had been established immediately, newspapers would be in better shape today, most analysts believe.

The forum panel will also review whether newspapers should consider alternative means of financing, such as funding from nonprofit organizations, Williams said.

Participating in the forum will be editors and publishers from The Telegraph, The New Hampshire Union Leader, The Concord Monitor, The Keene Sentinel, The Portsmouth Herald, Foster’s Daily Democrat, The Laconia Citizen, The Conway Daily Sun and The Valley News.

UNH’s journalism program is sponsoring the event.

It will be held at 7 p.m. in the Granite State Room of the Memorial Union Building.

Albert McKeon can be reached at 594-5832 or amckeon@nashuatelegraph.com.