Eccentric Newspapers going away

[oldredfordette]

Got the word today. 44 job losses, the Eccentric Newspapers shutting down.

[Reality_Check]

Beyond the regrettable impact on employees, the Metro Detroit info void widens in far-reaching ways.

Except for the largest suburbs such as Southfield, Livonia and a few others, there now will be no widely available source of news voters need about who runs for suburban mayor, supervisor, council or school board -- and what they do in office. The shrinking O&E papers were already thin shells, but still filled that role somewhat.

Sure, League of Women Voters candidate guides are available at libraries . . . but that's a far stretch from doorstep delivery.

And how many onetime varsity athletes still have yellowing clips from a community paper? That kind of stuff is tiny and huge at the same time.

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till its gone

-- Joni Mitchell, 1970

[buildingsofdetroit]

Stories here:
http://detnews.com/article/20090413/...30404/1001/biz
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...FREE/904139972

[oldredfordette]

For the record, I meant 44 production people. I don't know about the editorial staff, we'll find out later today.

[Zimm]

not a real loss. these papers did at best an adequate job of relaying local news. the thing they were horrible at [[and it's the thing that would have kept them alive) was to connect readers with their communities.

there is still a market for local papers that can connect citizens with their community. better options will emerge.