Trying to be a first-rate reporter on the average American newspaper is like trying to play Bach’s ‘St. Matthew’s Passion’ on a ukulele.
- Bagdikian’s Observation
New York Times, Washington Post, and all other leading newspapers all over the country struggling to survive the Internet boom, move over and hear my ode to The Recorder, serving the people of Greenfield, Massachusetts and the North Quabbin region. Here in Greenfield, Massachusetts, we read the paper version of our beloved newspaper, and, while I have a disturbed relationship with the native Greenfielder, I am far from being sarcastic. My wife and I love the Recorder (as well as our local radio station, WHAI; if only Jay Fedanza wasn’t a Yankees fan).
We moved to Greenfield about eight years ago, totally unprepared for the cultural clash, but who could imagine that you can live in an American equivalent of Leonard Wibberly’s Duchy of Grand Fenwick, or even that a Chevy Chase movie like Funny Farm was not based on mere fantasy, but careful observation.
To put it in a nut-shell, the town of Greenfield (population 17,000+) is mentally, and in many cases visibly, stuck in the 1950s. The native Greenfielder (i.e. born and raised in Greenfield) is emphatically opposed to any changes that would interfere with his established lifestyle, even if it means hanging on to sub-standards, for instance, in medical care and fighting modern intrusions such as a big-box store (Oh Devil, Thy Name Is Walmart!). I frequently make it a point that The Greenfielder is a Soviet-Communist-Amish people – See my post A Species Of Its Own: The Greenfielder.
The Recorder has accumulated a large and stable list of followers, and I don’t expect that this will change in the near future. Their reporting is good, and keeps us up-to-date about what’s happening locally; National and international news are usually by Associated Press. Commentaries written by Chris Collins are a feast to read; those by Ben Clarke usually make me (and my wife) broil, and I can’t wait to get my hands on that keyboard for a flaming response to his offending humor – See my post Speechwriter Ben Clarke And His Offensive Humor.
And this may be the main reason for The Recorder’s success. The Recorder provides all of us an additional means of communication, especially when we thoroughly disagree on local issues, and a face-to-face confrontation is not advisable due to possible emotional outbursts. The letters to the editor are one of the most-read parts of The Recorder, and whether we agree with a reader’s contribution or not, we are exchanging ideas and keep the discussion alive.
And yes, The Recorder does have a website (http://www.recorder.com/), one of those amateurish throw-togethers that make you cringe and run for some TUMS. I always compare it to painting a car, because, believe it or not, everybody can paint a car. You take some oil paint and a big brush… You get the picture; it will not come out as a professional job, and The Recorder‘s website is a fine example.
But, in fact, it doesn’t matter. All those big newspapers around the country depend on top-notch websites these days in order to survive by creating additional income. It even goes so far that a highly regarded newspaper such as the Washington Post needs to sell advertisement space to known scammers, who are currently being investigated by the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission.
The online version of The Recorder is also designed to include ad space, but it is usually about playing golf in the Pioneer Valley, the hidden hills of Western Massachusetts, local TV listings, and the such. In the same spirit they can afford to post on their website:
Why can’t I read the entire newspaper online?
What you’ll find on recorder.com, and what you won’t
You can read the full story in The Recorder…but not ALL the stories.
You can find a lot of very useful information on Recorder.com, such as Classified ads, local Business Directories, links to other useful sites, weather information, local Arts & Entertainment schedules, obituaries, school lunches, the entire text of selected significant stories up to a week old, and many other great features. Many of these items can’t be found in the print version of our paper.
But you won’t find everything on our web site. You won’t find our police and court logs, or the entire local news report or sports. Why? Well, it’s just not good business to give away EVERYTHING we have to offer. Our subscribers mean a lot to us, and they value the service we perform by giving them the news and features they want.
To get the most the Recorder has to offer, our readers can access our web site AND check out our print version over their morning cup of coffee. Between the two, our readers can find out all the best information locally as well as nationally and worldwide.
Source: http://www.recorder.com/Online_Edition.cfm
Greenfield, Massachusetts may be mentally stuck in the 1950′s but their world is still in order when it comes to their local newspaper. Maybe there is a lesson to be learned; I just don’t know what it is.
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Being A Successful Newspaper The Old-Fashioned Way
New York Times, Washington Post, and all other big newspapers all over the country struggling to survive the Internet boom, here is my ode to the Recorder, serving the people of Greenfield, Massachusetts and the North Quabbin region.
Trying to be a first-rate reporter on the average American newspaper is like trying to play Bach’s ‘St. Matthew’s Passion’ on a ukulele.
- Bagdikian’s Observation
We moved to Greenfield about eight years ago, totally unprepared for the cultural clash, but who could imagine that you can live in an American equivalent of Leonard Wibberly’s Duchy of Grand Fenwick, or even that a Chevy Chase movie like Funny Farm was not based on mere fantasy, but careful observation.
To put it in a nut-shell, the town of Greenfield (population 17,000+) is mentally, and in many cases visibly, stuck in the 1950s. The native Greenfielder (i.e. born and raised in Greenfield) is emphatically opposed to any changes that would interfere with his established lifestyle, even if it means hanging on to sub-standards, for instance, in medical care and fighting modern intrusions such as a big-box store (Oh Devil, Thy Name Is Walmart!). I frequently make it a point that The Greenfielder is a Soviet-Communist-Amish people – See my post A Species Of Its Own: The Greenfielder.
The Recorder has accumulated a large and stable list of followers, and I don’t expect that this will change in the near future. Their reporting is good, and keeps us up-to-date about what’s happening locally; National and international news are usually by Associated Press. Commentaries written by Chris Collins are a feast to read; those by Ben Clarke usually make me (and my wife) broil, and I can’t wait to get my hands on that keyboard for a flaming response to his offending humor – See my post Speechwriter Ben Clarke And His Offensive Humor.
And this may be the main reason for The Recorder’s success. The Recorder provides all of us an additional means of communication, especially when we thoroughly disagree on local issues, and a face-to-face confrontation is not advisable due to possible emotional outbursts. The letters to the editor are one of the most-read parts of The Recorder, and whether we agree with a reader’s contribution or not, we are exchanging ideas and keep the discussion alive.
And yes, The Recorder does have a website (http://www.recorder.com/), one of those amateurish throw-togethers that make you cringe and run for some TUMS. I always compare it to painting a car, because, believe it or not, everybody can paint a car. You take some oil paint and a big brush… You get the picture; it will not come out as a professional job, and The Recorder‘s website is a fine example.
But, in fact, it doesn’t matter. All those big newspapers around the country depend on top-notch websites these days in order to survive by creating additional income. It even goes so far that a highly regarded newspaper such as the Washington Post needs to sell advertisement space to known scammers, who are currently being investigated by the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission.
The online version of The Recorder is also designed to include ad space, but it is usually about playing golf in the Pioneer Valley, the hidden hills of Western Massachusetts, local TV listings, and the such. In the same spirit they can afford to post on their website:
Greenfield, Massachusetts may be mentally stuck in the 1950′s but their world is still in order when it comes to their local newspaper. Maybe there is a lesson to be learned; I just don’t know what it is.