How America’s newspapers lost their voice
Gannett and Lee say standardized opinion pages and subscription losses are pushing local editorials out of many newspapers, according to the report.
- Newspaper editorials, a 185-year American tradition of holding power accountable, are vanishing due to economic pressures and shifting news values. This trend has accelerated over the past four years, threatening journalism's role in local communities.
- Gannett and Lee Enterprises lead this phase-out; Gannett claimed editorials were 'frequently cited' by readers as a reason for cancelling subscriptions, while Lee replaced local opinion with standardized national commentary.
- Pulitzer Prize nominations for editorials dropped from 101 entries in 1995 to 25 this year, illustrating the decline. Hazel Brannon Smith's 1963 editorials in the Lexington Advertiser challenged white supremacists in Mississippi, exemplifying journalism's historical impact.
- While Gannett editors claimed 'Readers don't want us to tell them what to think,' a 2024 Pew Research study found most Americans still believe news criticism keeps political leaders accountable. This reveals a gap between corporate claims and reader expectations.
- Experts propose restoring editorial impact through community editorial boards and collaboration with other local outlets. Publishing editorials on an as-needed basis can address urgent local issues effectively at reduced costs.
33 Articles
33 Articles
The Conversation
How America’s newspapers lost their voice
What happened to newspaper editorials? RapidEye, iStock/Getty ImagesHazel Brannon Smith was almost certainly the most unpopular woman in Mississippi when she wrote an editorial in 1963 lambasting the racist White Citizens Councils in the Lexington Advertiser, a newspaper she owned. “The hierarchy of rulers in this totalitarian-like organization permit no deviation from its official line – and those who believe in and stand for the traditional Am…
Media Nation
What WorksEditorials aren’t the only way for local news outlets to engage with their communities
Outside the Seattle Daily Star, c. 1900. Photo via Wikimedia Commons. Ken Paulson, the former editor-in-chief of USA Today, has written a lament for the decline of newspaper editorials. Now the director of the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, Paulson argues in The Conversation that editorials are a key part of civic engagement. He bolsters his case by quoting the renowned Kansas publisher William Allen White: The editoria…
How America’s newspapers lost their voice
by Ken Paulson, Middle Tennessee State University, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] Hazel Brannon Smith was almost certainly the most unpopular woman in Mississippi when she wrote an editorial in 1963 lambasting the racist White Citizens Councils in the Lexington Advertiser, a newspaper she owned. “The hierarchy of rulers in this totalitarian-like organization permit no deviation from its official li…
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