Let’s be real, it’s hard to imagine things being much worse for local newspapers…
Then again, there’s always the death by a thousand cuts concept…and we’re at least 900 plus cuts into that scenario.
Which brings us to current state of college and pro sports.
Bad as things are and have been, canceling of the Big 12 and NCAA mens basketball tourneys – not to mention the NBA and NHL seasons, Major league Baseball, Major League Soccer and with pretty much all-things-sports – is the equivalent of a giant cup of print journalism hemlock.
A prominent Lawrence lawyer who subscribes to both the physical Kansas City Star and Lawrence Journal World, made one thing clear to me earlier today.
“Most people I know that still take the Journal World do so its KU sports coverage,” he says. “This is really going to hurt them.”
Ditto for the Star but perhaps less obviously,
Case in point, look how the Star and Journal World handled yesterday’s NCAA news:
The Journal World front page was an exercise in sky-is-falling journalism.
The Star’s was more preoccupied with restaurants, bars and toilet paper.
Which didn’t stop the Star from using the death of the NCAA tourney to hawk its $30 online sports package.
“McClatchy sites have lifted the paywall on this developing story, providing critical information to readers. To support vital local reporting such as this, please consider a digital subscription to The Kansas City Star or The Wichita Eagle.”
One of Lawrence’s top real estate brokers agrees: outside of KU sports, there’s not much left of the Journal World.
“That’s about right and that’s depressing,” he says. “I think it will implode one of these days.”
And despite the fact that Kansas City is a cesspool of KU fans and alums, the Star barely scratched the surface compared to the Lawrence newspaper.
Top headline honor: “Without games taking place, what will fans talk about?”
Here’s a better question:
Without sports to write about, how much longer can the Star and Journal World hang on?
The entertainment, business, local news, classified and travel sections have long since bit the dust – leaving sports, puzzles, games, horoscopes and comics to protect the realm.
Now what?
