3 things you might not know about The Enquirer: A note from the editor
When I meet people for the first time and they learn what I do for a living, it’s not uncommon to get a concerned look and hear something along the lines of, “Oh, I hear the newspaper business is very challenging right now.”
There is of course good reason for this. Traditional, print-based newspaper advertising revenue and circulation have been on a slow and steady decline for most of my career, with a particularly steep drop that hit the industry in 2008. What caused it? At the risk of oversimplifying, I’ll attempt to boil it down. The digital revolution dramatically disrupted reader habits and a business model that had been in place for generations. But as the late Paul Harvey might say, now let’s hear the rest of the story. Here are three things you might not know about The Enquirer.
We have shifted our business model
When I started in the business in the early 1990s, classified and display advertising (think department store ads and the like for the latter) were still our primary revenue sources. Yes, circulation revenue was significant, but home delivery was in many ways a loss leader. The price of a subscription never covered the cost of paper, ink, printing presses and the daily miracle of taking a product that didn’t exist hours before and putting on the driveways of thousands of households. Print advertising revenue made it all possible.
Digital advertising now rules the day. We’re in that game of course, but it’s a crowded space and generates pennies to the dollar compared to traditional advertising platforms. So what have we done to stay viable? Diversify.
We are a growing digital business
Last week, we hit a major milestone: The Enquirer has more than 40,000 digital-only subscribers, independent of our print subscribers. Hitting that number reflects another year of double-digit growth for this new part of our business and the affirmation that people are willing to pay for digital access to professionally-reported local news. I’ve said this many times before, but it bears repeating: Your support as a subscriber is vital to preserving local journalism in our community. Thank you.
We’re not liberal
Or conservative, for that matter. Yes, I know. Some of you are rolling your eyes right now. But hang with me for a moment.
Our parent company, Gannett, values diversity. Each year we conduct and publish the results of an audit that measures the racial and gender diversity of our newsrooms against the demographic makeup of the communities we serve. But our pledge to reflect the community goes beyond race and gender.
Even though we don’t – and shouldn’t – ask employees to self-report political leanings, the truth is The Enquirer newsroom represents the same diversity of thought you likely experience in your place of work. Or church. Or on the sidelines of your kid’s soccer game. Remember, we live here, too. (Now is a good time to acknowledge I’m not talking about national media outlets right now. They're a different bunch of animals, and the accusations of bias are often well-earned.)
Read more: Enquirer participates in a national effort called Re-engaging the Right
As editor, it’s my job to make sure our reporting first and foremost seeks the truth. We’re not here to drive a political agenda. Our training and code of ethics demand that our reporting is balanced and our methods transparent. You should demand that, too.
But when we dive into politically charged issues – and lord knows we have our hands full these days – we encourage Enquirer journalists to speak up if they see a story that is unfair or mischaracterizes the position they might happen to align with personally. The discussions are fascinating and enlightening.
We’re not perfect. On any given day, I might hear from a conservative reader who is critical of our redistricting coverage. The next day, a liberal reader might write to complain about the headline on a story about Ohio's abortion laws. I like to say we’re equal-opportunity offenders. But kidding aside, we take this feedback to heart. We discuss it. And we stay vigilant to our mission of reporting the facts, no matter how inconvenient they are at times.
Calling all watchdogs: How to submit a news tip to The Enquirer
A personal note: Though not all my colleagues take this step, I don’t vote in primary elections unless there is an “issues only” ballot available. It’s one of the many ways I keep an arm’s length from partisan politics.
As always, I value your feedback, particularly on how we are living up to our commitment to fairness and journalism that reflects the diversity of our community. In the end, we are nothing without your trust.
Enquirer Executive Editor Beryl Love writes a biweekly column that takes you behind the scenes at The Enquirer. Occasionally, he shares his thoughts on local issues, particularly as they pertain to a free press and open government. Email him at blove@enquirer.com. He can’t respond personally to every email, but he reads them all.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Enquirer editor Beryl Love column 3 things you might not know
