The news will be very different very soon

March 16, 1:21 PMSouth St. Paul ExaminerRob Shirk

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What will news look like tomorrow?

Thousands of people every day compare the headlines, look at that part of the paper you can read without actually having to buy it while it's still in the machine. Then the bus comes, you buy the one that looks more interesting to you that day and you go to work.

South St. Paul is in the Twin Cities, of course. We get the Minneapolis Star Tribune and The St. Paul Pioneer Press. The Minneapolis paper is quite a bit bigger, just like the two cities, themselves. Both newspapers are now significantly thinner, there is less reporting, fewer stories, and obviously not enough reporters. It also has been reporting a story about themselves about reorganizing under Chapter 11, although their parent company, Avista Capital Partners, are not yet in that mix.

It seems that a lot of people are waiting for the shoe to drop. At least we have the Pioneer Press. Right? Well, maybe. It might be best if you just have a laptop.

The Pioneer Press is owned by Media News Group, a giant in the newspaper business. What they like to do is cluster their properties to share in the costs and score whatever benefits come their way by being geographically close. The Pioneer Press and The Detroit News are islands. They are not in trouble enough yet for Chapter 11, nothing like the San Jose Mercury News, for instance, or the Denver Post. They are, however, on the precipice and they know it.

Media News Group is like a lot of other corporations in the newspaper business in that they bought a ton of other newspapers back in the happy days before the bottom fell out. They are massively overleaveraged. It doesn't help that their online presence is inferior in every way than the Strib. A lot of people own laptops, iPhones, or Blackberrys and get their news there.

All is not lost, though. They have a loyal readership and cover their markets such as Dakota and Washington counties, western Wisconsin, and, naturally, the state capital business and the capital city of St. Paul. They do this very well even with a slimmed down, almost skeletal staff. They are very focused and everyone can agree their reporting is top drawer. They really need to improve their website. Everyone agrees on that one.

Real Clear Politics has put the St. Paul Pioneer Press at number 8 of the top ten of the newspapers likely to go belly up. The Minneapolis Star Tribune was not on the list. It appears as of today we will be a one newspaper town, but who knows?  The Seattle Post- Intelligencer last printed newspaper before going completely on line is Tuesday. Yep, this Tuesday. We have one overleaveraged island and a paper reorganizing under Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The landscape is changing just as fast as when the need for railroads vanished under the concrete and cement of the Interstate Highway System. What it will look like in even a year is anybody's guess. It just won't matter what paper you buy or if you buy one at all. You'll have your laptop, after all, waiting for the bus.

David Brauer at MinnPost has helped clarify many things for me writing this post. Thank you.

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