The Death of The Tribune

Abstract

1 in 5 Local newspaper publications across the nation has closed every year since 2008. This steady decline in local news has led to hundreds of counties across the country with little to no continuous local news coverage. While this issue is typically reported to be harmful to rural areas that aren't given representation in the media, this issue affects urban and highly populated areas as well. The Death of the Tribune is a podcast that focuses on a largely successful newspaper from Queens, New York, The Queens Tribune which closed in the winter of 2018. Queens is reported to be the most populated and diverse borough in New York City and The Queens Tribune was a paper that aimed to give in-depth representation to the variety of distinct neighborhoods in Queens County. It was a paper that dedicated sections throughout its pages to the different neighborhoods and regions of Queens. As well it birthed an associated newspaper the Southeast Queens Press to cover more news-heavy neighborhoods of Southeast Queens. In following its closing, different aspects of the local newspaper as a business and as a resource for its residents are explored. The factors that led to the Tribune's closing can be attributed to financial issues, the effects of a national financial crisis on small businesses and the newspaper industry, advertising struggles, and mismanagement. The story of the Tribune is one that has been repeated by many local newspapers that struggle to stay afloat across the nation and its absence further illustrates the importance of local journalism.