Edie MacKenzie, Editor-in-Chief of the Radnorite, the school newspaper of Radnor High School, posted an op. ed. on Friday (October 14), in which she wrote, “local journalism has all but disappeared.” It is not known if she would consider ThisisLowerMerion.com as part of the “all but.”
MacKenzie notes “The phenomenon of ownership consolidation has contributed to the rise of what UNC’s research coined “the ghost newspaper.” Many surviving local newspapers purchased by large companies have been gradually weakened to a point of ineffectiveness.”
As examples of ghost newspapers, she cites “the disappearance of The Suburban & Wayne Times, Radnor’s past publication.” The Suburban & Wayne Times has been merged with the Main Line Times, and is now Main Line Times & Suburban. The publication in its current form publication that is barely a shell of its predecessors in terms of staffing, coverage and readership.
Mackenzie spoke with several current and former local journalists for her story, including Sam Strike who used to work for Radnor Patch. According to Strike “Patch can provide almost instant updates on what’s happening in your neighborhood, but it doesn’t meet the qualifications for true local journalism, rather contributing further to the proliferation of the rumor mill.”
For a good part of the 20th Century, Lower Merion was served by two weekly newspapers, The staid Main Line Times and the saltier Main Line Chronicle – both of which had circulations in excess of 15,000.