A Challenge to the Philadelphia Inquirer

 

Inquirer editor Stan Wischnowski defended changes to the Inquirer since he became editor eight months ago.  Germantown Newspapers editor Foster sent him the following response to his editorial page explanation on Sunday August 21.

Mr. Wischnowski,

 

Your comments in today's Inquirer prompt me to take this opportunity to expound on my reaction to the direction your newspaper has taken since Bill Marimow left the editor's slot.  I am speaking as a lifelong Philadelphia resident who has read the Inquirer since the 1950s and for the last two and half years have been the publisher of the Germantown Chronicle and the Northwest Independent, a bi-weekly advertising-supported publication that distributes 35,500 newspapers to every household and business in Germantown, Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill.

 

My limited experience getting into what most characterize as a dying business has not been without its challenges, and I am sure you face the same to the 10th power. However, if there is one conclusion I have drawn in this era of so-called replacement communications options, I still feel there is a place for well managed print journalism and I do not see it being replaced by technology that easily.  Unfortunately, I do not see the Inquirer following that path, and even worse I see it diverting further from it.

 

Everyone and anyone in the communications business can do quick sound-byte news stories that often are created on the ragged edge of accuracy and completeness as TV has always done and now news sites mimic with a staff of junior-leaguers and with virtually no newsroom or editor in the traditional sense of the word. Mainstream news channels, cable, News works type sites, The Patch and so called “news blogs” all produce what I call "distraction news" and what they do is subject the reader/viewer to volume well saturated with opinion designed to provide a “news fix” that then becomes their addiction. 

 

Missing almost completely is serious investigative journalism, hard news researched and verified before the expanded story is told, and frankly the governmental and political types love this new environment as it gives them freedom and latitude to do exactly as they want for as long as they want to do it. The chance of a major expose that names names and dollar amounts misused or moved outside of compliance has become minimal.  These are the areas where the journalism of the past did the most public good and generated the largest followings. As you well know, they often were the spark that changed history.

 

I believe that the Philadelphia City Government and certainly part of the Pennsylvania State Government could easily be the most pervasively corrupt in the nation, and have been so for some time. Being brutally frank, the current Inquirer gives them a pass. Sure some stories that have sensationalist twists to them get covered, but the real deep investigative sides of the stores are sacrificed for clichés and sound byte headlines that may outrage for the moment, but fail to reflect how the entire situation is twisted up in political chicanery and major financial/governmental malfeasance. 

 

The Carl Greene story and how massive amounts of federal dollars were misused is only one of many example of how that process exists to this day within many city departments and agencies, yet the fact that no city or state investigations have taken place and it took a federal inquiry from out of state should open a journalistic Pandora's Box and there is so much low hanging fruit that can be explored that it makes one wonder why the news that only a qualified major entity can provide is not where they focus.  Then we have Sheriff Green, and his “secret list,” a City Council that could provide a story a day for years, questionable tactics within the police department, state and federal investigations that are started but seem to end mysteriously, law firms with too many contracts and too much influence, non-profits that have literally stolen hundreds of millions with political help - - the list goes on and on.

 

Why bother defending those aspects of the newspaper industry that can be easily replaced by the new technology and have no lasting impact on the quality of life, or in bending back government to responsible behavior?   I know you have been downsized, but from my vantage point and learning curve here in the Northwest, the people want accurate and advance information on what is coming their way from government before it happens, and just as importantly want legitimate watchdogs in the mainstream press. 

 

I believe they will continue to buy those newspapers.

 

Jim Foster

Publisher

Germantown Newspapers Inc.

215-438-5171