Projo Launches Ad Campaign Focused on “Local” Amidst 28 Years of Newspaper Circulation Declines
Tuesday, June 06, 2017
GateHouse Media, headquartered in Pittsford, New York and owner of the Providence-Journal, has launched a new brand campaign, “Newsroom Hero."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTGateHouse is owned by New York City-based New Media Investment Group, which is managed by Fortress Investment Group of New York City and is now controlled by Tokyo, Japan-based conglomerate SoftBank.
The campaign being run for all its newspapers across the country “highlights GateHouse Media’s deep community connections and commitment to serving as a trusted source of local, award-winning news.”
Most of the GateHouse ads feature a local journalist, but the ads for the Providence Journal show pictures of McCoy Stadium and other locations.
“There actually are four parts to our new branding campaign: Community, Trusted, Impact and Local. All of them speak to how The Providence Journal interacts with readers," said Alan Rosenberg, Executive Editor of the Providence Journal. "The points are the same, whether the campaign features places or reporters,"said Rosenberg.
"We chose to begin with some of our spectacular photography -- the best in Rhode Island -- and will probably come back around later with members of the news staff," said Rosenberg. "Some other papers decided to do it in a different order; you'd have to ask them why."
Newspapers' Freefall
The numbers for newspapers are catastrophic. Pew Research’s report released last Thursday unveiled that the industry's circulation fell another 8% in 2016 and “those numbers mark the 28th consecutive year of declines, which were highest in print circulation. Weekday print circulation decreased 10%, while Sunday decreased 9%, the lowest levels since 1945.”
In 1945, the United States’ population was 139 million versus the 2016 population of an estimated 335 million.
In the past two years, GateHouse has laid off or given buyouts to hundreds of journalists and staffers. Most recently in Providence, the top three editors retired or took buyouts.
The Providence Journal now has about 20 reporters, according to John Hill, head of the Providence Newspaper Guild, which is down from staffing of reporters and editors at close to 300 back at the height of the paper in the 1980s, according to sources. Rosenberg disputes Hill's number and said the number is either 32 or 33. Hill said that the 20 does not include "photography, sports, or advertising."
Local Play
According to the press release issued by GateHouse, “The ‘Newsroom Hero’ campaign profiles GateHouse Media journalists and shows the positive impact they make in their communities not only as journalists but as parents, coaches and volunteers.”
The Journal’s parent company — GateHouse Media — recently offered buyouts and Deputy Executive Editor Peter Phipps; City Editor Jack Khorey; Business Editor John Kostrzewa; and long-time reporters Karen Lee Ziner and Gregory Smith all took the offer. Executive Editor David Butler retired and did not take the buyout.
Butler, Phipps, and Khorey were the three top editors in the newsroom. "Their duties are being chopped up and handed out to some of the survivors," said Hill.
The number of newspaper journalists has declined -- but not as dramatically across the country as the Providence Journal, according to Pew.
The Pew Research numbers were not the only bad news reported this past week.
Print Now Represents Only 4% of People’s Media Time
Leading Wall Street investor Mary Meeker released her annual benchmark on the internet which reports that print only holds 4% of consumers media time — the lowest of all the media measured. The report shows that advertisers still spend 12 percent of their dollars with print.
The second lowest is radio at 9 percent of time spent with media reported. Television is measured at 38 percent and Internet and Mobile combined totals 48 percent of time - Internet 20 percent and mobile 28 percent.
GateHouse Ad Campaign
“We are extremely proud of our people and the important role they play inside the newsroom and in their communities,” said Kirk Davis, Chief Executive Officer, GateHouse Media. “This campaign reinforces the strong and cherished relationship we have with our readers and gives them a peek into how deep our local roots go. This campaign celebrates the hundreds of ‘Newsroom Heroes’ working to make an impact as journalists and as part of the fabric of their communities.”
The campaign debuts the week of June 4, in 130 daily GateHouse newspapers. Following the initial blitz, GateHouse’s 314 weekly newspapers and digital and social platforms will participate in the campaign. The initiative celebrates GateHouse Media’s people and demonstrates its ability to "launch large advertising and marketing campaigns across its growing footprint."
According to the press release, “GateHouse will launch an essay contest for high school students, tied to themes of the ‘Newsroom Hero’ campaign. Winning essays will be featured across the company’s newspapers and websites and student winners will receive cash prizes toward college tuition.”
Editor's Note: The article has been updated to reflect that Hill said that the 20 does not include "photography, sports, or advertising."
Related Slideshow: Where the Former Projo Stars Are Today
Take a look at where the top Providence Journal writers and reporters from the 1990s and 2000s are now reporting. UPDATED April, 2017