Quad Cities soon to be one-horse “town”
Reading the QC Times press release about the matter:
Debbie Anselm, publisher of the Quad-City Times and Muscatine Journal, will become publisher of The Dispatch-Argus, succeeding Gerald J. Taylor.
“Lee is honored for The Dispatch-Argus to be joining our media family,” Anselm said. “Our newspapers share rich histories of community leadership dating to the mid-1800s. In Moline, Rock Island, Davenport and Muscatine, we have embraced the same values for more than 150 years, an enduring commitment to strong local news and unfailing dedication to our readers and advertisers. That commitment and dedication will continue. The Dispatch-Argus will maintain its editorial independence and distinct voice as an indispensable community asset.”
How much change – not a lot as regards national news reporting as they have shown little overall difference. Disregarding the promise made to readers back in January to reduce reliance on the Associated Press (AP) – the DA has not to this subscribers eye done so. We also note that the DA press release about the sell-out matter mentioned that the new General Manager of the DA hails from the Casper Star-Tribune another Lee newspaper. Our brief of it is that it appears nothing but a pass through for the AP’s wanting, often biased reportage.
If you have the same publisher, the same owner, a general manager out of the mold, shared “resources” ~~ reportage ~~, well we doubt the trend will not be toward making those you answer to happy. Did we mention Warren Buffet’s Berkshire-Hathaway has a relatively big stake in Lee? There will be no independent press in this area, just layout and printing functionaries for the AP and liberal interests. The reporters get their worldview from that and local reporting follows. Whatever vestiges the DA offered from its less liberal ownership, the Small newspaper group will likely be gone over time.
DLH and R Mall
