It’s a truism in newsrooms that few readers notice story bylines, but Monitor regulars who do check names at the start of articles have seen something odd in recent months. Along with the usual “Monitor staff” attached to people like me, there have been bylines from other newspapers, from previously unknown news organizations, as well as some head-scratching titles like “Citizen Count.”
What gives? Innovation of sorts, fueled by a growing realization that local news is worth keeping despite all those jokes about “fishwrap.”
As you know, the advertising-supported, for-profit news industry that has employed me for my whole adult life has been doing poorly since the internet kicked the legs out from under our business model. The Monitor and other traditional media sources are not going away any time soon, but shrinking budgets have meant shrinking newsrooms and fewer reporters than years ago.
New Hampshire is seeing a number of very different efforts to take up the reporting slack, some of which are showing up here. I’ve compiled a quick overview of these efforts to help you, Dear Reader, understand those weird bylines and get some sense of what’s going on.
If you want to read about these groups, click here to see the entire article. It’s too long for this blog!
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