Video by Stephanie McPherson and Kevin Koczwara.
When walking through the Boston Commons, it’s not hard to find Boston Globe readers who cut across several generations. But, how do they get their news?
When asked if she read the Boston Globe, Allison Cummings, 22, of Malden, seemed to capture the general response of the online generation with a quick ‘no.’ After she thought about it, she admitted to reading the paper online only. Her reason was that the online version was free and easily accessible, which seems to suit the college student lifestyle. She also said was trying to be “green” and save paper by reading it online.
On the contrary, 73-year-old Samuel DeMerit of Cambridge, felt a deep attachment to the print version of The Globe. In a soft-spoken voice, DeMerit said that he would read The Globe online if he had to, but prefers having the print version to look over. He also said The Globe was a leader in investigative journalism, giving the example of the paper’s investigation into sexual abuse by Catholic priests. “It would be a calamity if the Globe went away,” he said.
Kate Duval, 24 of Needham, was another online reader of Boston.com. Although she acknowledged that the closure of The Globe would be a “sad end to an era,” she does not feel her personal life would be affected without the print version.
Peter Daniels, 37 of Boston, said that he gets his news from his closest resource whether it’s the television, Internet, or newspapers, “but there are things in The Globe you can’t get anywhere else.”
Although most young readers preferred to get their news online, some still appreciate the print version.
Stefanie Le, a 20-year-old Emerson College journalism student, said she had to read The Globe every day for a class, and that not having it would be a loss of an educational resource.
Although the threat of the Globe closing was palpable in April, and agreements were reached to keep it open, many residents in the greater Boston area continue to have strong opinions on the subject. After realizing how quickly such a large entity could disappear, some readers discovered how important The Globe was to them. One of the most prevalent concerns was the possible lack of a counterpart to The Boston Herald.
“Without the Globe we’d have a more slanted look at politics, the Herald being more conservative,” said Michael Hickey of Medford.
“How would people find jobs, or housing?” said Marty Baird, of Brockton, “It’s the number one resource and turning to a competitor would not be the same.”
“Readers deserve a quality newspaper, and it should be a two newspaper town,” said Mark Bell, Boston resident and Globe employee.
As the industry continues to change, more papers are going through financial crises, leading to job losses, and in some cases, closures. The million-dollar question seems to be, what next and how? Now that The Globe has met the demands of The New York Times Company, it will continue to reach its devoted readers while struggling to find the answer.
Some residents recently offered suggestions on what they think The Globe should do.
Produced by Emily Grund and Alyssa Montalbano.
“The slow down in the economy will let us breathe and rethink the next step,” said Ian MacKinnon of Boston.
“The New York Times Company is only concerned with The New York Times,” said Bell. He said he thought the Globe needed new owners that cared about the quality of the newspaper and that in recent times the only prominence left was in the sports section.
When The New York Times Company asked for $20 million in concessions on April 9, The Boston Guild acted quickly to start a petition and organized a rally in order to gain reader and worker support. In an attempt to fight off the looming deadline of May 1, workers spoke their opinions on the issue at a rally outside Faneuil Hall on April 24. More than 300 readers gathered to show their loyalty.
Hickey, who came to the rally with his wife and kids to show his support, said “We all read the Globe, it is an important part of our lives.”
According to the advertising section of BostonGlobe.com, the daily circulation is 323,983 and a Sunday circulation of 503,659, while Boston.com reaches 6.1 million users. Now that readers have seen how quickly their trusted resource could disappear, it seems their will to help in its survival has increased.
As reader Katie Ward described, “the Globe is a reputable newspaper that knows the city,” and said losing it would be a huge loss not only for Boston, but New England as well.
