The story of independent local newspapers going out of business in recent years is certainly nothing new and it looks like another example of this is happening in Greensboro: Triad City Beat, a left-leaning newspaper that has covered the Triad for over a decade, has lost its long-time editor and is now asking its readers for financial support in order to continue publishing.
“We’re here today to be transparent and honest with you about how things are going here,” a Facebook post from the newspaper reads this week. “As a grassroots, scrappy independent paper, we’re going through big changes. Brian Clarey, our longtime founder and publisher, will be leaving Triad City Beat in January. In addition to that, we’re facing financial difficulties that may keep us from being able to continue operating next year. And so we’re asking for support.”
Triad City Beat has taken some very unfair swipes at the Rhino Times over the years but it has also broken some real news stories and often included some interesting local human-interest content and editorials. The alt-left newspaper has also given all candidates a chance to voice their opinions in election years as part of its election guide.
However, providing local news is expensive and time consuming, and Triad City Beat is now making it crystal clear to its readers that it may not exist much longer – despite the fact that, as they note, “Local news is important.”
It is no secret that the News and Record has also been under tremendous strain over the last decade. For instance, the News and Record used to have a reporter at virtually every Guilford County commissioners’ meeting and work session, and now it is a real rarity to find a News and Record reporter at either of those events.
Also, the number of News and Record subscribers has been dropping; the paper stopped paying to run its most popular comic strips and the list of local stories has been shrinking with the paper getting thinner and the hole left by local content being filled by reprinting national wire stories.
Triad City Beat leadership points this death or local newspapers trend out as it fights for its life.
“As other local outlets dwindle or disappear altogether, the information divide widens, partisanship grows and misinformation runs rampant. And with another Trump term on the way, robust local news is going to be paramount. And it’s not just about politics.”
The plea from the struggling local Triad City Beat newspaper goes on to note that the paper covers subjects related to diversity, equity and issues important to the LGBTQ+ community.
The public damage report from the paper notes that its writers have always been underpaid and has always been more of a “passion project than a moneymaker.”
“We love this paper and have sacrificed financial stability to keep this thing going. But we are at a crossroads and need more help,” the statement reads.
City Beat is looking to raise $20,000 by the end of January to help continue operations.
“This paper is important to us and we love what we do,” it states.
In a Sunday, Dec. 21 social media post, Clarey announced that he was leaving the paper he helped create.
“I have put TCB’s needs ahead of my own, and those of my family, for a long time. And I cannot do it anymore.”
The news business has changed. My life has changed. And now I must change too.”
He praised the work of Eric Ginsburg, Jordan Green, Michaela A. Ratliff and other staff, including Sayaka Matsuoka, who’s currently working to keep the paper going.
Clarey asked the community to support the newspaper.
Hey Scott, it’s Christmas Eve, so no negatives. Adios TCB.
Would love to bid a fond farewell to both the Triad City Beat and the Greensboro News and Record! Guess what Editors, we are not interested in your biased opinions and twisted beliefs! Most of us are merely interested in all the facts and the truths! Other than in the Rhino Times, that is very hard to find here in Greensboro!
Jim Donaldson
Who cares
Your daily local headlines are interesting.
Appreciate you calling balls and strikes instead of complaining about the game.
Good riddance.
Summerfield, Stokesdale and Oak Ridge are also losing their local newspaper, the NorthWest Observer.
Did I tip you off, Scott? If so, you’re welcome!
What does being “passionette” have to do with reporting the news? All the paper has to do to survive and prosper is to sell more advertising and subscriptions – as any publication would need. Perhaps people care about real news, more than opinion. Thus the decline of most all of news media.
People want and need to know the truth in order to be well-informed and engaged citizens, or just to get along better in our world. Just tell me the truth, and let me decide for myself. The LEFT has destroyed our Republic. Now, just mopping up the crumbs of resistance. “Live free or die”.
Thank you for caring about local news. Good, bad or indifferent, local news puts reporters in government meetings to document what they do. It’s vital to Democracy. Thank you, again, for covering this story. You might consider buying them out and keeping their staff, that way you could ameliorate their story-lines while still preserving eyes-on-government. Worse yet, someone else does and turns up the liberal flames to High.
Never even heard of that “newspaper “, and it sounds like I didn’t miss much. Quit taking the GNR years ago….. It used to carry all the local news…….
Left wing it is, yes, but they did some good reporting in the beginning and the original crew (Clarey, Green and Ginsburg) were/are talented writers. I feel there’s been a steady decline in content since he handed the reins to the new editor and also started using filler. It reads more like a personal blog these days like, “Dear Diary” stuff. It’s basically turned into a homeless advocacy rag, which is noble but, you write for your audience and more importantly – advertisers.
. . .”Clarey asked the community to support the newspaper.”
The pulse of the “community” is alive and well. . .which means the majority of Geekboro citizens aren’t interested. . . .there are winners and losers in everything.
I stopped reading the News & Record years ago primarily due to slant on the news to fit their liberal viewpoints. It’s really too bad that providing the news has to go liberal or conservative eyes.
Well, bye.
What strikes me as interesting is the lack of historical perspectives so many here seem to either be ignorant of or have forgotten. The Founders lived in age of muckrackers that went far beyond our current partisan bickering.
If you truly wish to live in a society where only YOUR ideas and opinions are mirrored in the press and all others are silenced or ignored then you forget the whole reason behind the American Experiment.
No the Far Left did not destroy this country by itself it had a willing hand from the Far Right who equally spouted false narratives.
It’s the two wings of the dragon that devour our country.
I’m a MAGA voter but still have to laugh when readers here try to remind me we are a Representative Republic…what a joke. Our political class is wholly representative of the donor class made up of corporate elites, billionaire oligarchs and the MIC.
Truth behold we live in a post constitutional society that is now run by the national security state.
One party/media rule will only hasten our destruction.
Well said.
Local and national papers are dying for many reasons and may never return. I’m concerned it’s a signal of the death of free speech and our country. When we don’t know what’s happening in our local government we have no information for forming opinions. When we don’t know what’s happening nationally we have “no cause to worry”. Eventually, the elite benefactors rule, our nation “by the people and for the people” dies, and we all become serfs.
With the end of local newspapers, the government has won. Long ago schools quit teaching kids to spell, write coherent sentences, think critically, or debate opposing ideas. Independent unbiased journalism is no longer taught in higher education institutions. Everything, every subject is a political, financial, racial, and subjective propaganda topic based on the government’s current viewpoint. That view is taught in schools; social media, televised, print, and commercial media; government, military, and business institutions; and every aspect of life we see or hear. There are severe penalties for opposing opinions, in fact, some countries recently have taken away citizens’ businesses and property, or jailed them.
Losing local news is the second stage of losing freedom because we lose the exchange of information we need for freedom of speech. We can’t think critically, form opinions to debate, run on a platform or idea, vote, or govern without knowing what our leaders are doing. The government gains power by keeping us in the dark.
We need to educate ourselves and our kids about the importance of knowledge so they give a damn. We need to train journalists, real journalists, not paparazzi. We need to make them understand that words have serious meaning. Choose wisely.
“Work sets you free.” (Auschwitz)
“Knowledge is power.” (F. Bacon)
I agree 200 percent. Smart take.
*
Yep. The kids aren’t being taught how to think, they’re being taught what to think.
The Left completely controls our education system from top to bottom.
. . . too few titty bars around to buy ads. return to new orleans or long island where he has a larger ‘fan’ base ?
. . . too few titty bars around to buy ads. return to new orleans or long island where he has a larger ‘fan’ base ?
Bwwwwwwaaahhaaaa !!!
But she’s right! I vote for more Titty Bars.