No News Paper Coverage

[REWhitley]

It has been a year since Surry, Yadkin, Wilkes, Allegheny, and Stokes Counties have no regional newspaper coverage. Last year I emailed the Journal about this and got an explanation. They simply do not have enough reporters to provide "any" coverage to much of the area. I just wonder if they, the Journal, has not provided any news coverage of these counties?
I wonder if they have returned a part of the subscriber's fees?

With the nearly complete demise of the Mt AIry News and its pathetic coverage of the regional sports events and now the going to a 3 day a week publishing, I find that I have to turn to other avenues to find out what has happened. Many times I can only find the answer by going to the Charlotte Observer when they list the entire state results.

Sad is my feeling for the state of news and sports coverage in our area. Thank goodness we still have NC Preps for the posting of some results. Just wish they had a real basketball, baseball and other sports threads.

 

[Maiden Creek]

It has been a year since Surry, Yadkin, Wilkes, Allegheny, and Stokes Counties have no regional newspaper coverage. Last year I emailed the Journal about this and got an explanation. They simply do not have enough reporters to provide "any" coverage to much of the area. I just wonder if they, the Journal, has not provided any news coverage of these counties?
I wonder if they have returned a part of the subscriber's fees?

With the nearly complete demise of the Mt AIry News and its pathetic coverage of the regional sports events and now the going to a 3 day a week publishing, I find that I have to turn to other avenues to find out what has happened. Many times I can only find the answer by going to the Charlotte Observer when they list the entire state results.

Sad is my feeling for the state of news and sports coverage in our area. Thank goodness we still have NC Preps for the posting of some results. Just wish they had a real basketball, baseball and other sports threads.

I’ve enjoyed the threads on “Basketball Forums” and “Other Forums” which has quite a bit on baseball….here on NC Preps.

Most don’t participate on those forums… like football….but they are pretty good…if you are not getting the news elsewhere.

 

[ocdavis31]

It has been a year since Surry, Yadkin, Wilkes, Allegheny, and Stokes Counties have no regional newspaper coverage. Last year I emailed the Journal about this and got an explanation. They simply do not have enough reporters to provide "any" coverage to much of the area. I just wonder if they, the Journal, has not provided any news coverage of these counties?
I wonder if they have returned a part of the subscriber's fees?

With the nearly complete demise of the Mt AIry News and its pathetic coverage of the regional sports events and now the going to a 3 day a week publishing, I find that I have to turn to other avenues to find out what has happened. Many times I can only find the answer by going to the Charlotte Observer when they list the entire state results.

Sad is my feeling for the state of news and sports coverage in our area. Thank goodness we still have NC Preps for the posting of some results. Just wish they had a real basketball, baseball and other sports threads.

I feel your pain. Thomasville has roughly three times the population of Mount Airy and only publishes twice a week. Print journalism is dying for sure and it is not good for our society in a way much broader than sports.

 

[ObserveAndReport]

Asheville Citizen-Times hasn't delivered to several SMC counties in half a decade probably, but they will still cover them for folks with online subscriptions--so kind of the opposite of what you guys are dealing with, I guess. Most coverage now seems to be longer feature stories, which I see from a business perspective because people can get the other stuff from MaxPreps, Twitter, etc. But it's still sad to me--opening the paper at breakfast and going through the game summaries, box scores, stat leaders, standings, and polls every Wednesday and Saturday was one of my favorite things growing up. But I also get it--social media has pretty much destroyed the ad revenue and a lot of people get offended if a story is behind a paywall--and I don't really have any solutions to propose.

 

[BK13T-$]

The Graham Star covers Robbinsville on YouTube live. Mostly home games though.

 

[ObserveAndReport]

The Graham Star covers Robbinsville on YouTube live. Mostly home games though.

A lot of the weekly papers still have pretty good sports coverage, at least in the mountains. Graham Star is one of the best there is--which makes sense with the editor being a sports guy. And that's great if you mostly care about your school. But I do miss being able to get in depth daily coverage of all of WNC.

 

[Superkase1982]

The death of paper journalism is sad but inevitable. I don't subscribe to a local newspaper (although this thread has me thinking that I should get a subscription to The Franklin Press, just to support local newspapers). I miss going through the comics and local sports pages every day. However, the ability to look at different sources for news and politics at the swipe of a finger is a vast improvement over reading whatever USA Today or the Asheville Citizen-Times felt like telling you that day.

 

[Maiden Creek]

I miss the smell and those ink stained fingers after reading the Hickory Daily Record, Observer News Enterprise or even the Maiden Times!

My dad worked in printing for 35 years… he always smelled of ink as well. I’ve always found comfort in the smelling of ink for some reason!😉

Good times…as a kid…I guess.

Damn phone ain’t got a smell… but I love it for news too!😂

 

[BK13T-$]

I haven't bought the Star in 2 years.
Or the Cherokee scout in about ten years. They lost me.

 

[smashmouth5]

Cleveland County has the same issue. The office has moved to Gastonia with just 1 sports writer. You would think a county that has Gardner Webb, Cleveland Community College Athletics, American Legion World Series and 4 successful high schools in athletics across multiple sports they could have 1 reporter dedicated to CC.

This is also why I don't get some schools making it difficult for local radio to come in and do games. It's all about getting extra coverage for the kids and the schools.

 

[Sportsnut17]

It has been a year since Surry, Yadkin, Wilkes, Allegheny, and Stokes Counties have no regional newspaper coverage. Last year I emailed the Journal about this and got an explanation. They simply do not have enough reporters to provide "any" coverage to much of the area. I just wonder if they, the Journal, has not provided any news coverage of these counties?
I wonder if they have returned a part of the subscriber's fees?

With the nearly complete demise of the Mt AIry News and its pathetic coverage of the regional sports events and now the going to a 3 day a week publishing, I find that I have to turn to other avenues to find out what has happened. Many times I can only find the answer by going to the Charlotte Observer when they list the entire state results.

Sad is my feeling for the state of news and sports coverage in our area. Thank goodness we still have NC Preps for the posting of some results. Just wish they had a real basketball, baseball and other sports threads.

The WS Journal doesn’t even cover Forsyth County schools, much less surrounding counties. There is one person trying to cover HS sports for Journal and Greensboro News & Record. They have told coaches they have a deadline of 8:30pm to report scores, so since most games are not over till past that, they don’t even waste their time calling in.

 

[Vik-Val 86]

Salsibury post use to come out every day but now limited to certain days. Use to buy it on Friday and Saturday for HS football sports coverage. Not the same now.

 

[Sportsnut17]

Salsibury post use to come out every day but now limited to certain days. Use to buy it on Friday and Saturday for HS football sports coverage. Not the same now.

I think Mike London retired too

 

[Vik-Val 86]

Yes that’s right.

 

[mistermean1]

I think Mike London retired too

Mike isn’t quite done. He’ll go after the state playoffs.

 

[Vik-Val 86]

I thought I had heard he retired. But apparently I didn’t realize he went after the State playoffs

 

[mistermean1]

I thought I had heard he retired. But apparently I didn’t realize he went after the State playoffs

That’s what he told me. He was originally going to leave after football but decided to work through the school year.

 

[Sportsnut17]

That’s what he told me. He was originally going to leave after football but decided to work through the school year.

That’s good. He’s the best.

 

[REWhitley]

I actually have on line subscriptions to the Mt Airy No Longer any News, The Winston Salem Journal does not care, the Statesville Record and Landmark and the Charlotte Observer. The only one worth a crap is the Charlotte Observer and to a much lesser degree the Statesville Record and Landmark.
I use to write sports articles for the Statesville paper and Hickory Daily Record when I was in college and then covered Surry County Little Football and High School Football for the Mt Airy No Longer News for over 10 years (free of charge, did not even get a press pass for games).
Despite the fact that I was not very good, Mike Howett made me look pretty decent, I would cover my assigned games and then go to the "office" to finish the articles for the Saturday paper. Most the time now, only one high school game gets reported on Saturday or Sunday, if at all.

Very sad.

 

[btango]

The Salisbury Post has been exemplary for years covering high school sports! The cover photos of the all county teams. I really do not think any publication did it any better. Cheers to Ed Dupree (RIP), Ronnie Gallagher (RIP), and Mike London. I am sure there were others but those are the ones I remember.

 

[NBBears20124ACHAMPS]

I actually have on line subscriptions to the Mt Airy No Longer any News, The Winston Salem Journal does not care, the Statesville Record and Landmark and the Charlotte Observer. The only one worth a crap is the Charlotte Observer and to a much lesser degree the Statesville Record and Landmark.
I use to write sports articles for the Statesville paper and Hickory Daily Record when I was in college and then covered Surry County Little Football and High School Football for the Mt Airy No Longer News for over 10 years (free of charge, did not even get a press pass for games).
Despite the fact that I was not very good, Mike Howett made me look pretty decent, I would cover my assigned games and then go to the "office" to finish the articles for the Saturday paper. Most the time now, only one high school game gets reported on Saturday or Sunday, if at all.

Very sad.

Companies like Lee Enterprises and Gannett have killed local sports coverage and journalism as a whole. I remember asking why we didn't cover graduations/local sports and was told because it didn't generate subscriptions. Lee Enterprises just laid off a bunch of folks in Statesville, Greensboro and Winston Salem and it won't be the last round of them, either. Hate it for the kids.

 

[Vik-Val 86]

I know the sports part of Salsibury Post, I look at at times on line. As stated above Mike London and others were and are the best.

 

[mistermean1]

Companies like Lee Enterprises and Gannett have killed local sports coverage and journalism as a whole. I remember asking why we didn't cover graduations/local sports and was told because it didn't generate subscriptions. Lee Enterprises just laid off a bunch of folks in Statesville, Greensboro and Winston Salem and it won't be the last round of them, either. Hate it for the kids.

As a retired Gannett sports writer, I unfortunately have to say you are correct. Those of us in the field hate it too. We’ve had to make do with far fewer resources. Wasn’t our choice. I hate it for the kids too.

New Bern is one of the Gannett papers without a sports writer. I’ve done a few stories for that paper recently.

 

[NBBears20124ACHAMPS]

As a retired Gannett sports writer, I unfortunately have to say you are correct. Those of us in the field hate it too. We’ve had to make do with far fewer resources. Wasn’t our choice. I hate it for the kids too.

New Bern is one of the Gannett papers without a sports writer. I’ve done a few stories for that paper recently.

I started there when it was Gatehouse and Gannett ran what was left of it in the ground. I remember them huddling us all into the conference room with Gannett banners acting like this was a good thing.

New Bern played South View a few years ago in a playoff game and the only reason there was a story on it was because the Fayetteville sports writer was there covering South View.

I left Gannett for Lee thinking no way it could be worse......I was wrong.

 

[ocdavis31]

As a retired Gannett sports writer, I unfortunately have to say you are correct. Those of us in the field hate it too. We’ve had to make do with far fewer resources. Wasn’t our choice. I hate it for the kids too.

New Bern is one of the Gannett papers without a sports writer. I’ve done a few stories for that paper recently.

We miss your excellent work with the Times and the Dispatch. My grandson is sports editor with a county weekly in North Carolina. Though the paper is only weekly, quite honestly it’s a better paper than our local ones. Neither the Enterprise, the Times nor the Dispatch now produce a paper on Sunday or Monday. Better not die on Saturday. It’ll be a lonely funeral.

 

[mistermean1]

We miss your excellent work with the Times and the Dispatch. My grandson is sports editor with a county weekly in North Carolina. Though the paper is only weekly, quite honestly it’s a better paper than our local ones. Neither the Enterprise, the Times nor the Dispatch now produce a paper on Sunday or Monday. Better not die on Saturday. It’ll be a lonely funeral.

I appreciate the kind words OC. It was fun covering stories in Davidson County for 20 years. You’ll still see my byline from time to time.

 

[FB is my Life]

If the coaches don’t all in scores and results, there is no coverage. Even TV stations are de-emphasizing sports on local news.

 

[WESTERNOC44]

Honestly any more I find local radio to be more supportive to the local high schools. I have found the last couple years that a good number of stations around western NC do a good job at covering the hometown team or teams and also area teams to with scores and interviews with coaches

 

[REWhitley]

WSYD/WPAQ AM/FM IN MT AIRY DOES AN OUTSTANDING JOB SUPPORTING AND BROADCASTING MT AIRY FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL AND BASEBALL GAMES. IN THE PLAYOFF ENVIRONMENT IF MT AIRY IS OUT, THEY THEN GO TO NORTH SURRY OR EAST SURRY.
WIFM FM IN ELKIN DOES A GREAT JOB WITH THE FOOTBALL GAME OF THE WEEK FOR SURRY, YADKIN AND WILKES COUNTY. THERE SPORTS REPORTING OF AREA GAMES IS SPOT ON.

TO ME, THE LESSON WITH THESE TWO STATIONS IS THAT THEY HAVE TAPPED INTO A TREMENDOUS SPONSORSHIP BASE OF LOCAL BUSINESSES BECAUSE THEY KNOW THESE ARE THE HIGHEST LISTENING AUDIENCES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES.

 

[REWhitley]

AGAIN TO ME, THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE THAT BIG CORPORATE DECISIONS ARE MORE OFTEN "WRONG" RATHER THAN "CORRECT". I TRULY DO NOT KNOW IF IT IS THE "CORPORATE" OR THE "BIG" THAT IS JUST OFTEN COMPLETELY WRONG.

 

[TD-FridayNight]

I actually have on line subscriptions to the Mt Airy No Longer any News, The Winston Salem Journal does not care, the Statesville Record and Landmark and the Charlotte Observer. The only one worth a crap is the Charlotte Observer and to a much lesser degree the Statesville Record and Landmark.
I use to write sports articles for the Statesville paper and Hickory Daily Record when I was in college and then covered Surry County Little Football and High School Football for the Mt Airy No Longer News for over 10 years (free of charge, did not even get a press pass for games).
Despite the fact that I was not very good, Mike Howett made me look pretty decent, I would cover my assigned games and then go to the "office" to finish the articles for the Saturday paper. Most the time now, only one high school game gets reported on Saturday or Sunday, if at all.

Very sad.

When Mike Howett left The Mount Airy News, the good sport went with him. He was from Hillsville Carroll Co. and I think he covered Carroll County sports for a while but I am not sure where he is now. Also when George Sumerlin the publisher and Eleanor Powell retired and both are in Heaven now, God Bless their souls, that's when the paper fell apart....... It was a daily paper and started dropping a day until they are down to 3 days now. The only reporter that is still there when I worked through the 1990s is Tom Joyce. If he leaves, all the knowledge of many past years will go with him. Hope they are paying him very well !

 

[TD-FridayNight]

AGAIN TO ME, THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE THAT BIG CORPORATE DECISIONS ARE MORE OFTEN "WRONG" RATHER THAN "CORRECT". I TRULY DO NOT KNOW IF IT IS THE "CORPORATE" OR THE "BIG" THAT IS JUST OFTEN COMPLETELY WRONG.

Midsouth South Management owned The Mount Airy News while I was there in the 1990s and I am pretty sure they and about 4 other area papers they owned have changed at least twice that I know of. It was The Mount Airy News, Hillsville, Pilot Mtn, Elkin, King or Rural Hall, and Yadkinville. I may have missed some they owned.

 

[TD-FridayNight]

If more businesses would place ads for sports then you would eventually see more sports covered. There once were more pages in 4 sections of the Sunday paper than we see in 4 weeks of 3 daily papers. It is due to low advertising support. If businesses want to keep a local paper then they need to support them with ads. More ads, more reporters, and more pictures and local news.

 

[NBBears20124ACHAMPS]

If more businesses would place ads for sports then you would eventually see more sports covered. There once were more pages in 4 sections of the Sunday paper than we see in 4 weeks of 3 daily papers. It is due to low advertising support. If businesses want to keep a local paper then they need to support them with ads. More ads, more reporters, and more pictures and local news.

You would think that is true but it's not the case, at least not for the big corporations. All they want now are subscribers/clicks.

 

[TD-FridayNight]

You would think that is true but it's not the case, at least not for the big corporations. All they want now are subscribers/clicks.

It takes what I said to get the subscribers. Mount Airy News has a free online paper but they need ads to get the paper, back as it was but you can get most of it free online including news & sports.

mtairynews.com

www.mtairynews.com

 

[NBBears20124ACHAMPS]

It takes what I said to get the subscribers. Mount Airy News has a free online paper but they need ads to get the paper, back as it was but you can get most of it free online including news & sports.

mtairynews.com

www.mtairynews.com

Seems like a nice local paper freed of the corporate greed out there. My comment was aimed at the bigger corporations. New Bern, Havelock, Pamlico, West Craven are 4 high schools in the same region and have zero sports writers. Print prices have doubled in my area even though subscription numbers are below 5K households and have dropped Saturday delivery.

 

[mistermean1]

That’s good. He’s the best.

I don’t remember what year it was but Mike covered a Salisbury-Central Davidson football game. Salisbury won 10-0. The way Mike wrote it you would have thought the Bears and Packers were playing at Lambeau.

 

[WESTERNOC44]

WSYD/WPAQ AM/FM IN MT AIRY DOES AN OUTSTANDING JOB SUPPORTING AND BROADCASTING MT AIRY FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL AND BASEBALL GAMES. IN THE PLAYOFF ENVIRONMENT IF MT AIRY IS OUT, THEY THEN GO TO NORTH SURRY OR EAST SURRY.
WIFM FM IN ELKIN DOES A GREAT JOB WITH THE FOOTBALL GAME OF THE WEEK FOR SURRY, YADKIN AND WILKES COUNTY. THERE SPORTS REPORTING OF AREA GAMES IS SPOT ON.

TO ME, THE LESSON WITH THESE TWO STATIONS IS THAT THEY HAVE TAPPED INTO A TREMENDOUS SPONSORSHIP BASE OF LOCAL BUSINESSES BECAUSE THEY KNOW THESE ARE THE HIGHEST LISTENING AUDIENCES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES.

I agree I have tuned in to both of those to listen to games. Wilkesboro had a young guy on 3WC I really enjoyed listening to online on Friday nights covering Wilkes County since I have family down there. Surprisingly I heard that same guy doing Watauga Basketball on WATA out of Boone during the end of Basketball season so I think he has moved up to that station and replaced the long time guy they had for over 20 years.

I agree the local sponsorships are key big time!

 

[recycled2]

In all honesty I would email box scores, scoring summaries,etc to the Asheville Citizen but they would not be published. So I stopped sending them in.

 

[bareman]

WSYD/WPAQ in Mt Airy has covered the major 3 sports (combined) for last 8-10 years; been covering Football since late ‘40’s (may be longest running coverage in NC)
-Social media is now the hub of getting the word out…with newspapers declining, who wants to wait 3days to read the story that was posted on FB or Twitter moments after it happened
-All Mount Airy results are posted on Twitter @granitebears & FaceBook -Go Bears Athletics