I’m thinking about this 2010 editorial by Bill Marshak on news, advertising and responsibility—and updating Tri-City Voice. Fourteen years later, I’m asking a lot of the same questions! – Stephanie Gertsch
One of the early American masters of showmanship, P.T. [Phineas Taylor] Barnum is best known for his partnership with James Bailey to create “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Barnum is credited with quite a few quips that relate to the triumph of form over substance. In his American Museum located in New York City during the mid-1800s, Barnum touted the way to the “Egress.” Many eagerly flocked to see the mysterious exhibit. They soon found that the word egress is synonymous with “exit.”
Barnum was a terrific entrepreneur, using circus venues for profit. A circus used to be a traveling huckster show that combined real skill and daring with splashes of charlatanism. Those who worked behind the scenes in the circus world were often ne’er-do-well characters who supplied thrills and chills to town folk while shunned from mainstream society.
Life was basic in a circus environment. Although coarse in many respects, rules were observed and kinship was established including some who made their living as weird outcasts and sideshow “freaks.” Besides plying their trade using legitimate skills, the naiveté of others was fodder for profit. Carnies could easily identify a “rube” and in short order, he or she was parted from their money.
Knowledgeable patrons of itinerant circus’ and carnivals were well aware of the scams and not only accepted their existence but often welcomed and enjoyed them. As long as the price and entertainment value was reasonable, it was simply part of the fun. Much of this give and take continues to exist today although the setting has changed from sawdust and canvas to concrete and plaster.
Some may not know that as a young man, Barnum founded a weekly newspaper in Danbury, Connecticut. Perhaps this was an overt symptom of his burgeoning business acumen and showmanship. The relationship between news reporting and showmanship has gone through ebb and flow cycles for many years but Barnum’s reported comment that there is a “sucker born every minute” still echoes. The line between entertainment and news is not always clearly defined and difficult to find on a consistent basis. It is said that history [narrative] is written by the victorious, not the vanquished. Bias is a constant companion of words especially in news reporting.
Drawing a line between salesmanship, good-natured chicanery and intentional misrepresentation can be complicated. In most cases, final arbiters are the public. If a lie can be sold, passing the scrutiny of a wide range of people, it dons the cloak of truth. The longer such a “truth” exists, the more validity it accumulates. Small, hometown newspapers are too close to their readers to maintain a bogus façade for long, but as ownership of these organizations has moved to distant quarters, far from ultimate distribution, restrictions of journalistic integrity have been sorely tested.
Newspaper revenue is tied directly to advertising which relies on readership for dissemination of its message. The temptation to fabricate or obscure true distribution becomes almost inescapable for a declining publication, especially in times of economic stress. Use of slogans, inferences and gimmicks becomes common rather than an exception. Enticements to advertise employ misdirection and innuendo rather than substantiated information from personal observation or a respected third-party source. Numbers used are impressive but often irrelevant to the local scene. Gimmicks including touting an establishment as the “Best” or “Greatest” are marketing schemes that produce a plaque and advertising revenue but may bear little resemblance to reality… Barnum would be proud.
A crowd may temporarily follow the path to an egress expecting a new attraction but as more people become aware of the true destination, fewer unintentionally move in that direction. In the media, misleading subscription and readership statistics begin to fall on deaf ears as word travels that these claims are skewed and refer to inappropriate information. Subscriptions, readership and community connections based on numbers collected from distant cities bear little relevance to local citizens. In such a case, the correct choice may be to follow Barnum’s sign to the egress.
Tri-City Voice (TCV) has resisted such misrepresentation and continues to focus its attention on home towns listed on our front page banner. Our presence – physical and on the web – is known to these communities since it is highly visible. As a consequence, advertisers and local organizations are able to effectively promote their events, products and services through TCV to an audience of approximately 500,000 people.
TCV is now about to expand its distribution, content and form. We have declined to use misleading publication numbers with the belief that substance is the ultimate criteria leading to readership, advertising and financial success. TCV coverage of local arts and entertainment, events, government, education, protective services and sports is extensive and obvious to our readers.
Beginning next week, TCV will move its weekday distribution to Tuesdays, retaining its current format known in the newspaper industry as “broadsheet.” In addition, our newspaper will appear on Fridays in a new form. All editions plus additional and extremely time-sensitive content can be found on our website: www.tricityvoice.com. These changes are indicative of our refusal to be restricted by outdated and immaterial industry parameters created over a century ago. We are indeed, “The newspaper for the next millennium.”
Two editions each week will continue and increase TCV’s commitment to local communities. Although the “Weekend Edition” will use a different printing process resulting in a significantly different look, be assured it will give the same attention to local activities as our Tuesday edition.
Another TCV innovation will be implementation of porch home distribution. Delivery to public locations will continue as well as subscriptions through the US Postal Service but now, both editions [in Milpitas, Friday delivery of TCV Milpitas] can be placed directly on your doorstep. For those who have already subscribed to Tri-City Voice and live in a qualified delivery zone, porch delivery will begin immediately. Others will continue to receive their subscription copies via the US Postal Service.
Those who have taken advantage of our $5 group subscription offer will be eligible for home delivery at a significantly reduced rate. Subscribers in this category may also continue to receive a reserved copy at their designated group location at no extra charge.
What does this mean to you?
Tri-City Voice is listening to our communities—most of us live here—and responding by providing extensive coverage and quality service to you and your family. We will continue our efforts to let your friends and neighbors know what’s happening in our part of the world. This has always been our goal; in fact our legal incorporation papers literally spell it out as “What’s Happening, Inc.”
Tri-City Voice is the only independently owned and operated local newspaper for Fremont, Newark, Union City, Milpitas and Hayward. The majority of our employees live within these borders. We intend to continue our pledge to provide reporting that is “accurate, fair and honest.”
Help us grow by subscribing to Tri-City Voice today. In P.T. Barnum’s parlance, this is the way to enter or “ingress” to the new millennium.
