RoberNesbitt22510

=Maine Newspaper Remains Strong=

By: Robert Nesbitt robbie_nesbitt@hotmail.com

**BANGOR** -The last few years have been some of the toughest times for the worlds newspapers. Journalism blogs have addressed the issue of how people choose to get their news, and the possibility of newspapers eventually converting to online editions only. Statistics in my history of journalism class last year revealed that the number of young college students that chose to find out their news from the web as One newspaper that can contest to these hard times is the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. In March of last year the Seattle P.I. made the decision to turn to its online edition and completely do away with their paper press. With that came huge cuts in job positions at the paper, and also an agreement with the Seattle Times for such things as advertising and circulation. Other newspapers that felt the crunch last year were The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. All of which were forced to file for chapter eleven-bankruptcy protection.

Jeff Tuttle, Online Editor for the Bangor Daily News had the opportunity to meet with the editor of the Seattle Post last September. He found that the BDN is in a much stronger position compared with the one the Post was in to hold onto to its physical copy of the paper. According to Tuttle the BDN’s most recent survey, which was made public, showed that it reaches about 200,000 readers each week. That circulation includes about two thirds of the state. The website has also been able to hold a strong number of viewers. The bangordailynews.com receives 5 million page views a month to their website, that’s roughly fifty to sixty thousand web visits each day. “There’s too much demand for the print product. It’s a different experience. Our average reader online is probably similar to our average reader in print. There are readers, and they just try to get it different ways,” said Tuttle about his papers circulation.

According to Tuttle his newspapers website has brought several benefits to its readers. If readers are away from Maine the website gives them the same stories that the daily paper would have, but with several extras. Tuttle has put together a weekly video news cast that streams every week on the website of the top five things to do in Bangor for the upcoming weekend. They have also taken advantage of video on the web with certain interviews the BDN has conducted. He also says that the increase in web use as a news source has caused newspaper reporters to think two different ways. For both print and the web. Tuttle says that reporters now have the responsibility to find the best way to make their stories the most interesting given the different tools now available with the web. With the Bangor Daily’s increase of views to the website, it causes its readers to question the strength of its paper copy. But Tuttle doesn’t believe the BDN’s physical paper is going anywhere anytime soon. “I just don’t see that happening,” replied Tuttle when asked if he thought the BDN would be converting to online only in the near future. He believes the most recent survey in circulation proves how strong the Bangor Daily’s printed-paper is and can remain. The main difference between the BDN and Seattle Post Intelligencer is that the Post was more of an inner-city paper, covering a smaller area of circulation. As opposed to the BDN which ships out its paper over most of the state of Maine. It’s those facts that Tuttle thinks will keep the Bangor Daily News strong in both its print and online versions for years to come.