SAN ANTONIO, TX -- Texas Congressman Will Hurd, a Republican, recently sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross urging the Trump administration to drop tariffs on uncoated groundwood paper from Canada because the failing business models of newspapers can’t afford higher cost paper.
Hurd’s 23rd Congressional District stretches along the Mexican border between San Antonio and El Paso. Hurd says, “As the newspaper industry continues to move forward into the digital age, we must continue to protect the most vulnerable publishing companies, many of whom simply lack the resources needed to move to a digital business model.”
What the Congressman means is that the current newspaper business model is failing and is unsustainable with the advent of digital media like San Angelo LIVE! Newspapers have failed to keep up with the times and are now not profitable because of that refusal or inability to change. Hurd says the newspapers can’t afford the cost of paper so the federal government should subsidize them to keep them in business.
“Unfortunately, these tariffs have already forced some newspapers to reduce paper delivery to only once a week rather than everyday. This particular case poses serious economic strains for newspapers across the United States, and the 23rd Congressional District of Texas.”
The internet has been around for decades. Most news consumers now get at least some of their news from digital sources like San Angelo Live and almost every newspaper, TV station and radio station have a website. We are all competing for the same audience. And apparently according to Congressman Hurd, we are winning and newspapers are losing.
This is sort of like asking the government to subsidize the horse and buggy industry after the invention of the automobile. It just doesn’t make sense. Change, learn to be competitive or get out of the business.
Hurd writes, “The majority of U.S. newsprint manufacturers, and the American Forest and Paper Association oppose the (tariffs).” Hurd writes that the tariffs would cripple the U.S. paper manufacturing industry.
Hurd is right. The news business has shifted from printing and delivering newspapers to a digital platform where consumers can get the latest up-to-date news for free on their smartphone, tablet or computer. We would be better off supporting digital media sources by acknowledging that the time of the failed newspaper business model is over.
Congressman Hurd knows this truth very well. He serves as Chairman on the Subcommittee on Information Technology.
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Comments
Does this mean the Standard Times might go out of business? How will we be able to keep up with Prayer Vigils for Illegal Aliens, Black Lives Matter, Occupy Wall Street, Antifa, Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, or the local Democratic Party in general?
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PermalinkYou nailed it Old Buffalo Hunter.
Why in the heck would Trump prop up the print media that rails on him daily? Further, why is the SAST decidedly liberal, when the majority of their readership is conservative? The liberal print media doesn't report the news, rather they are a propaganda tool of the Democrat party.
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PermalinkO.K. what is this congressman thinking? I did not see the editorial coming in this article...
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PermalinkListen Mason... I am a homeowner, who once made 65,000 a year... OK. I paid 15,000 in just one year to federal withholding. Do you even know what that means?
Now, we are a single income family, neither my wife, nor I have health insurance, we scrape by with enough food, after some help and we could lose it all if something comes up... You don't hear me crying about Trump, or the rich, or capitalism... We trust in the Lord to supply all of our needs, when you trust in Jesus, and not the government, I guess that changes the way you view things... Sound's to me like you believe that "people" rising up can actually fix all the corruption in the world, as a good friend of mine once said, "negro please"... I do think about all of this when I go vote.
It still doesn't change my view of thing's... While I've been able to make, with bonuses, more than 5,000/mo at one point in time... I was also stupid, and spent it all, leaving myself no "savings" to cushion the blow when things went south... I learned a valuable life lesson though, and I don't blame other's for the way life has it's up's and down's...
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PermalinkI thought about it last time I voted. I'm happy to say I'm at least partly responsible for the President we now have.
So, you are against capitalism! I'd be curious to know what you think works better. If you studied history in school, communism and socialism do not work unless the people are forced to live under it by the government. Even then it never lasts. The reason is easy to explain... Randomly pick 10 healthy adults from any crowd. Give them all the same type tasks or work to perform for an extended period of time. Tell them a lump some of money (to be divided equally) will be paid to them at the end of the work period. One or more of these people will not work as hard as the rest so, the rest of the workers will have to unfairly carry the burden. Unless you have a task master with a whip standing over these people then capitalism is the only fair way to prevent this.
I am as middle class as they come. I don't have a college degree. I do have a trade. I worked hard to learn my skills. At the age of 40 I wanted to do something different. I didn't whine to society or the government claiming they owed me something because of where I was or wasn't born. Instead I rolled up my sleeves, started the bottom and learned new skills. I may never be rich or travel the world but, I've made my own mistakes and this country doesn't owe me a thing.
Just in case you don't know, this country is doing better economically than it has in years,
I am your average middle class american and I love capitalism and this country. If you don't, PLEASE MOVE AWAY!
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