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Paso Robles dumping the SLO Tribune for the New Times

June 19, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

Paso Robles is dumping the SLO Tribune and selecting the New Times as its paper of choice for public notices, in a financial gut punch to the Tribune.

While not the most exciting content, public notices provide a significant revenue stream to news sources. Governments are required to inform their constituents of what they are doing through these small-print legal notices.

In the past, the City of Paso Robles published its notices in the Tribune. But with the Tribune’s shrinking paper publication days and issues with submission deadlines, Paso Robles will publish most notices in the New Times beginning July 1, according to city staff.

In 2017, then newly elected San Luis Obispo County Supervisor John Peschong looked at the cost of advertising public notices in the Tribune compared to the New Times and discovered the Tribune was almost double the cost. He then successfully pushed the county to stop working with the Tribune and publish its public notices in the New Times.

Amid huge declines in advertising revenue, many U.S. newspapers depend on public notices to make ends meet. During the past 20 years,  more than 2,500, or a quarter of all newspapers in the United States, have folded.

 


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We have all heard the claim, “liberal media”. Just accept it and you will be fine; they are all selective and seem to lean away from governmental transgressions. Even media has to pick their stories. Consider the fact that we taxpayers are available to fund legal entanglements that could arise and voluntary legal support is very limited.


-21

The Tribune no longer exists in print and was never free. New Times currently does exist in print and is still free. No brainer. Would not be surprised if the city and county of SLO sign up for higher rates for public notice so as to prop up The Tribune. Sorry Joe, I’m not paying $15.99/mo for you to ignore the stories that CCN and the New Times provide for free, and then, of course, subsequently nominate yourself for an investigative journalism award so I have minimal public notice from your source.


52

Getting quite a little giggle at how everyone is piling on the TT, about how “left wing” it is, and good riddance to all that “left wing” etc., etc…. Since when did ya’ll stop thinking of the New Times as less of a “left wing” publication than the TT???


Hilarious. Personally, I have always considered the New Times to be obviously more capable of investigative journalism (if that matters). So, good. Give them the business. Maybe they will use that money to dig even deeper. Although it sounds to me like the decision to switch papers was strictly a financial consideration for Paso. Strange bedfellows and all.


5

You obviously don’t read New Times, hardly a conservative platform, but their coverage is far more balanced than the Tribune. Besides, NT is the “alternative voice” in the community, so we expect a little leftist renegade in them. But the Tribune supposedly represents the community, but they’ve gone so far to the left in recent years. Sad.


44

Umm, “Lost”, I read the New Times regularly. Since it first published, decades ago. What I have always noticed was a steady stream of complaints in the letters to the editor about how “left” they supposedly are. I just assumed that was due to the investigative journalism (how better to “represent the community”?), in preference to rhetoric.


What I do not read regularly is the TT, because they lack that depth of investigation, IMHO. So, I’m glad that the New Times will be getting better financing to continue, and possibly enhance their good work.


I would advise you to go a little lighter on the assumptions.


-12

I would not argue that the staff of the New Times maybe left-leaning, but that doesn’t matter. This is not Trump/Biden and that is not their mission. The key takeaway is that they are honest, unbiased, and transparent on critical local issues. The Tribune is not.


30

Love your reply. I find it interesting that you equate New Times’ honesty, lack of bias and transparency with desirability over rhetoric. So do I. Interesting that you also equate that with a lean to the left. The term “liberal” was originally coined to denote fact and verifiable information-based reporting and policy, making your comment spot on. If you equate “liberal” with “left”.


My “key takeaway” is that Paso is making a step up. Even if the decision was originally made simply to save money.


-15

The TT is toast. And well deserved.


50

Joe Tarica is overseeing the total collapse of the SLO TT, he must be proud.


46

The TT waits weeks, months, even years, before being forced to report the news. They are a government PR agency.


39

I always found them to be a corporate PR agency. Same thing when the corporations are allowed to buy politicians through massive donations.


-3

Newspaper’s are business like any other, do a bad job, piss off your customers and they will find another business that’s doing a good job.

Tribune has been circling the drain for some time now!


68

One more nail in the Tribune’s coffin. Will the last person leaving, please turn out the lights. It is time to claw it a “wrap” on the Tribune – this left wing embarrassment needs to go into history.


52

What lights? No Tribune building anymore


15

Good. The Tribune couldn’t be more biased against the Conservative area of North County.


44

Not that John would have an axe to grind w/the Trib :)


-22
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