Are newspapers turning into dinosaurs?
It may appear the Internet is forcing a lot of newspapers to cut back, but the exact opposite is happening at The Laker/Lutz News.
During a special celebration Tuesday night at the Porter Campus of Pasco-Hernando State College, The Laker/Lutz News unveiled its new size and design, entering the world of broadsheet papers. The change makes the paper the same size as daily newspapers in the area, and provides even more room for local stories and photos relevant to the communities of Land O’ Lakes, Lutz, Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Odessa, Zephyrhills and Dade City.
Wednesday morning, The Laker/Lutz News publisher Diane Kortus appeared on “Your Wake Up Call” on WWBA-AM 820 with Alex Hinojosa and Jenna Laine to talk about the new Laker newspapers, and where the industry is going.
“The daily newspapers have had lots of challenges, both on the local level and national level,” Kortus said. “On the weekly level, the community newspaper industry is stronger than ever. We give readers the kind of news they can’t get anywhere else.”
Delivering news in the 21st century may mean having an online presence, like right here at LakerLutzNews.com, but true success at the community level is still making sure that there is a newspaper readers can hold in their hands.
“People who read community newspapers, whether it be weekly community newspapers or daily newspapers, they only go to that paper’s website once a month,” Kortus said. “People want to get this news in the traditional newspaper format.
“The news is important to them, but it’s not earth-shattering. They don’t need to know it immediately. They like to sit down with a cup of coffee and read it.”
To hear the entire interview on News Talk Florida, click here. To see a video featuring the new size, visit tinyurl.com/LakerXLVideo. For pictures of the launch event at PHSC, visit tinyurl.com/LakerXLPics.
