Introduction
The Chatterboxes were initially interested in approaching our analysis of publication issues of The Edmonton Journal, from a social lens. We based our preliminary primary source collection on social issues that dominate the headlines - then and now. Our search was narrowed to the month of May, the same month as the MACT program Spring Institute. We inquired with a former journalist, Sharon McCann who worked prior to 1990 and asked what day of the week was recommended for stories that would reflect world issues. Our source suggested Wednesday or Thursday as an ideal day for big news stories, citing the publishing process by day pre- 1990.
Through Ms. McCann we learned that Monday wasn’t great because there was a weekend break; journalists had meetings to decide the week lineup, and pass out assignments. Tuesday was running down sources and first draft work. Wednesday could be editing and possible production, but photos or stronger side stories, and fact checking could slow things down. We narrowed our weekday to Thursdays or Wednesdays because our source found more fluff pieces were published on Friday issues. This former journalist emphasized that this scheduling pattern could all be very different now since the onset of the internet has made everything so much faster. The remainder of our research required us to ask the question: With the passage of time, what else has changed in the Edmonton Journal issue publication?
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The Edmonton Journal is a daily newspaper in Edmonton, Alberta, part of the Postmedia Network. The Edmonton Journal has a long history of news media in the Edmonton community. In this analysis, we focused on the features of the two editions of the same publication, dated May 17, 1989 black and white and a full-color May 11, 2022 edition, published over three decades apart.
Among the eight headline stories in the older edition, titled Rights chief kept in dark by minister, Lawyer Loses to Money Munching Green Machine, and Killer says Escape not Noticed for Six Hours (The Edmonton Journal, May 17, 1989). Four are local stories while one is a national story and two are international. Both international stories are supplied by news agencies. The latest edition has five front page stories, four local stories, and one international. The front pages of the same paper differ in font, presentation and the total number of stories.
Much as the two editions have remained consistent in terms of news coverage over the years, content presentation and scope have changed significantly. The number of local news has reduced with few human interest stories attributed to a shift in modes of distribution with hard copies reducing in number and the introduction of the electronic edition, which is widely circulating. Currently, the publication has increased online readers, interpreting into increased revenue and ability to compete favorably, which has necessitated the change.
In addition, the local content has changed from the original format of community human interest stories to more political and developmental news. Public discourse determines the news agenda, which drives readership and affects revenue; therefore, the political and economic news that determines livelihoods has dominated the media. Perhaps the reason we observe a shift from local internet stories to political discourse is because news media does not profit off feel-good community focused news. The political economic elements of media distribution make reporting on political discourse more profitable (McChesney, 2013).
The old edition has rich local and international stock market news with illustrations. In contrast, the new edition has few stories and a different presentation in addition to the stock market news. The business page is now called the Financial Post, whose changes can be attributed to the availability of the same information in digital formats and platforms, which can be accessed in depth, unlike the older version. Then readers relied on illustrations, hence the difference in the number of pages allocated to the business section.
Both editions have local news, arts and entertainment, lifestyle, food, television reviews, sports sections. Unlike the new edition, the older has a classified section advertising on goods and services such as rentals and real estate. Full-page adverts dominate in the old edition compared to the latest, with fewer advertisements.
We have observed that the shrinking media space for traditional media has forced the publication to adjust to remain relevant to the current prevailing environment. The reduced consumption of print media, which has reduced revenue and the drop in readership as many opt for digital platforms to access their news, has resulted in the modification of the publication. The shift in the landscape that has affected the quality of publications shows that some traditional media will survive by changing norms while others may not (Taras, 2015).
In conclusion, it is evident from the content that the older edition had more and longer stories authored by local writers compared to the reduced number of local and international stories in the current edition. The changes can be attributed to the change in the mode of circulation with a decrease in physical copies and an introduction to electronic copies, affecting the publication volume. The new edition is easy to read, and accessible both in physical and digital forms. The stiff competition resulting from increased news platforms allowing wider choices for consumers has necessitated the changes in the packaging of the publication. The Edmonton Journal has impressive content, compared to other publications, and its history gives us the confidence to subscribe as a credible source of information.
References
McChesney, R. (2013). Digital Disconnect : How Capitalism Is Turning the Internet Against Democracy. The News Press.
Taras, D. (2015). Digital mosaic : Media, power, and identity in canada. University of Toronto Press.
The Edmonton Journal. (May 17, 1989).
The Edmonton Journal. (May 11, 2022).
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I enjoyed reading this post. The content analysis is well thought out, and the charts reveal some notable differences. The analysis reveals the effect of media shock on the editions, in part with the loss of the classified ads and the business section being rebranded as the Financial Post. Digital media has made the newspaper less relevant as a source of current business information. I like that you consulted a journalist in making your decision about the sample dates, as this revealed some important unseen factors that influence daily editions. It would be further interesting to go back another 10 or 20 years to do a third comparison. Well done!
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