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Jerry Ceppos, Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University |
At 5:30 on a typical spring morning, I'm in our front yard with a cup of coffee, inhaling the moist darkness before loading my arms with newspapers that our reliable carrier has placed against the garage door. My load was very light one day this week. The New York Times was just 48 pages. The Wall Street Journal, 30 pages. The Austin American-Statesman, 30 pages.
The reason: little advertising. Print advertising began declining 10-15% annually after the arrival of the Internet. In the 1980s, there was so much advertising that the joke was that a publisher could be simultaneously successful and brain dead. (Of course, my last publisher, Mike Laosa, was the brilliant exception.)
And then coronavirus.
In March, advertising really tanked across the nation as most businesses shuttered. We retreated into our homes, ordering online.
Is this pandemic the coup de grace for newspapers?
It could be for their print versions, depending on how long the pandemic lasts. Digital is the present and the future. The Washington Post and New York Times have made the leap successfully. The Times could prosper on digital alone. Digital revenue is flat or even declining slightly for most local newspapers.
Meanwhile, just bad news. The Charlotte Observer and Miami Herald ended Saturday editions. The Austin Chronicle today published this week's edition online only, trimming back print editions from weekly to twice-a-month. The Chronicle now asks readers for donations. The Tampa Bay Times cut staff pay 10%. The Los Angeles Times is doing buyouts two years after its purchase by a billionaire.
I take no pleasure in this. The Austin American-Statesman is doing a good job on local coverage of COVID-19, and I'm glad to see that. Many of the editors and writers who are the face of the Austin American-Statesman were young staffers when I was editor. I wish them well.
The other day I swapped email with a friend, Jerry Ceppos, who was editor of the San Jose Mercury-News and dean of the Manship School of Mass Communications at Louisiana State University. Now teaching, he is an insightful thinker about newspapers.
"What concerns me about the financial impact of the virus is that it could wipe out news organizations that understand where they should have been headed—to online publication—but now won't have the time to make a transition."
Why should you care? Isn't every business or institution—including yours—poleaxed by this pandemic?
"The only people celebrating are crooked politicians, who suddenly can steal with impunity because fewer local news organizations are around to shine a light on them. One irony is that there will be more to steal because the federal money that will pour in to help end the pandemic," says Ceppos.
He's right. Congress is wrapping up work on a $2 trillion bailout. There's never been one close to that in size. Who will get that money and why?
That's where newspapers come in. If they don't earn their keep now, digital-only news sites will replace them.
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APD is searching for suspect Stephen Broderick.
Austin police lifted the shelter in place order after searching the area around 9600 block of Great Hills Trail near the Arboretum for a 41-year-old man named Stephen Broderick, who they believe is responsible for shooting and ultimately killing three people in Northwest Austin
As of 5 p.m., the suspect is still at large and considered to be armed and dangerous, though police do not believe he is actively targeting anyone else. During a press briefing at 4:45 on Sunday, APD Interim police Chief Joseph Chacon said they are switching the search from the immediate area to a fugitive search as they have exhausted all the leads they currently have.
Chacon confirmed during the briefing that Broderick was a former Travis County Sheriff's Office deputy. Chacon said they will remain on the scene for "several hours" and there were 75 FBI agents on the scene as of the briefing.
APD @Chief_Chacon provides updated media briefing in relation to Great Hills Trail incident. - PIO8 https://t.co/47siNWhARI
— Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police) April 18, 2021
Police believe the victims, who have been identified as two Hispanic women and one Black man, knew their assailant. Chacon said a child was involved but is now safely in police custody. Broderick was described as 5 foot, 7 inches with a medium build and was last seen wearing a gray hoodie, sunglasses and a baseball cap.
"We're very sorry that obviously that this has happened and we continue to try and locate this individual, we are transitioning from a search in this area to a fugitive search and those efforts will continue until this person is located," Chacon said. "I don't want anyone to think that we're packing up and going home. We're going to continue to look for this individual because he continues to pose a threat to this community."
At a 2:30 p.m. press briefing, Chacon said APD responded to a "shoot, stab, hot shot" call on Great Hills Trail and Rain Creek Parkway at 11:46 a.m. to find the three victims with gunshot wounds. APD was joined by the Austin Fire Department. ATCEMS, the local chapter of the FBI, the U.S. Marshals, Department of Public Safety, and the Round Rock Police Department for support.
Though Austin Travis-County EMS originally reported it as an active shooter situation, police now believe the incident was an isolated domestic event.
"This is still an ongoing and active investigation and we do not have this individual in custody yet," Chacon said during the first press briefing. "We would ask if you have your neighbors, phone numbers, call or text them check on them and make sure that they're okay. We are concerned that he might possibly take a hostage and be himself sheltered somewhere waiting for us to leave."
At this time the Great Hills Trail scene is still active. We are still asking residents to shelter in place and report suspicious activity. While a suspect is still at large it appears this is a domestic situation that is isolated and there is no risk to the general public. -PIO8
— Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police) April 18, 2021
Three helicopters and SWAT teams were sent to the area, as well as 18 ATCEMS response assets. According to Austin Police, the incident occurred at an apartment complex near Great Hills Trail and Rain Creek Parkway.
#texasshooting #masshooting Arboretum shooting Austin. pic.twitter.com/SkIsgDoYHt
— Jamie Hammonds (@jamie_hammonds5) April 18, 2021
APD announced at 1:02 p.m. that Loop 360 will be shut down in both directions from Spicewood Springs to 183 due to the incident. The roads will remain closed until law enforcement is able to wrap up the crime scene and units demobilize.
TRAFFIC UPDATE: Loop 360 will be shut down in both directions from Spicewoods Springs to 183 due to ongoing incident. - PIO8
— Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police) April 18, 2021
This is a developing story.
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Formula 1 is returning to Florida for the first time since 1959, announcing that the brand-new Miami Grand Prix will join the calendar in 2022 and Austin will no longer be the only F1 race in the U.S.
Held at the Hard Rock Stadium complex in Miami Gardens, this will be the first race in the Sunshine State in 62 years. With a new track setup, F1 will loop the stadium, home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins.
Excited for @F1 @f1miami @HardRockStadium - a Global Entertainment Destination. This event will bring opportunities for so many and will be world-class. Thank you to @gregmaffei #chasecarey #stefanodomenicali @MayorRHarris @Ogilbert @CommishDiaz @MayorDaniella pic.twitter.com/n6dDDD1cPX
— Tom Garfinkel (@TomGarfinkel) April 18, 2021
The new 3.36 mile circuit has 19 corners, three straights and potential for three DRS zones, with expected top speeds of 198 mph.
Now with two races in the U.S., F1 President Stefano Domenicali said they will avoid having back-to-back events by keeping the Miami Grand Prix separate from the U.S. Grand Prix, which is held at Austin's Circuit of the Americas.
The date of the race has yet to be confirmed, though Domenicali said he expects the first race in a 10-year deal to take place in the second quarter of 2022. Austin's race will take place on Oct. 24 this year.
"The USA is a key growth market for us, and we are greatly encouraged by our growing reach in the U.S. which will be further supported by this exciting second race," Domenicali said.
Miami will mark the 11th race location in the U.S. since the Championship began in 1950: Circuit of The Americas in Austin; Dallas, Texas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Sebring, Florida; Riverside, California; Watkins Glen, New York; Long Beach, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Detroit, Michigan and Phoenix, Arizona. COTA was first opened in 2012.
Domenicali said F1 will be working with the FIA and the Hard Rock Stadium to leave a lasting impact on the community: discounted tickets for residents, a program to support local businesses and a STEM education program through F1 in schools.
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