On landing in Sioux Falls a decade ago, we signed up for some stuff: Trash pickup, MidCo bundled services, and the Argus Leader.
At the time, we were already a little south of the paper-gettin’ demographic. (When propositioned for a subscription at Walgreen’s we were met with incredulous smiles when we told the guy we already subscribed. “But you don’t look retired…?”)
It’s moral requirement to know your town. Any responsible citizen should be able to get around without GPS, should know who’s representing them in Pierre and Washington, should have a feel for what’s poppin’ up, and also when the good-old-boy network is getting down. It’s your civic duty, kids.
The Argus did a decent job back then. There was a Thursday section on music, food, and fun; a thick ad-filled Sunday edition; veteran journalists armed with bursting rolodexes; and enthusiastic new reporters ready to get on the beat.
And then it started to slide. Not-so-old guys started announcing their “retirement.” Sections were cut. New faces came and went. We went digital for a few a bucks a month to get around the internet paywall and never looked back.
The last time we saw a physical copy (at the doctor’s office) we felt sorry for it. Lying there on the table, so small and fragile, like a bird with a broken wing, we were afraid we’d hurt the poor thing if we picked it up.
And now that’s coming to an end too. The roaring presses are soon to be up-for-sale as the Argus moves printing duties to a shared facility in Des Moines.
Print media is in a bind. Has been for years. Breaking news hits Twitter and TV far faster than ink can mark paper. But print still has its place: Sitting down with some in-depth reporting, the kind worth committing indelibly to the page, delivers ruminative insights you’ll miss on a screen.
Will the Argus transition its print edition to think-pieces of regional importance? We doubt it. As news director Cory Meyers puts it, “we have tens of thousands of readers that depend on the print product and love that printed newspaper. And we’re going to continue to deliver that to them as best we can””
“As best we can.” That doesn’t sound hopeful. We’re guessing what hits your driveway will just be stale stuff, enough to keep the habitual advertisers and subscribers appeased for a few years longer.
Mayber Silverstar can convert the old digs into a carwash. Ah, progress.