News Articles
Did Craigslist decimate newspapers? Legend meets reality.
Craig Newmark's simple site was hailed as a disruptor and blamed for the collapse of classifieds. But journalism's business failures ran deeper.
Craigslist founder Craig Newmark sits in his home office in New York, on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Robert Bumsted)
This article explores the long-held belief that Craigslist caused the downfall of newspaper classified advertising, arguing that while it was a significant factor, the industry's business failures were more complex.
The article delves into the history of Craigslist and its founder Craig Newmark, examining the platform'simpact on the newspaper industry's classified ad revenue and the broader context of journalism's business challenges.
Keywords:
Persons
Craig Newmark
Role: Founder of Craigslist
American internet entrepreneur and philanthropist best known as the founder of the classifieds website Craigslist. He also founded Craig Newmark Philanthropies.
Rick Edmonds
Role: Media Business Analyst
Media business analyst for the Poynter Institute where he has done research and writing for the last fifteen years.
Jim Buckmaster
Role: CEO of Craigslist
CEO of Craigslist, known for sharing Newmark's unconventional, non-profit-maximizing capitalist approach. His bio notes he has been called a democratic socialist and a communist.
Tony Ridder
Role: CEO of Knight-Ridder
Became CEO of Knight-Ridder in 1995 and presciently identified 'electronic classifieds' as a major threat to the newspaper industry.
Organizations
Craigslist
Type: Organization, Website
Founder: Craig Newmark
A classified advertisements website with sections devoted to jobs, housing, for sale, items wanted, services, community service, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums.
The Poynter Institute
Type: News Media Organization
Tax ID: 59-1630423
The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)3. The Poynter Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, and your gift helps us make good journalism better.
Craig Newmark Philanthropies
Founder: Craig Newmark
Operates uniquely, avoiding slowness and red tape. Focuses on cybersecurity, trustworthy journalism, and support for military families and veterans.
Knight-Ridder
Formerly the nation's preeminent collection of regional newspapers. The company was one of three that invested in CareerBuilder in response to the digital threat.
AIM Group
A consulting firm that has studied the classified business for 25 years. Its founder, Peter Zollman, provided a detailed financial estimate of Craigslist.
Products
Newspapers
A periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Services
Classified Advertising
A form of advertising which is particularly common in newspapers, online and in other periodicals which may be sold or distributed free of charge.
Defined Terms
Disruptive Innovation
Term Code: Disruption
An innovation that creates a new market and value network, eventually disrupting an existing market and value network, displacing established market-leading firms, products, and alliances.
Skunkworks
A group within an organization given a high degree of autonomy and unhampered by bureaucracy, tasked with working on advanced or secret projects.
Used in Chapter 3 to describe a potential strategy newspapers could have used to innovate.
Canard
An unfounded rumor or story.
Used in Chapter 6 to describe the idea that Craigslist alone killed newspapers as a 'gross canard'.
How-Tos
How to Apply for a Grant from Craig Newmark Philanthropies
A guide on the preferred application process for Craig Newmark Philanthropies, emphasizing an informal and brief approach.
Adopt an informal approach
The foundation encourages an informal approach rather than rigid, formal proposals.
Ensure brevity and specificity
Balance the informal approach with being brief and specific in your request.
Avoid polished presentations
Heavily polished presentations and lots of attachments are discouraged as they will only slow down the process.
This guide is based on the 'how-to-apply' section of the Craig Newmark Philanthropies website, as quoted in Chapter 5.
FAQs
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