On October 15, subscribers were greeted with a Lancaster Newspapers supplement headed“ A Look Back.”
Under the supplement’s title appears: “Not too rash – yet not fearful – open to all parties, but not influenced by any. William Hamilton & Henry Willcocks. Motto for The Lancaster Journal June 18, 1794”
At the same time, the newspaper’s front page is devoted to three stores: “Lucky ducks find homes”, “Town clocks have stood test of time” and “‘The noblest of fruit’, Haldeman Preservation Society celebrates cultural, culinary jewel with Apple Festival.” What a departure from the several front pages displayed from over the decades.
The current front page is what currently goes for “not fearful”.
Given the company’s disgraceful participation and reporting on the Convention Center rip off , its remaining mute about the Gray Administration’s abject failure in downtown redevelopment efforts over its ten years in office, and the relative silence concerning the growing monopoly and profiteering of Lancaster General Health at the expense of health insurance for the public, its motto today might more appropriately be “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”
Nevertheless, Lancaster is much better off with, rather than without, the daily newspapers. They are in the business of selling subscriptions and advertisements and are reluctant to give offense. The publications need to remain profitable or cease to exist as have so many other city newspapers.
So congratulations and best wishes for another 220 years.
We just hope that someday circumstances enable Lancaster Newspapers, Inc. to return to its illustrious roots.
Current ownership/management/philosophy will never allow LNP to be a real source of investigative journalism. They only report ‘good news’ relative to downtown Lancaster….can’t let anything negative interfere with their goldmine Marriott Hotel. LNP lost integrity as a news source once they became part of PSP.
LNP has become an insult to the readership of those they are charged to inform. Only with outside input, beyond the Steinman family and all the family relationships that exist within the editorial/reporting staff, will effective change take place.
Maybe they should look at hiring an ethnically diversified staff, that could present news from a perspective other than the ivory white offices at 8 W. King St.
We don’t need a continuation of fluff pieces…unless they want to change the name to the Lancaster Gazette.