By Sean P. Ray | Managing Editor

The Northside Chronicle is continuing its subscription drive into its second month, giving readers more chances to support the newspaper and a chance at winning a $100 gift card.

The drive began on Aug. 1 with the support of an anonymous donor. During the drive, the donor will provide a match for every new or renewed subscription, doubling the amount of support readers can provide to The Chronicle.

In addition, all new and renewing subscribers will be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift card to North Shore Tavern. It is uncertain when the drive will end, so readers are encouraged to subscribe as soon as possible to ensure they are entered into the contest.

Subscriptions can be made either via the form on page 2 of every edition of The Northside Chronicle, or online at thenorthsidechronicle.com/ subscriptions. Subscriptions are the best way to support The Chronicle’s efforts to cover local news on the Northside, and will allow you to have the paper delivered right to your door, as well as access our archive of electronic editions.

Did you know that The Northside Chronicle is a non-profit organization? While previously operating under the Neighborhood Community Development Fund, The Chronicle branched off as a separate organization around the start of the year, a process which was recently formalized.

Supporting The Northside Chronicle means supporting a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. In addition to subscriptions, donations can be made to The Chronicle at thenorthsidechronicle.com/thenorthsidechronicle/news/donate. Such donations are tax deductible.

We hope you will consider supporting The Northside Chronicle during our drive. Subscriptions contribute to our longevity and ability to continue bringing you the most important Northside stories.

Now, we will continue with the second part of our series taking a look at the state of the news industry, this time looking at Pennsylvania as a whole.

The State of the news: Pennsylvania

“It’s not my nature to focus on doom and gloom.”

That quote comes from Bill Cotter, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association (PNMA), which has more than 200 member outlets across the state. While Cotter acknowledges that there are significant challenges facing news outlets, including smaller news operations struggling to generate enough revenue, he also sees a lot of good occurring as well.

“I think in a lot of cases, a lot of your larger publications that have adopted digital strategies early are benefitting,” he said.

The advent of the internet has brought many changes to the news industry. Although some outlets have struggled with digital transitions, those that have, Cotter said, have been able to greatly expand their reach through websites and electronic editions.

However, that represents a new standard. Cotter said newspapers cannot just rely on their print product anymore.

“You’ve got to have a good website,” he said. “You’ve got to have an electronic edition.”

The internet’s increasing prevalence has also created opportunities for new kinds of publications, ones that focus exclusively online. While perhaps not ideal in every scenario, Cotter said these news sites have helped bring coverage to news deserts — areas that have little-to-no news coverage — especially in rural areas.

“We actually have a dozen new members in 2024, most of them online publications, which is exciting,” he said. “And some of these new companies are in these news deserts.”

Cotter also stressed the importance of hyper-local publications such as The Northside Chronicle. Such outlets, he said, can have a “really significant attachment” to their communities and can provide important information to local readers.

But to succeed, a publication must have diversified revenue streams, he said. It’s not enough to rely on just print ads, but also digital ads, advertising campaigns and, perhaps most importantly, subscriptions.

“I think (subscriptions are) vital, and I use that word a lot,” Cotter said. “Vital.”

Having hyper-local publications, as well as those providing coverage in news deserts, are of great importance in providing the public with information.

“Obviously we’re a much better society when we’re better informed,” he said.

Without such outlets, the public may miss out on important government meetings or public notices, promoting government transparency and knowledge of major community projects.

Our series will return next month with a look at national news.