紐時賞析／富翁出資！全美在地新聞陷危機 這家報紙卻逆勢擴張

明尼蘇達明星論壇報希望，未來5年的付費數位訂閱量成長200%。（紐約時報）

Defying Crisis in Local News, The Star Tribune Expands

對抗在地新聞危機 明星論壇報逆勢擴張

Many metropolitan newspapers across the country have narrowed their ambitions in recent years, closing regional bureaus and cutting back statewide coverage in an effort to trim costs.

全美各地許多都會報紙近年來已縮減它們的雄心，關閉地區採訪辦事處，並且砍掉全州範圍的報導，以努力削減成本。

The Star Tribune in Minneapolis is taking the opposite tack.

明尼阿波利斯的「明星論壇報」正在反其道而行。

The paper will now be called The Minnesota Star Tribune, and it will use an injection of money from its billionaire owner to expand its coverage beyond the Twin Cities into other parts of the state.

該報現在將被稱爲「明尼蘇達明星論壇報」，它將運用其億萬富翁所有人注入的資金，將報導擴大到雙子城以外，進入該州其他地區。

Steve Grove, the publisher and CEO, said the push, which includes hiring reporters in various parts of the state, was part of an effort to as much as triple the publication’s paid digital subscriptions over the next five years.

該報發行人兼執行長格羅夫說，這項行動包括在該州不同地區聘僱記者，是未來5年內將該報付費數位訂閱量增爲3倍努力的一部分。

The expansion is a rare big bet in the newspaper industry. Local newspapers have been shrinking across the country in recent years. A 2023 report from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern found that almost 2,900 newspapers had shut down since 2005.

此次擴張在報業是罕見的重注。近年來，全國各地的地方報紙一直在萎縮。西北大學梅迪爾新聞學院2023年的一分報告發現，自2005年以來，近2900家報紙已停刊。

But the Star Tribune has remained a bright spot: It hasn’t made major layoffs in recent years, and its newsroom has remained around 225 people for years.

不過，明星論壇報仍是一個亮點，它近年來沒有進行重大裁員，其新聞編輯室人力多年來一直保持大約225人。

The Star Tribune is owned by Glen Taylor, a billionaire who bought the paper for about $100 million in 2014, several years after it filed for bankruptcy.

明星論壇報爲泰勒所有，這位億萬富翁於2014年該報申請破產數年後，出資約1億美元收購。

Taylor declined to disclose how much he was investing. But he said in a statement that he had decided to inject capital because of “my belief in the team’s plan, and in our audience’s demand for quality, objective local news.”

泰勒拒絕透露他投資了多少資金。但他聲明表示，他已決定注入資本，因爲「我對這個團隊的計劃及讀者要求優質客觀地方新聞的信念」。

Grove’s mandate is to help the publication have a more digital focus. When he joined, the print newspaper generated 70% of the company’s revenue, but subscriptions were falling 15% a year. Digital subscriptions have hovered around 100,000, he said.

格羅夫受命進行的工作，是要幫助該報更加專注於數位。當他加入時，印刷版報紙佔公司營收的70%，但訂閱量一年下跌15%。他說，數位訂閱量一直在10萬左右徘徊。

“You can’t manage decline toward a profitable future,” Grove said. “You’re going to have to at some point take a pretty big swing.”

格羅夫說，「你無法透過管理衰退走向一個獲利的未來。在某個時刻，你必須做出非常大的轉變」。

Grove embarked on a tour last year across Minnesota to hear what people had to say about local news. He hired some new business leaders and directed an overhaul of the technology used to power the Star Tribune’s website and mobile apps and a redesign of the homepage.

格羅夫去年在明尼蘇達州各地旅行，傾聽人們對地方新聞的想法。他僱請一些新的業界領袖，並指示徹底修改用於驅動明星論壇報網站和行動應用程式的技術，還重新設計首頁。

He has also made plans to share content with hyperlocal news organizations across Minnesota. He is looking at possible subscription bundles and says he will start a philanthropic arm.

他也制訂計劃，跟明尼蘇達州各地的超在地新聞機構分享內容。他正在研究可能的訂閱組合包，並稱他將啓動一個慈善部門。

文／Katie Robertson 　譯／周辰陽