Could it really be that the newspaper industry itself is to blame for reinforcing the notion that the newspaper industry is headed toward the abyss?

That’s certainly the message you would have heard had you attended the keynote session of February’s NAA Marketing Conference.

“If there’s one thing I’ve noticed about newspapers, it’s that there isn’t an industry out there that doesn’t kick itself in the rear end more frequently and more dramatically than this business,” said Brian Tierney, chief honcho at Philadelphia Media Holdings.

Chuck Moozakis, Editor-In-Chief
Newspapers & Technology Magazine

 “Let’s talk about the assets that we have … We need to understand them, focus on them and invest in those and get over it.”

Newspapers & Technology columnist Jim Chisholm has a similar message in his piece on page 28.

And I certainly heard the same opinions when I traveled to California in late February to attend Metro Users Group. If newspapers would just quit writing about how bad the industry is and instead communicate how they’ve transformed themselves, then consumer perceptions, and perhaps Wall Street valuations, would also improve.

There’s no question that the newspaper industry remains a vital, multibillion-dollar economic force.

Yes, publishers are still spending money to buy equipment and upgrade operations. They are still investing in technologies and systems. And outside of a few operations, most publishers are still earning a sizeable profit. It might not be the 25 percent-plus margins of old, but money is still being made.

I agree with Tierney that newspapers can do more to trumpet their successes. But as newspapers are forced to trim hundreds of newsroom jobs, here’s the dilemma: Exactly who is going to be left to write that story?