The Columbia Journalism Review offers a useful example of the value of having multiple media outlets. The Review contrasts the recent discussion about Logan’s finances in the Globe and the Herald:
“But as we read the Boston papers’ strikingly different stories about the same subject, we were reminded just how valuable two competing voices can be. …
“Logan International Airport is facing a $17 million cash crunch as it copes with the fallout from the airline industry’s financial woes,” reported the Herald, focusing on the short term. “Massachusetts Port Authority officials are working to get much of the money back, but for now, they’re slashing expenses and looking to beef up concessions, which has been one of the few bright spots this year.
“In the Globe, meanwhile, there was nary a mention of Logan’s immediate cash problems, or the fact that two airlines had skipped out on their bills. The broadsheet did, however, provide the long-term perspective its tabloid rival was sorely lacking.”
Interestingly, the CJR didn’t mention the wealth of information, admittedly of widely varying interest and quality, about Logan Airport available on blogs.
