NOW ON PBS! Directed by Rick Goldsmith, Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink examines the crisis facing local newspapers in America. The documentary reveals how hedge fund ownership has hollowed out newspapers and follows the journalists as they fight back to preserve their role as the fourth estate.
Across the United States, newspapers are facing declining ad sales and readership, leaving many local outlets struggling to survive. As print subscriptions fall and advertising dollars move online, newsrooms are forced to operate with fewer resources. Every year, budgets shrink—and so do resources—usually meaning cuts to reporters.. One by one, communities are left without consistent reporting on local government, schools, and civic life, creating a crisis for journalism as an institution that holds power to account.
This is where the vultures attack. Along comes Alden Global Capital, a hedge fund that begins quietly acquiring struggling newspapers. The documentary’s main story is told through The Denver Post. When The Post was bought by Alden, journalists watched as their newsroom was gutted. Reporters there published fiery editorials condemning Alden’s ownership, turning their fight into a national symbol of the struggle between corporate greed and the public’s right to know.
“Reporters there published fiery editorials condemning Alden’s ownership…”
Stripped for Parts illustrates how this same story unfolds in cities across the country, with once-vibrant papers reduced to skeletal versions of themselves. Soon, journalists begin investigating the hedge funds that are now their bosses, only to be stopped at every turn. It is now the job of independent journalists to bring to light what their corporate owners are doing for the sake of profit and at the expense of a free press and democracy.
It’s safe to say the news and journalism are in trouble today at all levels, from newspapers to even broadcast news. When you step back, you realize the problem is quite broad, encompassing businesses that need to make a profit, readers who require news that speaks to them and is trustworthy, and journalists, who are instrumental as a vital check and balance on society. What Stripped for Parts does is present the issue solely from the perspective of the press.
The tone of Goldsmith’s documentary is one of corporate intrigue. Why are hedge funds buying newspapers, other than to acquire struggling businesses and sell off their assets? The film then shifts its focus to survival. Journalists are now fighting for their jobs, waving the banner of the First Amendment. As they state, without the press, there is no democracy. Without the press, people will begin to believe misinformation and disinformation, which can have severe consequences. There are times, though, when the documentary’s subjects border on—if not cross—the line of self-importance.
Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink tells a fascinating and engaging story. We should be concerned about the current state of the press. While Stripped for Parts gives you one large piece of a complicated issue, it’s best to dig deeper into the issue and come out with your own conclusions. It can be dangerous when journalists feel they are the sole arbiters of truth, while, at the same time, unchecked authority (whether local, state, or federal) borders on authoritarianism unless buttressed by the checks and balances that the press provides.
"…fascinating and engaging..."
