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Join TSPR for a weekly conversation about media issues. News Director Rich Egger and expert panelists discuss what’s in the news about the news business.

Can newspapers in this region survive?

The Prairie Review, which covered five communities in this region, ceased publication in mid-September. The paper was owned by Gannett, which also laid off numerous reporters in this region.

In a recent interview, Bill Knight said the not-for-profit journalism model might hold some promise for the future. Bill is retired from WIU, where he taught journalism, and he did weekly commentaries for a quarter century on TSPR.

He said not-for-profit newspaper ownership might work because they don't have that fiduciary responsibility to return on investment. He said their investment is in the community.

Shop Talk is a weekly panel discussion about journalism issues.  This week’s program featured Will Buss, who teaches in the Department of Broadcasting and Journalism at Western Illinois University and advises the student editors at the Western Courier, the students at student radio station The Dog, and the WIU chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists; Rajvee Subramanian, a former teacher in the Department of Broadcasting and Journalism at Western Illinois University; and TSPR News Director Rich Egger.

Rich is TSPR's News Director.