Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | July 22, 2019 | Worcester Business Journal 21 Crowleys should be the face of the WooSox Breaking news and how to fix it V I E W P O I N T E D I T O R I A L S ince the Pawtucket Red Sox announced on Aug. 17 of their intention to move to a new stadium in Worcester's Canal District for the 2021 season, the minor league baseball team has done a masterful job of building up support in the Central Massachusetts community. More than just attending municipal meetings and making nuts-and-bolts announcements, PawSox officials, particularly Chairman Larry Lucchino and President Charles Steinberg, have been familiar faces around Greater Worcester. eir major public events with Worcester city officials – such as the August announcement, the pep rally shortly thereaer last year, and the ceremonial groundbreaking this July – generated significant buzz and goodwill. at's exactly what you want from the one business Worcester government officials are counting on to fill up a stadium, neighboring hotels, apartments, offices and retailers, in order to justify the city's $101-million investment in the ballpark. e latest PawSox master stroke came at the groundbreaking, when Lucchino announced Ralph Crowley and his family would become part owners of the team. e Crowleys, who own Worcester manufacturer Polar Beverages and Wachusett Mountain Ski Area in Princeton, are Central Massachusetts business royalty. e 12 other owners of the PawSox have some scant Central Mass. ties – Ben Cammarata is the founder of Framingham retail parent TJX Cos. – but no one is as Worcester as the Crowleys, whose Polar mascot Orson greets I-290 N ewspapers are more than just a record of facts and stories about our communities, they are the foundation of a healthy democ- racy. With local journalism in the midst of a slow-burning crisis, it is time for Massachusetts to help turn the tide. In the past 15 years, nearly one in five newspapers has disappeared and countless others have become shells of themselves, preyed upon by hedge funds and out-of-state corporate chains. Expansive research from the University of North Carolina found a net loss of almost 1,800 local newspa- pers nationally since 2004. is past June, Gatehouse Media announced layoffs and the consolidation of 50 weeklies down to 18. In May, Gatehouse cut staff at the Worcester Telegram & Ga- zette and Worcester Magazine – leaving the magazine with just one reporter to cover the state's second biggest city. Nobody has the ability to attend every community meet- ing and have their ear to the ground on every issue – that's where journalists come in. Deeply diminished newsrooms are reduced to news aggregators with little ability to do original reporting citizens rely on. Yet, a few newspapers are demonstrating newsgathering is still possible and profitable. Berkshire Eagle Co-Owner Fred Rutberg and a team of local stakeholders purchased the then-declining regional paper from Digital First Media, a division of New York hedge fund Alden Global Capital. Alden's record of buying papers, such as the Boston Herald, to slash costs and quality in order to raise profits weakened news coverage of the Berkshires. With a faithful eye on quality news gathering, Rutberg has seen a 60% increase in digital subscriptions. Across the country, philanthropists and publishers are ex- perimenting with new approaches to running a newspaper. Some have provided subscribers with free iPads to convert them to digital subscribers, while organizations like Report for America have placed graduates into two-year reporting fellowships, modeled aer Teach for America. We all have a stake in the survival of a free press, which is why we have filed a bill to start a productive conversation. e bill (H.181/S.80.) would create a diverse, 17-member commission to find a path forward for local journalism. e commission would review press coverage of Mass. com- munities, the ratio of residents to media outlets, print and digital business models, and more. We believe government can facilitate this critical discussion and let journalists lead the way without infringing on the freedom of the press. Local news outlets serve as anchors of our communities, connecting readers to their neighbors and making govern- ment accountable. Without them, at a time when facts are under attack, our communities become prone to hyperbole and divisiveness. We invite anyone who is interested in pre- serving local news to join the conversation on this critical issue for the future of Massachusetts. Lori Ehrlich is a state representative, and Brendan Crighton is a state senator, both representing Lynn. BY LORI EHRLICH AND BRENDAN CRIGHTON Special to the Worcester Business Journal Brendan Crighton travelers as they enter the city. e Worcester Railers minor league hockey team appear to have found success by filling up its front office with Central Massachusetts personnel and owner Cliff Rucker's willingness to invest in Worcester real estate and businesses, despite being from the North Shore. As the PawSox shi their Rhode Island personnel to Massachusetts over the coming two years, the team needs local leadership who will see the 30-year lease agreement with the city through its entire life cycle. Lucchino and Steinberg have done an amazing job, but neither has another 30 years le to shepherd the team in its new home. Ralph Crowley and his siblings probably are closer to handing off their businesses to the next generation than they are to the time when they took over. Still, they are prime candidates to become the new faces of the Worcester Red Sox. As the owners of a fourth- generation family business with the fih generation already participating in the company, the succession plan appears secure. at sort of long-term local tie will go a long way with sponsors, advertisers and fans of the team. Even if the Crowleys aren't up for the task, the move of Ralph and his family into the ownership group is a step in the right direction. Over the course of the next two years, Pawtucket's team is going to become Worcester's team, and it will need Worcester people to protect its interests. e transition doesn't have to happen immediately, but that is the future of the Worcester Red Sox. The Worcester Business Journal welcomes letters to the editor and commentary submissions. Please send submissions to Brad Kane, editor, at bkane@wbjournal.com. A T H O U SA N D WO R D S B Y D O N L A N D G R E N W W Lori Ehrlich

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