The members of Montgomery County Community College’s Board of Trustees have a wealth of knowledge and experience in their fields, which they are excited to share with students and members of the College community. On March 11, Frank Custer, Chair of the Board of Trustees, presented “Gen Z and Social Media; The End of Local News,” a discussion about the waning newspaper industry in Montgomery County and nationally.

Custer is well versed in the subject, having worked in media for most of his career. He was a reporter, a public relations official, a communications manager for several government agencies and political campaigns and an educator. As such, Custer outlined the gradual erosion of local newspapers and the dangers created by the lack of coverage.

While television affected the newspaper industry as early as the 1960s, the Internet had a more significant effect. Ads are a primary source of revenue for newspapers, so when classified ad websites like Craigslist came online, that income to newspapers decreased.

When newspapers initially tried to go online, they faced issues with web development ad buying and revenue generation. The result of newspaper companies lacking resources and staff to provide coverage on local issues means there could be no one monitoring elected officials as they make decisions on behalf of their constituents.

Custer admitted that there is no clear solution to the dwindling local news industry.