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Swift Communications

{{Short description|Digital marketing and newspaper publishing company}}{{Infobox publisher|name=Swift Communications Inc.|website={{URL|swiftcom.com}}|headquarters=200 Lindbergh Dr, Gypsum, Colorado|founded=1975|founder=Philip Swift|owner=Ogden Newspapers}}

Swift Communications Inc. is an American digital marketing and newspaper publishing company based in Carson City, Nevada. Swift's primary markets are resort town tabloid newspapers and websites as well as agricultural publications. Swift Communications has been noted for "being outside of the mainstream"{{cite web|last=Collebrusco |first=Anthony |url=http://testkitchen.colorado.edu/2011/09/no-comment-swift-newspaper-websites-keeping-user-comments-turned-off/ |title='No comment': Swift newspaper websites keeping user comments turned off |publisher=Digital News Test Kitchen |date= |access-date=2012-11-14}} and "drawing national attention inside the industry"{{cite web|url=http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20111021/NEWS/111029971 |title=Aspen Times online comments return |publisher=Aspen Times |date=2011-10-21 |access-date=2012-11-14}} for disabling commenting and implementing paywalls on most of its online newspaper's websites.{{cite news |title=Greeley Tribune, other Swift papers, erecting paywalls |author=Tomasic, John |url=http://coloradoindependent.com/100095/greeley-tribune-other-swift-papers-erecting-paywalls |newspaper=Colorado Independent |date=2008-09-21 |access-date=2012-11-14}} Swift also prints advertorials, catalogs, realtor magazines and phone book advertising.{{cite web |title=Swift Communication Inc. Snapshot |url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1051111 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015220637/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1051111 |archive-date=October 15, 2012 |access-date=2012-11-14 |publisher=Bloomberg Businessweek}}

History

Swift Newspapers was founded by Philip Swift in 1975. Swift, a former executive at the Scripps League of Newspapers, exchanged his equity interests in the company for ownership of two daily newspapers, The News-Review and Tahoe Daily Tribune. After dozens of acquisitions and mergers over the years, Swift amassed a large number of print publications and in 1991 the company began concentrating on the resort sector by launching Tahoe.com and Reno.com. In 2006, the company changed their name to Swift Communications.{{cite web |url=http://stateofthemedia.org/media-ownership/company-profile/?mediaid=111&id=149 |title=Who Owns the News Media |publisher=The state of the News Media |access-date=2012-11-14}}

On December 31, 2021, Swift Communications was acquired by Ogden Newspapers, a Wheeling, West Virginia-based publisher of daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, telephone directories, and shoppers guides throughout 18 states.{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Scott |date=November 30, 2021 |title=Parent company of Vail Daily sells to Ogden Newspapers |url=https://www.vaildaily.com/news/parent-company-of-vail-daily-sells-to-ogden-newspapers/ |website=Vail Daily}}

Controversies

= Bob Berwyn firing =

In November 2009 Bob Berwyn, a journalist for the Summit Daily News, wrote a column which criticized the marketing practices of Vail Resorts, one of the paper's largest advertisers. He was fired shortly after the writing the article. Berwyn claimed it was over his column, but the company claimed he was fired over “a series of events.” This firing was widely derided in the Colorado media.{{cite web|last=Carr |first=David |url=http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/mountain-media-takes-nasty-spill-after-confrontation-with-vail-resorts/ |title=Mountain Media Takes Nasty Spill After Confrontation with Vail Resorts |publisher=Media Decoder - New York Times |date=2009-12-15 |access-date=2012-11-14}}{{cite web|last=Hooper |first=Troy |url=http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/138109 |title=Reporter: I was fired for taking on the ski industry |publisher=Aspen Daily News |date=2009-12-12 |access-date=2012-11-14}}

{{blockquote|"It's unfortunate but, especially in this economy, some advertisers feel like they can flex their muscles when there's commentary that they don't like," says Ed Otte of the Colorado Press Association. "Newspapers need to withstand these kinds of threats."{{cite web|last=Greene |first=Susan |url=http://www.denverpost.com/greene/ci_13964833 |title=Advertising flap snowballs for Vail Resorts|publisher=Denver Post |date=2009-12-10 |access-date=2012-11-14}}}}

= Removal of user comments =

In May, 2011 after gathering analytics, metrics and revenue data on their commenting platform investment, Swift reviewed the data and decided to remove the user-generated content (UGC) platform Pluck from all online newspapers owned by Swift Communications. The ability for readers to leave comments about articles was removed. Editors with Swift felt the inability of their content management software to restrict comments they did not approve of was impacting newsroom productivity and civil community conversation.{{cite web|last=Bangert |first=Randy |url=http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20110430/OPINION/704309974 |title=Web comments for The Tribune take a holiday|publisher=Greeley Tribune |date=2011-04-30 |access-date=2012-11-14}}{{cite web |last=Collebrusco |first=Anthony |url=http://testkitchen.colorado.edu/projects/current-projects/civil-comments-for-news-websites/ |title=Civil comments for news websites |publisher=Digital News Test Kitchen |date= |access-date=2011-11-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716221901/http://testkitchen.colorado.edu/projects/current-projects/civil-comments-for-news-websites/ |archive-date=2012-07-16}}{{cite web |last=Outing |first=Steve |url=http://testkitchen.colorado.edu/2011/06/keep-it-civil-commenters/ |title=#$^&%#@) it! … Keep it civil, commenters! |publisher=Digital News Test Kitchen |date= |access-date=2012-11-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714153834/http://testkitchen.colorado.edu/2011/06/keep-it-civil-commenters/ |archive-date=2012-07-14}}

Anthony Collebrusco from the Digital News Test Kitchen at CU-Boulder's School of Journalism & Mass Communication which is involved in researching a viable means of limiting the pseudonymity and unconditional free speech of commenters on Swift's websites paraphrased Swift's policy as:

{{blockquote|"Executives at Swift concluded that resources should not be invested in comments — and therefore there is no rush to reinstate user comments — unless they can be made to generate revenue."{{cite web|last=Collebrusco |first=Anthony |url=http://testkitchen.colorado.edu/2011/09/no-comment-swift-newspaper-websites-keeping-user-comments-turned-off/ |title='No comment': Swift newspaper websites keeping user comments turned off |publisher=Digital News Test Kitchen |date= |access-date=2012-11-14}}}}

In Fall of 2011, the Aspen Times re-enabled anonymous commenting for users with an active Facebook account.

= Inflated ad rates =

Swift Communications has been accused of stifling competition and setting artificially inflated ad rates by consolidating and closing small-town newspapers.{{cite news |title=Mountain McPapers slurp up competition |author=Williams, David O. |url=http://coloradoindependent.com/4271/mountain-mcpapers-slurp-up-competition |newspaper=Colorado Independent |date=2008-06-08 |access-date=2012-11-14}} Steve Lipsher, former editor of the Summit Daily News said in 2008 that "If you're an advertiser in places like Summit County, they're the only game in town" {{cite news |title=Ed Stein Moves Out of "Denver Square" |author=Roberts, Michael |url=http://www.westword.com/2008-05-22/news/ed-stein-moves-out-of-denver-square/2/ |newspaper=Denver Westword News |date=2008-05-22 | page=2 |access-date=2012-11-14}} and in 2009, Swift-owned newspapers had 90% market share in Eagle County. Swift has also been criticized for over-charging for obituary listings.{{cite news |title=Your Not So "Local Newspaper" |author=Courant, James |url=http://www.greeleygazette.com/press/?p=3244 |newspaper=Greeley Gazette |date=2010-06-05 |access-date=2012-11-14}}

Media properties

Publications

= [[California]] =

  • Sierra Sun
  • Tahoe Daily Tribune

= [[Colorado]] =

= [[Nebraska]] =

  • Nebraska Fence Post

= [[South Dakota]] =

  • Farmer & Rancher Exchange
  • Tri-State Livestock News

Newspaper sales, closures & cutbacks

In late 2008, Colorado Mountain News Media, a subsidiary of Swift, reduced their staff by 20% through attrition, retirement & layoffs, shuttering numerous small town papers.{{cite web|last=Webb |first=Dennis |url=http://newspaperlayoffs.com/2009/01/grand-junction-free-press-4/ |title=Owner cutting staff at several newspapers, including Free Press |publisher=newspaperlayoffs.com |date=2011-12-30 |access-date=2012-11-14}}

Swift has consolidated many newspapers and closed many others:{{cite news |title=Community papers struggling: Vail Daily cuts staff to 2002 levels |author=Williams, David O. |url=http://coloradoindependent.com/22991/community-papers-struggling-vail-daily-cuts-staff-to-2002-levels |newspaper=Colorado Independent |date=2009-02-28 |access-date=2012-11-14}}{{cite web|url=http://www.swiftcom.com/about-us/properties/colorado-mountain-news-media/ |title=Colorado Mountain News Media Regional Marketing Solutions |publisher=www.swiftcom.com |access-date=2012-11-14}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mondotimes.com/newspapers/usa/colorado.html |title=Colorado Newspapers by City |publisher=www.mondotimes.com |access-date=2012-11-14}}{{cite news|title=Owner cutting staff at several newspapers including Free Press|url=http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/owner-cutting-staff-at-several-newspapers-including-free-press|date=2008-12-31|work=Grand Junction Daily Sentinel|access-date=2012-11-14}}{{cite news|title=Western Slope newspapers cut staff|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2008/12/29/daily17.html|date=2008-12-31|work=Denver Business Journal|access-date=2012-11-14}}

  • Summit County Journal in Frisco, Colorado (no longer published)
  • Leadville Chronicle in Leadville, Colorado (no longer published)
  • Northern Colorado Tribune (no longer published)
  • La Tribuna in Greeley, Colorado (no longer published) was named "best weekly in the country" in 2006{{cite web|url=http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20061015/NEWS/110150095 |title=La Tribuna named best weekly in the country |publisher=Greeley Tribune |date=2006-10-15 |access-date=2012-11-14}} but was merged with the now defunct Greeley Now newspaper for not being "economically viable" in early 2008.{{cite web|url=http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20080129/business/26872081 |title=Spanish paper La Tribuna to merge with Greeley Now |publisher=Greeley Tribune |date=2008-01-29 |access-date=2012-11-14}}
  • Windsor Tribune in Windsor, Colorado (no longer published)
  • Grand Junction Free Press in Grand Junction, Colorado (no longer published)
  • Vail Trail in Vail, Colorado (no longer published)
  • Valley Journal in Carbondale, Colorado (no longer published)
  • Fort Collins Now (formerly Fort Collins Weekly) in Fort Collins, Colorado (no longer published)
  • Middle Park Times in Kremmling, Colorado (no longer published)
  • Tahoe World in Lake Tahoe, California (no longer published)
  • The News-Review in Roseburg, Oregon was sold to Lotus Media Group in 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://theworldlink.com/news/local/business/roseburg-investors-buy-news-review/article_48e71e92-760c-5f69-81f3-5a2ed8ec9892.html|title=Roseburg investors buy News-Review|last=World|first=The|website=Coos Bay World|language=en|access-date=2019-02-02}}
  • The Nevada Appeal, the Lahontan Valley News, The Record-Courier and Northern Nevada Business View were sold to Pacific Publishing Company in 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.swiftcom.com/faqs-transfer-ownership-snmg/|title=FAQs for Transfer of Ownership of the Nevada Appeal, the Record-Courier, Lahontan Valley News and the Northern Nevada Business View}}
  • Greeley Tribune was sold to MediaNews Group in 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.postindependent.com/news/swift-communications-sells-greeley-tribune-to-newspaper-operator-medianews-group/|title=Swift Communications sells Greeley Tribune to newspaper operator MediaNews Group|last=Agnew|first=Kelly Geary|website=www.postindependent.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-25}}
  • The Union was sold to Gold Hill California Media in 2022.{{Cite web |last=navigaimport |title=The Union sold to Gold Hill California Media |url=https://www.theunion.com/news/the-union-sold-to-gold-hill-california-media/article_2128acca-2c3e-5dcd-ae15-d2610e92facc.html |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=The Union |language=en}}
  • Park Record was sold to Tatiana and Matthew Prince in 2023.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-28 |title=Tatiana and Matthew Prince set to acquire the 143-year-old Park Record newspaper |url=https://www.parkrecord.com/news/tatiana-and-matthew-prince-set-to-acquire-the-143-year-old-park-record-newspaper/ |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=www.parkrecord.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Malatesta |first=Parker |date=2023-03-28 |title=Park City billionaire purchases Park Record newspaper |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2023/03/28/park-city-billionaire-purchases/ |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=The Salt Lake Tribune |language=en-US}}

See also

References

{{Reflist|2}}

External links

  • [http://www.swiftnews.com/ Swift Communications] (official website)

{{Swift Communications}}

Category:Newspaper companies of the United States

Category:Mass media in Carson City, Nevada

Category:American companies established in 1975

Category:1975 establishments in Nevada