Swift Communications
Encyclopedia
Swift Communications Inc. is an American
digital marketing
and newspaper
publishing chain based in Carson City, Nevada
. Swift's primary markets are resort town
tabloid newspapers and websites. Swift Communications has been noted for "being outside of the mainstream" and "drawing national attention inside the industry" for disabling commenting and implementing paywalls on most of it's online newspaper's websites.
, exchanged his equity interests in the company for ownership of two daily newspapers. 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. Swift also prints advertorials, catalogs, realtor magazines and phone book advertising.
In May, 2011 all existing comments and discussions on news articles were permanently deleted by all online newspapers owned by Swift Communications. The ability for readers to leave comments about articles was indefinitely removed, due to the inability of their content management software to restrict comments they did not approve of.
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:
In Fall of 2011, the Aspen Times re-enabled onymous commenting for users with an active Facebook
account.
, they're the only game in town" and in 2009, Swift-owned newspapers had 90% market share in Eagle County
. Swift has also been criticized for over-charging for obituary listings.
California
Colorado
Nevada
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
digital marketing
Digital marketing
Digital Marketing is the promoting of brands using all forms of digital advertising channels to reach consumers. Digital marketing extends beyond Internet Marketing to include channels that do not require the use of the Internet...
and newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
publishing chain based in Carson City, Nevada
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
. Swift's primary markets are resort town
Resort town
A resort town, sometimes called a resort city or resort destination, is a town or area where tourism or vacationing is a primary component of the local culture and economy...
tabloid newspapers and websites. Swift Communications has been noted for "being outside of the mainstream" and "drawing national attention inside the industry" for disabling commenting and implementing paywalls on most of it's online newspaper's websites.
History
Swift Newspapers was founded by Philip Swift in 1975. Swift, a former executive at the Scripps League of NewspapersE. W. Scripps Company
The E. W. Scripps Company is an American media conglomerate founded by Edward W. Scripps on November 2, 1878. The company is headquartered inside the Scripps Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its corporate motto is "Give light and the people will find their own way."On October 16, 2007, the company...
, exchanged his equity interests in the company for ownership of two daily newspapers. 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
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
sector by launching Tahoe.com and Reno.com. In 2006, the company changed their name to Swift Communications. Swift also prints advertorials, catalogs, realtor magazines and phone book advertising.
Free Speech issues
In November, 2009 Bob Berwyn, a journalist for the Summit Daily News owned by Swift Communications was fired for a column he wrote which upset an affluent advertiser. This action was widely derided in the Colorado media.In May, 2011 all existing comments and discussions on news articles were permanently deleted by all online newspapers owned by Swift Communications. The ability for readers to leave comments about articles was indefinitely removed, due to the inability of their content management software to restrict comments they did not approve of.
Anthony Collebrusco from the Digital News Test Kitchen at CU-Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
's School of Journalism & Mass Communication which is involved in researching a viable means of limiting the pseudonymity
Pseudonymity
Pseudonymity is a word derived from pseudonym, meaning 'false name', and anonymity, meaning unknown or undeclared source, describing a state of disguised identity. The pseudonym identifies a holder, that is, one or more human beings who possess but do not disclose their true names...
and unconditional free speech of commenters on Swift's websites paraphrased Swift's policy as:
In Fall of 2011, the Aspen Times re-enabled onymous commenting for users with an active Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
account.
Accusations of monopoly
Swift Communications has been accused of stifling competition and setting artificially inflated ad rates by consolidating and closing small-town newspapers. Steve Lipsher, former editor of the Summit Daily News said in 2008 that "If you're an advertiser in places like Summit CountySummit County, Colorado
Summit County is the 19th most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 23,538 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Breckenridge...
, they're the only game in town" and in 2009, Swift-owned newspapers had 90% market share in Eagle County
Eagle County, Colorado
Eagle County is the thirteenth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado in the United States. The county is named for the Eagle River. The county population was 41,659 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is the Town of Eagle...
. Swift has also been criticized for over-charging for obituary listings.
Media properties
- Swift Marketing Partners in Reno, NevadaReno, NevadaReno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
- Swift Digital in Reno, NevadaReno, NevadaReno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
- Sierra Nevada Media Group in Carson City, NevadaCarson City, NevadaThe Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
- Colorado Mountain News Media in Gypsum, ColoradoGypsum, ColoradoThe Town of Gypsum is a Home Rule Municipality located in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population was 3,654 at the 2000 census. Gypsum is the location of the Eagle County Regional Airport , a popular regional airport used in the winter to transport skiers to nearby Vail...
- Northern Colorado Communications Group in Greeley, ColoradoGreeley, ColoradoThe City of Greeley is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Weld County, Colorado, United States. Greeley is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Greeley is situated north-northeast of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to the...
- News-Review Publishing Company in Roseburg, OregonRoseburg, OregonRoseburg is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the county seat of Douglas County. The population was 21,181 at the 2010 census.-History:...
- Nevada County Publishing Company in Grass Valley, CaliforniaGrass Valley, California-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Grass Valley had a population of 12,860. The population density was 2,711.3 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Grass Valley was 11,493 White, 46 African American, 208 Native American, 188 Asian, 9 Pacific Islander, 419 from other...
- Clear Sky Ventures in Reno, NevadaReno, NevadaReno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
- Sierra Sun
- Tahoe.com
- Tahoe Daily Tribune
- Tahoe World
- UnionThe Union (newspaper)The Union is a daily newspaper serving Grass Valley, California and Nevada County, California. The Union provides full news coverage from the local to international level. Sections include news, sports, opinion, entertainment, and more. It has a daily print circulation of over 17,000 copies. As a...
ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
- Aspen TimesAspen TimesThe Aspen Times is an 11,500-circulation, 7-day-a-week newspaper in the ski resort of Aspen, Colorado with a history dating back to 1881.-History:...
in Aspen, ColoradoAspen, ColoradoThe City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005... - Citizen Telegram in Rifle, ColoradoRifle, ColoradoThe City of Rifle is a Home Rule Municipality in Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The population was 6,769 at the 2000 census. Rifle is a regional center of the cattle ranching industry located along Interstate 70 and the Colorado River just east of the Roan Cliffs, which dominate the...
- Eagle Valley Enterprise in Eagle, ColoradoEagle, ColoradoEagle is a Statutory Town in and the county seat of Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population was 3,032 at the 2000 census.The town was made famous as the location of the Kobe Bryant sexual assault trial.-Demographics:...
- Fence Post in Greeley, ColoradoGreeley, ColoradoThe City of Greeley is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Weld County, Colorado, United States. Greeley is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Greeley is situated north-northeast of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to the...
- Glenwood Springs Post Independent in Glenwood Springs, ColoradoGlenwood Springs, ColoradoThe City of Glenwood Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimated that the city population was 8,564 in 2005...
- Grand Junction Free Press in Grand Junction, ColoradoGrand Junction, ColoradoThe City of Grand Junction is the largest city in western Colorado. It is a city with a council–manager government form that is the county seat and the most populous city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Grand Junction is situated west-southwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. As...
- Greeley Tribune in Greeley, ColoradoGreeley, ColoradoThe City of Greeley is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Weld County, Colorado, United States. Greeley is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Greeley is situated north-northeast of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to the...
- High Country House & Home
- Sky-Hi Daily News in Granby, ColoradoGranby, ColoradoThe Town of Granby is a Statutory Town that is the most populous town in Grand County, Colorado, United States. Granby is situated along U.S. Highway 40 in Middle Park about west of Denver, Colorado, southwest of Rocky Mountain National Park...
- Snowmass Sun in Snowmass Village, ColoradoSnowmass Village, ColoradoSnowmass Village is a Home Rule Municipality in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,822 at the 2000 census. A popular winter resort location for skiing and snowboarding, the town is best known as the location of the Snowmass ski area, the largest of the four nearby ski...
- Summit Daily News in Frisco, ColoradoFrisco, ColoradoFrisco is a home rule municipality in Summit County, Colorado, United States. The population was 2,443 at the 2000 census. It is a popular town among skiers from around the world...
- Vail DailyVail DailyThe Vail Daily is a free, 15,000 circulation newspaper in Eagle County, Colorado, published seven days a week. The Vail Daily is distributed in stores, coffee shops, restaurants, bars and workplaces and also has a comprehensive online website. The Vail Daily covers the Colorado communities of...
in Vail, ColoradoVail, ColoradoThe Town of Vail is a Home Rule Municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,589 in 2005. The town was established and built as the base village to Vail Ski Resort, with which it was originally conceived... - Windsor Now in Windsor, ColoradoWindsor, ColoradoThe Town of Windsor is a Home Rule Municipality in Larimer and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the town was 18,644. Windsor is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Windsor is situated north of the Colorado State Capitol in...
NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
- Lahontan Valley News and Fallon Eagle Standard
- Reno.com
- Nevada AppealNevada AppealThe Nevada Appeal is a daily newspaper published in Carson City, Nevada by Swift Communications. The paper is available in six regional editions across northern Nevada and eastern California:*Lahontan Valley News...
- Northern Nevada Business Weekly
- North Lake Tahoe Bonanza
- Record-CourierRecord-Courier (Nevada)The Record-Courier is a three times a week newspaper located in Gardnerville, Nevada. It has its origins in The Carson Valley News founded in Genoa, Nevada, in 1875 by A.C. Pratt. The newspaper was renamed The Genoa Courier in 1880 and merged that year with The Genoa Journal. It merged with The...
Newspaper closures & cutbacks
In late 2008, Colorado Mountain News Media, a subsidiary of Swift, laid off 20% of their staff and closed down their following Colorado newspapers:- Summit County Journal in Frisco, ColoradoFrisco, ColoradoFrisco is a home rule municipality in Summit County, Colorado, United States. The population was 2,443 at the 2000 census. It is a popular town among skiers from around the world...
(defunct) - Leadville Chronicle in Leadville, ColoradoLeadville, ColoradoLeadville is a Statutory City that is the county seat of, and the only municipality in, Lake County, Colorado, United States. Situated at an elevation of , Leadville is the highest incorporated city and the second highest incorporated municipality in the United States...
(defunct) - Northern Colorado Tribune (defunct)
- La Tribuna in Greeley, ColoradoGreeley, ColoradoThe City of Greeley is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Weld County, Colorado, United States. Greeley is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Greeley is situated north-northeast of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to the...
(defunct) was named "best weekly in the country" in 2006 but was merged with the now defunct Greeley Now newspaper for not being "economically viable" in early 2008. - Windsor Tribune in Windsor, ColoradoWindsor, ColoradoThe Town of Windsor is a Home Rule Municipality in Larimer and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the town was 18,644. Windsor is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Windsor is situated north of the Colorado State Capitol in...
(defunct) - Vail Trail in Vail, ColoradoVail, ColoradoThe Town of Vail is a Home Rule Municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,589 in 2005. The town was established and built as the base village to Vail Ski Resort, with which it was originally conceived...
(defunct) - Valley Journal in Carbondale, ColoradoCarbondale, ColoradoCarbondale is a Home Rule Municipality in Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The population was 5,196 at the 2000 census. The town is located in the mid valley of the Roaring Fork River, downstream from Aspen and upstream from the mouth of the Roaring Fork at Glenwood Springs. The town...
(defunct) - Fort Collins Now (formerly Fort Collins Weekly) in Fort Collins, ColoradoFort Collins, ColoradoFort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
(defunct) - Middle Park Times in Kremmling, ColoradoKremmling, ColoradoKremmling is a Statutory Town in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,578 at the 2000 census. The town sits along the upper Colorado River in the lower arid section of Middle Park between Byers Canyon and Gore Canyon...
(defunct)
See also
- Concentration of media ownershipConcentration of media ownershipConcentration of media ownership refers to a process whereby progressively fewer individuals or organizations control increasing shares of the mass media...
- Internet censorshipInternet censorshipInternet censorship is the control or suppression of the publishing of, or access to information on the Internet. It may be carried out by governments or by private organizations either at the behest of government or on their own initiative...
- Online advertisingOnline advertisingOnline advertising is a form of promotion that uses the Internet and World Wide Web to deliver marketing messages to attract customers. Examples of online advertising include contextual ads on search engine results pages, banner ads, blogs, Rich Media Ads, Social network advertising, interstitial...
- Paid contentPaid contentPaid content is the non-free electronic commerce of digital content and information goods in digital media. Examples of digital media are, for example, the Internet, the World Wide Web or mobile media...