Pendleton ‘Scout’ and Miramar ‘Flight Jacket’ cease to publish

Like many of their civilian counterparts, the Camp Pendleton Scout, the Miramar Flight Jacket and the San Diego Navy Compass newspapers ceased publication last week.

According to a reliable source, the publisher was faced with both declining and (uncollected) advertising revenues and simply could not continue to pay the operating expenses.  It was learned that the publisher had been negotiating to print the papers every other week but that did not pan out.

Many of us “old timers” in the military news business can remember when the base paper was the mainstay of post or station news and, typically in many cases, the “mouth piece” of the command.  We also remember when a five-column tab contained only news and photos and not advertising. 

Today’s surviving military publications are often paid for by the publisher of a nearby community who is free to seek advertising to pay for the publication and, prior to recent downturns, quite possibly make a profit.  In many cases, the publisher supplements the military staff by offering to pay for civilian staff to help put out the publication. 

When we were wearing the green eyeshade 50+years ago there was no such luxury.  When we started on the Parris Island BOOT in 1950 we used a Vari-type machine to produce copy.  Years later when we became editor of the same pub, our copy was turned into lead by the Beaufort Gazette linotype operators.  Well do we remember working our butts off to fill that publication and get it to the printer before Wednesday afternoon “grabass.”  In those days Exchange profits helped pay the freight.

Several years ago on a Hawaii golfing junket we visited the Hawaii Marine (formerly Kaneohe Bay Windward Marine), another paper  we cut our professional teeth on following our BOOT experience.  We were astonished at meeting two civilian staffers assigned there by the publisher.  The times, they were-a-changin’.

While we were surprised at least week’s news it was not totally unexpected.  Anyone who opens his or her daily newspaper is often greeted by little news and possibly five pages of double-truck (look it up) ads.  When we mentioned this to a friend on the Orlando Sentinel recently she merely said:  “Thank God!  At least we have that!” 

What will the three affected papers do?  Unless some other publisher with big pockets  is willing to take them on, their on-line editions will carry the news.  Tempus fugits…
Comments desired.

-Jack T. Paxton, Executive Director