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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"[1] and "drawing national attention inside the industry"[2] for disabling commenting and implementing paywalls on most of its online newspaper's websites.[1][3] Swift also prints advertorials, catalogs, realtor magazines and phone book advertising.[4]
| Founded | 1975 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Philip Swift |
| Headquarters location | 200 Lindbergh Dr, Gypsum, CO 81637 |
| Owner(s) | Ogden Newspapers |
| Official website | swiftcom |
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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.[5]
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.[6]
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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.[7][8]
"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."[9]
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.[10][11][12]
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:
"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."[1]
In Fall of 2011, the Aspen Times re-enabled anonymous commenting for users with an active Facebook account.[2]
Inflated ad rates
Swift Communications has been accused of stifling competition and setting artificially inflated ad rates by consolidating and closing small-town newspapers.[13] 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" [14] and in 2009, Swift-owned newspapers had 90% market share in Eagle County.[15] Swift has also been criticized for over-charging for obituary listings.[16]
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- Colorado Mountain News Media in Gypsum, Colorado
- Wasatch Mountain News Media in Park City, Utah
- The Fencepost Company in Greeley, Colorado
- Acres USA in Austin, Texas
- Countryside Publications in Medford, Wisconsin
- Nevada County Publishing Company in Grass Valley, California
California
- Sierra Sun
- Tahoe Daily Tribune
Colorado
- Aspen Times in Aspen, Colorado
- Craig Press in Craig, Colorado[17][18]
- Citizen Telegram in Rifle, Colorado
- Eagle Valley Enterprise in Eagle, Colorado
- Fence Post in Greeley, Colorado
- Glenwood Springs Post Independent in Glenwood Springs, Colorado
- Sky-Hi News in Granby, Colorado
- Steamboat Pilot & Today in Steamboat Springs, Colorado[19]
- Snowmass Sun in Snowmass Village, Colorado
- Summit Daily News in Frisco, Colorado
- Vail Daily in Vail, Colorado
Nebraska
- Nebraska Fence Post
South Dakota
- Farmer & Rancher Exchange
- Tri-State Livestock News
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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.[20] Swift has consolidated many newspapers and closed many others:[15][21][22][23][24]
- 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[25] but was merged with the now defunct Greeley Now newspaper for not being "economically viable" in early 2008.[26]
- 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.[27]
- The Nevada Appeal, the Lahontan Valley News, The Record-Courier and Northern Nevada Business View were sold to Pacific Publishing Company in 2019.[28]
- Greeley Tribune was sold to MediaNews Group in 2020.[29]
- The Union was sold to Gold Hill California Media in 2022.[30]
- Park Record was sold to Tatiana and Matthew Prince in 2023.[31][32]
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