SEARCHLIGHT Midweek Online goes Offline

THIS MAGNIFICENT publication, which was born out of the efforts of four outstanding Vincentian patriots, has reached to a point that none of its FOUNDING FOUR would have ever imagined they would see. And in fact two of those founders, the venerable Oscar Allen and that most prolific and selfless scribe Renwick Kamara Rose, closed their eyes before, almost as if to say, “no, I can’t bear to see this go like this”.

But those four, Oscar Allen, Renwick Rose, Bassy Alexander and Dr Adrian Fraser, were optimists, always looking forward to a better way of doing things.They ensured that Searchlight shone its light each week on life in the society in which they functioned. They did not pontificate with arrogance, did not try to impress anyone that they knew it all. In fact they did not always agree with how each of them saw the development of our society. But rather than war amongst themselves, they observed and commented with a quiet respectful gaze and focus. They were proud that Searchlight had risen and produced Journalism you could trust weekly.

And they were proud when this publication decided to up the ante and seek to explore additional revenue streams via the introduction of the Searchlight Midweek edition. It was in recognition of the fact that Searchlight enjoyed wide readership within out diasporic communities, and that getting the physical printed publication to Vincentians in London, Toronto, Montreal, the Eastern US seaboard, UK, and elsewhere proved cumbersome, even problematic, but their gaze was always fixed with what was going on back home.

So the Searchlight Midweek was the answer and it was received as a most welcomed gift with many subscribers.

But, our world is constantly changing, and at times one cannot always run fast and far enough ahead of the curve to ensure the success you seek in business- the profit margins.

Searchlight Midweek had set a new trend, one yet to have been emulated by the competition. Our online subscribers responded favourably. After all, for a lot of our readers, the paper was being consumed more readily via their computers and moreso, on mobile devices.

But the new environment produced a double edged sword, ironically. The popularity of mobile devices and social media presented a new method of consuming news. No longer did a reader have to wait for several days to obtain their news. One page, even one-storied publications began to flood the markets. And with the proliferation of social media, legacy publishers began to see their sources of income challenged. Advertising revenues dropped drastically, putting severe pressure on a publisher which employed full staff and carried overheads such as rent.

It is very noble to provide a platform for opinion leaders to express their points of view on issues, but nobility does not bills pay. The harsh reality is that anyone can now, from the comfort of their homes or cars or on the beach, express their opinions and reach untold numbers of possible readers, all online, instantaneously.

Searchlight’s Midweek Edition will certainly be missed by our readers who looked forward to quality journalism, the kind one can trust. There is a time for every purpose, every season under heaven.We thank our Columnists and you our subscribers for your support over the years.