Jackson Free Press

Of course, many of these publications about to get the boot had been in these locations for years. And many readers had grown accustomed to picking up their favorite reads, let's say, when they picked up a gallon of milk or a pack of gum.

Gannett, acting as TDN, of course, didn't care that these consumers had to seek out other, less convenient locations. Some might even say that's what they intended. They didn't care what the customers of these stores wanted. They only wanted the sole right to distribute publications at these locations.

But Gannett didn't stop with Greenville, S.C. They weren't content with driving Metrobeat out of business. They've now taken TDN-style schemes to mid-sized markets in Jackson, Miss., and Acadiana, La.

Some simply dismiss Gannett's deeds as smart business moves. And admittedly it makes sense. That is if you believe competition is not a thing to encourage but a thing to overcome, if you believe that all competitors should be squashed and ad-buying businesses should bow to the price-gouging whims of a monopolistic power.

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Consider this: It has not been an employee of Trader, but an employee of The Honolulu Advertiser, who urged the Weekly to sign up for a place on the rack inside of Longs. And it was a representative of the Advertiser who quoted us the rates we would have to pay in order to be a part of the Trader service.

Exactly why are Advertiser employees selling another company's services? Trader isn't owned by Gannett, so why would these two competitors join forces? What would they have to gain by working together?

The implications are troubling. Is a scheme similar to the one used by Gannett with TDN in the works? Will such measures spread to other businesses, which currently offer free publications? Will the future of the O‘ahu press be shut down by mainland conglomerates that care more about the bottom line than serving the public, by businesses that care more about corporate stockholders than readers? Only time can tell. There's money to be made here, and those who already have the money are in a better position to make more of it.

In the end, it doesn't matter how deep your pockets are, and it doesn't matter how much of the market you dominate, if you have the will to survive and the people on your side, that just might be enough to keep the bullies at bay.