Warren Buffett, German Presses, and the Slow Death of a Local News Giant

Story by Josefina Loza

Grrr.

What led me here was a series of bold, necessary truths, first from The Gateway, the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s student paper, which laid bare the painful decline of the Omaha World-Herald with the kind of clarity and courage legacy outlets often tiptoe around. 

Then came Poynter, amplifying that reporting and framing it within the national crisis of local journalism in “Bad Times and Odd Times at the Omaha World Herald,” shrinking newsrooms, fading relevance, and corporate and sports interests overriding community needs. 

Reading both, it hit me: we’re scapegoating the wrong people. 

The real issue isn’t who’s currently steering the ship, but the years of neglect, misaligned priorities, and societal indifference that left our newsroom gasping for air.

Let’s be clear: The newly appointed Executive Editor Ben Doody didn’t break the Omaha World-Herald — society did. 

The erosion of local journalism didn’t start with him, and it certainly won’t end with him. The truth is, we've all watched the slow leak for years. Loss of ad dollars. The rise of “fake news” rhetoric. Corporate consolidation. The Meta-fueled shift of attention spans. And, now, AI moving faster than our policies can regulate.

Why blame the new executive editor for the flood when he was called in to patch a system we all allowed to crumble? 

The problem isn’t Ben. Or. The. Editors. Before. Him.

It’s the starving ecosystem they inherited. 

The Omaha World-Herald made two major financial missteps that helped cash-strap its future. Yet, no one’s pointing fingers at those decision-makers. 

First, it poured millions into German-made printing presses at a time when the industry was clearly shifting toward digital consumption, effectively doubling down on ink while ignoring innovation.

Then came the move into the gleaming building at 14th and Douglas, a towering symbol of ambition that now stands largely vacant, its name still etched on the façade but its purpose hollowed out. (Ahem, much like so many commercial buildings across the country in the wake of COVID.) 

But where is the outrage for those costly choices? Who’s holding those publishers accountable for investing in permanence instead of progress?

Next cue: the Oracle of Omaha.

Let’s be honest... It’s Warren Buffett owning the paper not as a journalist, but as an investor. 

Let’s also not forget: he financed the sale of BH Media to Lee Enterprises, still holding the strings on interest rates while the newsroom hemorrhages talent.

Journalism is fighting for relevance in a society that now dances its truths in 15-second clips.

Our journalists (the truthseekers) are alienated, their value questioned. And yet we demand excellence from them on a shoestring budget, with shrinking support and towering expectations.

Kudos to The Gateway for having the courage to call out the Omaha World-Herald. (Read it here.) It takes guts to speak truth to power, especially when that power is in your own backyard.

Instead of piling on criticism, let’s channel that energy into solutions. 

What if Ben invited more community contributors? Invested in local storytelling hubs? Partnered with college journalists and nonprofit partners to fill the gaps? 

Let's give him space to innovate because criticizing the “plumber” when the whole infrastructure is shot does nothing but waste precious time.

If we care about the future of journalism, we must do more than mourn its past. 

We have to actively reimagine it.

Back off Ben. 

And while you're at it, maybe ask what you're doing to keep your local newsroom alive?

#JustSaying