CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / SAN DIEGO
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Newspapers serving military bases in San Diego County are the latest victims of the economic woes afflicting the industry.
The Navy Compass, the Flight Jacket at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station and the Scout at Camp Pendleton have stopped publishing, shifting to websites.
The papers closed after the private company that published them, Oceanside-based TFM Inc., ran into financial problems because of the decline in advertising.
The Navy and Marine Corps hope to find a new contractor so the papers can resume publication, officials said. Under the contract, the military provides the reporting and editing, and the private company sells the advertising and arranges for the printing.
For decades, the papers have carried news specific to a military audience, including commentaries from commanding officers. The Scout began publishing during World War II.
The Scout had a weekly press run of about 30,000 copies; the Flight Jacket, 10,000; and the Navy Compass, 35,000. The papers were free.
-- Tony Perry
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