The End of the Newspaper Industry
Newspaper publishers are not doing a very good job of fighting the trends killing their business. Disruptive technology (like micropublishing) and the eco-movement are making it very hard to sell hard copy print.
Newspaperdeathwatch.com is a great resource for watching the decline of the paper. I personally never buy them anymore. Everything that I need is sent to electronically through email, RSS or my CrackBerry.
So what’s a publisher to do? How about charging MORE for your papers when the same content is free from the above sources. You’ve got to be kidding me!
GO GREEN! The problem I have with the production of all that paper is the killing of trees and the insane waste they produce. Other than paper towels, I can’t think of too many worse offenders when it comes to environmental impact.
LET’S LEAD THE WAY! I think that those in the blogosphere and the micropublishing world have a great opportunity to change things. The newspaper companies (yes, that’s your Rupert Murdoch) still don’t get it - they make it hard for people to get the content they want without jumping through too many obstacle courses. My local big paper, the Vancouver Sun, for instance, still syndicates story summaries in their RSS feeds (even to paid subscribers!). This forces readers to visit the website for full content (likely in the hopes they’ll click on some advertising).
And when you do get there, you’re BLASTED with ads and pre-rolls that are way too in your face.
In conclusion, I think the best model for the newspaper industry to follow is that of professional bloggers - people who’ve mastered the ability to
- Drive traffic
- Monetize traffic
The game is exactly the same in both camps - it really just comes down to finding that balance between good content and revenue producing loyalty.
For example, if you’re into celebrity gossip - who are you more likely to visit:Â Perez Hilton or the LA Times?
If the newspapers figure out how do that AND to give their readership what they want, they’ll be more likely to stick around.
If you're new here you can subscribe to my RSS feed or you can subscribe by email. Thanks for visiting!
About the Author: I value good design, growth, effectiveness, simplicity, profitability, lots of sleep, tons of laughter and above all, freedom. If it makes money - it's a business. If it doesn't make money - it's a hobby. Period.