Monday, February 9, 2009
Will readers pay for
Here's an interesting twist on the notion of paying for the news. The public proposes the stories and then chips in to pay for journalists to investigate. Click here to see the LA Times' James Rainey's take on Spot.us.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Newspapers are very much alive
OK, enough is enough. Frankly, I've stood on the sidelines for far too long listening the ongoing litany about how newspapers are dying. They point to the depressed advertising market and the bankruptcy filings of Star-Tribune and Chicago Tribune as evidence. "Nobody reads newspapers anymore," we're told by newspaper writers no less. National Public Radio says newspapers are struggling to find a viable business model. Gloomy TV news anchors project their reports as though they are on a death watch of news.
The problem with all of this hand wringing is the premise is wrong, dead wrong.
And finally some newspaper executives are starting to fight back. You may have noticed the newspaper advertisement Monday after the Super Bowl that said more people (100 million) will read a newspaper in one day than all of those who watched the Super Bowl (95 million). This is being touted by a grassroots effort call the Newspaper Project with a website at http://www.newspaperproject.org (It should be noted that one of the founders of this group is the CEO of Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., the parent company to The Free Press.)
Bill Keller, executive editor of the New York Times, has taken to the columns to point out there is now a demand for journalism and for newspapers. Link to NYT column
Thank heaven we are starting to hear the other side.
Newspapers, especially community newspapers like The Free Press, are very much alive. And our business model is sound -- cover your community, watchdog your government, design effective advertising the moves traffic through the door and do it every day.
We are not losing readership. In fact, our daily circulation GAINED in our annual audited report. And our website traffic continues to grow and add to those readership numbers.
“The roar of misinformation swirling around newspapers is deafening,” said Donna Barrett, CNHI’s president and CEO. “We must cut through the noise to set the record straight.”
That's not to say we aren't affected by the economy or the changes in our media habits. We are adapting and adjusting just like everyone else. We will continue to experiment and because of our size we can be nimble in our execution.
But the basics, the blocking and tackling of newspapers, remains the same -- to inform and educate our readers. To bring results for our advertisers like no other medium. The need for newspapers, for journalism, was never more urgent than now during these difficult times. That's why I'm bullish on community newspapers and have stuck with this business for more than 30 years.
The problem with all of this hand wringing is the premise is wrong, dead wrong.
And finally some newspaper executives are starting to fight back. You may have noticed the newspaper advertisement Monday after the Super Bowl that said more people (100 million) will read a newspaper in one day than all of those who watched the Super Bowl (95 million). This is being touted by a grassroots effort call the Newspaper Project with a website at http://www.newspaperproject.org (It should be noted that one of the founders of this group is the CEO of Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., the parent company to The Free Press.)
Bill Keller, executive editor of the New York Times, has taken to the columns to point out there is now a demand for journalism and for newspapers. Link to NYT column
Thank heaven we are starting to hear the other side.
Newspapers, especially community newspapers like The Free Press, are very much alive. And our business model is sound -- cover your community, watchdog your government, design effective advertising the moves traffic through the door and do it every day.
We are not losing readership. In fact, our daily circulation GAINED in our annual audited report. And our website traffic continues to grow and add to those readership numbers.
“The roar of misinformation swirling around newspapers is deafening,” said Donna Barrett, CNHI’s president and CEO. “We must cut through the noise to set the record straight.”
That's not to say we aren't affected by the economy or the changes in our media habits. We are adapting and adjusting just like everyone else. We will continue to experiment and because of our size we can be nimble in our execution.
But the basics, the blocking and tackling of newspapers, remains the same -- to inform and educate our readers. To bring results for our advertisers like no other medium. The need for newspapers, for journalism, was never more urgent than now during these difficult times. That's why I'm bullish on community newspapers and have stuck with this business for more than 30 years.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)