 |
 |
 |
|
Silver lining for these papers is their great markets
It's ironic that the newspapers that are suffering the most first from the online impacts and citizen journalism thing are in some of the most desirable markets for media and advertising. The flat lines are appearing where first? San Jose, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles. The bad news is that the markets with high broadband use, mostly educated populations and a swift embrace of the new (Toffler ID'd such places 30 years ago), are where the papers are seeing readership and ad revenues trail off -- even as these places thrive economically. The good news is that these are the markets with income, interest, and embrace of the new. They are vibrant, modern places where the information age dominates. These will be the places where the next breeds of localized and relevant media arise. The minor question is whether the current media ownership and structure will be the ones to create and sustain the newer models and methods, even as they bury the old. Or will they be replaced? The role of the local and/or metro newspaper is alive and well. The Internet is now making serious impacts on politics (even via Twitter), after the massive impact of the past 10 years on commerce and media. A lot of the things in life stay local. Who will fill the shoes that combines all of these aspects for Fourth Estate virtue, profit and advancing productivity in a long tail world is the biggest question. The right approach should do quite well in these types of markets. It's a matter of the right content aggregation and applicable new business models -- not to mention the most efficient way to capture and project news and commentaty since the Town Criers, as Dave Winer points out: bloggers. Incidentally, years ago in 1986 as editor of a local weekly paper, The Gazette in Old Lyme, Conn., we competed against the The Day in nearby New London, and The Hartford Courant. The Day always seemed to be better than all the rest, an excellent paper. And it was, I believe, because the paper was owned and operated by a self-sustaining, locally responsible, non-profit trust. The Courant was on its way into the maw of mega corporate ownership (Times-Mirror), which did not necessarily improve the paper over time. The Gazette was owned by Capital Cities, soon to be Capital Cities/ABC (now Disney). The Gazette was starved, folded, and the area coveraged instead by a weekly shopper. Before corporate ownership The Gazette thrived, and won many awards. Perhaps the best new ownership for new media would be locally inspired and dedicated, online and therefore low cost, non-profit, and via a trust. Surely trust is a key word in all this. Perhaps mega-corporate ownership and the best news media are -- on a long-standing continuum -- parting ways. As always, thanks, Doc There are responses to this message:
|
