10 steps to saving newspapers in the digital age
June 7, 2009 · Filed Under Future of Media, Great Ideas, Tips and Tools
Mark Glaser, Executive editor of PBS MediaShift, sent out 10 great tweets over the weekend, from his hospital bed, about ways to save newspapers. Here they are…
“My 10 step plan for local newspapers to survive and thrive in the digital age (without pay walls)…
- Do custom small print runs targeted to neighborhoods and interests. Not daily.
- Become support for local writers, reporters and bloggers; help market them, sell their ads; decentralize operation
- Replace circ, printing, print production staff with tech, SEO, community managers
- Find out what the community wants in real face to face meetings, not focus groups. Then do what they want.
- Utilize pro-am methods. Include community contributed content edited and vetted by pros.
- Smart multimedia. Don’t do it just to do it. Use the right medium to tell the right story.
- Promiscuous revenues. From ads, niche paid content, donations, non-profit grants, to directory listings.
- Produce mapping and database projects. Employ or train journalist-hackers.
- Meet regularly with local businesses to gauge their needs. Create online directories of local businesses.
- Create a bottom-up organization where innovation is encouraged and rewarded at the edges. Use good ideas from anyone.
