How to Sink a Newspaper
Walter E. Hussman Jr. puts a lot of the blame on the web:
Newspapers initially created their Web sites with the best of intentions. After all, newspapers are in the information business. And rather than fight the new medium, the Internet, why not embrace it? Wanting to be the leading information providers and thereby have the most popular Web site in the community, they posted all of their news online for free.Exacerbating the problem with free news was the decision by the newspaper industry, which owns the Associated Press, to sell AP copy to news aggregators like Yahoo, Google and MSN. These aggregators created lucrative news portals where the world could get much of the news that was in newspapers. So readers could now get free news not only on newspaper Web sites, but also from portals and aggregators that had a chance to monetize the content, most of which was created and financed by the newspaper industry.
May 09, 2007 | E-MAIL | SAVE | PRINT
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4 comments about 'How to Sink a Newspaper'How true. Newspapers have created their own demise. Especially those that train their reporters to post an Internet version immediately and worry about the print later.
Newspaper publishers and editors need to understand that good, old-fashion print and online can co-exist. They just can't duplicate each other and they must complement each other. If the industry doesn't figure it out, they'll see rust form on their printing presses.
Posted by Curt_in_Fla at May 12, 2007 3:39 PM
I tried to click through to the source article of the above passage and found it was from the WSJ, which charges for its online news.
Since I do agree with the point above, I am accustomed free online news. I am also unwilling to pay the WSJ for their content. That right there begs the question, is a news organization really serving society by making its content only available to the elite? That's as close as we get to a throwback to the really big broadsheets in the days before the penny press. Those presses rusted out long, long ago.
Frankly, it doesn't surprise me to see a view highlighted in a paper which charges for online news content.
Posted by Cher at May 26, 2007 8:01 AM
I often wondered why newspaper people continue to be blind. Perhaps it is my 30 years publishing experience that provides a different view in light that I have not been in news print.
World and National news is available for free all over the web. It would be foolish to try and charge. The WSJ lost money for years until this last two years on their paid model.
Newspapers should consider their strengths: Local and Regional news ! I believe here is where they can charge, either a annual sub or on a per article basis.
As it stands now, they try to sell ads, some even try e-commerce but those will not cover the costs of maintaining a web presence.
It has amazed me how the strengths are ignored.
Best
Posted by Anonymous at June 8, 2007 8:48 AM
A different view in light that I have not been in news print.
World and National news is available for free all over the web. It would be foolish to try and charge for this info. The WSJ lost money for years until two years ago on their paid model.
Newspapers should consider their strengths: Local and Regional news ! I believe here is where they can charge, either a annual sub or on a per article basis.
As it stands now, they try to sell ads, some even try e-commerce but those will not cover the costs of maintaining a web presence.
It has amazed me how the strengths are ignored.
Best,
KT
Best
Posted by Kevin at June 8, 2007 8:51 AM
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