How To Save The Newspaper

[Brandon Mendelson]

A few weeks ago I started a series on How To Save The Newspaper. Media and PR experts weighed in as well as those in the industry. I would like to know what suggestions you might have to save the print edition of the newspaper? Yes, even if it can't be saved, I'm still interested in hearing your thoughts.

[Dave Motheral]

Newspapers and magazines can be saved with a different business model. You have to outsource everything except core functions. Build a network of business partners who freelance as writers do. Then pull everyting into a central Digital Asset Management and approval system which automates sending to the press. You catch all your adds and editorials just in time to hit the press and you can change them or use web material very easily.

Then you press all your ad revenue through Google.

[Brandon Mendelson]

Hi Dave,

I agree up until relying on Google entirely through income. I think direct sales is still the way to go.

FYI to everyone, the new installment of "How To Save The Newspaper" is online here:

http://blogs.timesunion.com/classconflict/?p=1766

[Lisa Lamb]

While the newspaper business model has seen it's day, the art of journalism and the value of content provided by editors, journalists and reporters is still in demand - but competing news sources and platforms have emerged. Blogs, news sites and social networks all have their place in today's media world, and while some can argue that these are not credible sources for news - masses of people still turn to them to get their news. Newspaper publishers may need to realign their business models and possibly organizations/alliances to be more in synch with actual news media consumption as it is today. Consider diversifying by adding non-newspaper media to the overall publisher portfolio and then packaging and selling across various mediums. I think this issue extends well beyond the sales channels.

[Chris O'Brien]

Thanks for all the commnents here. I definitely in the camp that says there's a strong future for local news, but there needs to be a far different business model to sustain that. I like Dave's suggestion that this model includes networks while minimize core costs. Those networks shoudl include what Lisa suggests: all local sources of news, including blogs, as well as you own orginal content. That's a great role for a local news organization: Finding the best, most helpful local news and information to complement and extend what your organization is doing on its own.

The question, as always, is how to sustain this. Google is a start, but I think will only take us so far. I think there should be some way to build revenue around helping people get things done in their lives, solving problems, finding things they need in the world. That doesn't mean paying for the content. But adding other services that people would find valuable enough to pay a small fee to use. For example, if you help someone find the best person to install solar panels on their house, and then connecting them, would the solar panel installer pay a small "finder's fee" to funnelling the business to them? Haven't worked out all the details, but that's the general thought.

[Brandon Mendelson]

Hi Chris,

I really like that finder's fee idea. I've been talking about an enhanced classified section for papers that would do something similar, but offer fewer classifieds that are well vetted by reporters so customers can be assured they are not buying into a scam.

[Michael J]

Given the deal between Politico and Rueters, maybe the model is that newspapers focus on the printing presses and delivery of the printed version, while maintaining a good website. Some leading papers can do more, NYTimes, Financial Times, Wall Street Journa, etc. But most newspapers would work with internet based groups of journalists a la Politco - experts at the Washington scene. Other emerging examples might be Miller-McCune or Spot.us.

On the local level similar clusters are developing all over the place.

Maybe the more developed clusters should go to local newspapers in deep trouble, and work out a deal to to offer experienced journos at path to work at a cluster, instead of the office. Then figure out some kind of income transfer agreement that gets them off the newspapers books in say 3 years, while the cluster gets traction.

So..the deal would be that newspapers core function is to choose, print and distribute the news that is found by journalists. And some kind of revenue split for ads is worked out. it cuts the newspapers overhead dramatically and frees the journalist to report.

So then, instead of downsizing and firing journos, the newspapers would help them make the transition to self sustaining clusters. The good news is that they would be free to do their job. The bad news is that someplace in the cluster is business development to support them in a new way. The other good news is that it supports entrepreneurial journalism, without getting into the pay for words model.

[Sharon Hill]

Below are some thoughts I shared awhile back on my blog, NewspaperTiger. I titled it "If I Owned a Newspaper." While it may not seem to focus on the print, the crucial point is that newspapers grow their Web presence NOW, and market their print product as their uniqueness.

I cringe when I see papers reducing their print distribution days. No, no, no. Print is what they offer that no one doesn't. I know that money is an issue right now, but gouging what makes you unique is not the way to go. One thing I believe newspapers must do is learn to correctly value their online products. They started out their online classifieds and other advertising as a "forced buy" - i.e., you buy print you get the Web whether you want it or not." That set up a mindset that devalued the Web. I'm not disagreeing with the notion of free private party classifieds - I think that's crucial to compete with Craigslist and other free classified pure plays, BUT I think the pricing for newspaper ad packages is all topsy turvy. They need to raise their business Web ad prices, and then upsell to print for a considerably lower print cost than they're now asking.

If I Owned a Newspaper

I’ve always wanted to own a newspaper - a small one in a small community, where people want to know their neighbors. It’s a dream, of course, rather idyllic, and never destined to happen. BUT, if it did it wouldn’t be a newspaper, it would be a media house. If I created one from scratch, here is what I’d do:

First, I’d launch a Web site, with all the standard ingredients of local, regional and national news, but plenty of user-generated aspects: community contributions of stories, photos, videos, comments, ratings and reviews of local retailers, entertainment spots and service firms. I’d allow contributions and ad entry by mobile and set up email and mobile alerts for news and ads. I’d have a Facebook, MySpace and YouTube profile/page, and a group on LinkedIN.

I’d hire a full time Social Marketer, and set that person free. She or he would blog, but would also find other sites on which to comment and post and create link shares back and forth. It would be his or her responsibility to virally market my media house’s Web site.

I’d hire a full time Multimedia Trainer. This would be the go-to person for local business people and advertisers who didn’t “get” the Internet and all the new multimedia search and advertising tools that were available to them. I’d make my media house the go-to place for business people who needed help with their multimedia marketing efforts. The ultimate point would be to encourage advertising on my site but first this Trainer would tell them ALL the options. I’d team up with a company that provides search engine budgeted buys and help my advertisers get on Google, Yahoo and the other pertinent niche search engines.

Once I had a decent amount of traffic and some advertising, I’d announce the launch of an accompanying print product, selling the benefits of adding print to an advertising package.

[Chris O'Brien]

Sharon: Thanks for sharing this here. I've been meaning to do a post forever on "New Jobs for a New Newsroom." There are all great suggestions. Maybe it's time for me to tackle that subject. Wonder what other jobs people think belong in that new newsroom?

[Michael J]

Sharon-
Nice post. I have to say I agree with just about everything you say. I would add a person who's job it was to answer blog posts. It makes all the difference in building a community. It's also a great way to get exposed to the most vocal of your audience. And it's exactly those people who are the engines of word of mouth.

[Cynthia Thomet]

I'm not sure that saving the "newspaper" is as important as saving "journalism". Perhaps by reframing the discussion and shifting away from a discussion about the platform (or packaging) for receiving reliable news and focusing on the product (service) we might get a little closer to what the problem really is and therefore the solution.

I will not purport to have the solution, but an interesting thing I found the other day was this website: http://revenuetwopointzero.com/

A bunch of journalists are getting together to strategize on how to enhance the revenue-generating portion of the news-model with new technologies. This is genius to me, because it's bringing the folks most intimately involved in the production of the "product" to the marketing table. In a sense, it:

1) It pushes aside the advertising, marketing and management execs -- whose core goals are not rooted in the quality of the product, but rather in expanding profit margins (whether through audience generation, brand loyalty, awareness campaigns, etc.). Not bad things, but as a MarCom professional, I have always placed emphasis on deriving a strategy from the quality of the product rather than the quality/effectiveness of the campaign.

2) At the same time, it allows the journalists -- whose core goals are rooted in the quality of the story/the news (the reliability of the research/investigation, sourcing, currency, information) -- to dissect and analyze the problem with the product and determine the best packaging to meet new revenue sources, connect with new readers and shed costly expenditures.

[Arinaitwe Rugyendo]

Saving the Newspaper? First of all where is the newspaper going? I don't see it dying soon-not in Africa where I live atleast! For lack of efficient technologies, most newswebistes, radio and television media here tend to rely on newspaper content for tips and followups! I have seen this happening on a large scale especially in my country-uganda. The newspapers here tend to lead the way! They are the ones breaking stories! They are the ones doing most of the fishing in the deepest waters! They are going that extra mile! The future is still bright here for the beloved newspaper. What we have been doing at the newspaper which I own;www.redpepper.ug, has been to concentrate on breaking exclusive stories for the rest of the media to pick and broaden. If newspapers looked to this kind of strategy, ignoring the obvious press conference-type of content and digging out new content, the newspaper would surely live on!does anyone agree with me?