Today's Courier is a great example of the present sad state of the viability of local newspapers. Mark Spivey's report is about a cyclist being killed near Clinton; there are long advertisements that have the appearance of a news item. There are few to none classified adds. The paper is truly again after a brief resurgence a rag. Its days are numbered .
Even the major city papers are in financial difficulty but the recent bankruptcy of the Chicago Tribune is most likely due to the innovative financing in the recent sale and not circulation drop.
The public's desire for news has changed from reading to listening to sensationalism on TV broadcasts and the all news radio stations while in the car. The rest of their news input comes from various Internet or smart phone sources. What can we expect from a generation that has not learned the beauty of the printed word.
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7 comments:
In a Capitalist System what is going on with Newspapers is call creative destruction and there is nothing wrong with it. People want news and they want local news. I'll bet that someone or someones will figure out how to deliver the news to the consumer and make it profitable while using all the new technology.
There's always opportunity in adversity. Now, where in the hell is that clever person?
The Courier is a shameful remnant of its not too long ago past. Now, if you buy the Courier or the Home News, its essentially the same paper with a few regional changes. They should just combine them into the Courier Home News and be done with it. Make it more like a Star Ledger type of paper. At lease the Ledger knows what international news looks like.
It is oh so true many have lost the appreciation of the printed word. You hear the refrain,"I read the news online". There is a lot missed by not having the printed page in front of you.In our rush for technology, we have lost our desire to read. I came along before the TV age and books and newspapers were our excitement. I was a newspaper delivery boy and there were 7 daily newspapers at that time morning and afternoon. Unfortunately those times are gone and consequently we have also lost the art of conversation.
Free online editions didn't help their cause either. Would love to have been in many a board room meeting when the idea of a free edition online came up and watched whatever Einstein convince the not so smart shareholders it was a good idea.
Further proof that a degree doesn't make you smart.
Did the Courier staff cry when the Elizabeth Daily Journal went out of business, and they recieved some more advertising at the time? I think not. Things change ....
In answer to GB: I was working for The Courier when The Daily Journal closed. Certainly none of the working stiffs in the newsroom were happy to see a venerable paper close, and there was little overlap in either coverage or advertising. Then again, there was the great Paula Grossman scoop. It was The Ledger which benefited from The Journal's demise.
Some possibilities why the public demand for newspapers has declined:
TV news - everything is a 2-3 minute snippet, just hitting the highlights, with nothing in-depth, takes no effort.
Inability to focus on reading something longer than a paragraph. I see it at work. The younger folks have difficulty focusing on diving into details, complex problem-solving, reading something longer than a summary.
Convenience -- getting news online you don't have to drive to a store or even step out your door.
Young people do "read" and communicate by written word -- it's in a shorthand they use by texting.
I think some clever people will figure out how to make money from an on-line "newspaper". People could substribe to longer indepth stories, have short news blasts sent to their iphones, pay "freelancers" for stories (ie local people who are good a blogging and handy with a camera). You could have a model where people contribute their stories and ditigal pictures via the newspaper's portal, have someone edit it, post.
I like holding books and reading them, but I'm just as comfortable reading on a computer. Soon, I'll probably break down and buy one of the nooks.
I do think opportunity for a new "newspaper" model that could be more interactive and provide better man-on-the-scene local coverage could be derived, could make money.
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