Big news in Michigan

This is a perfect example of management not knowing what to do (and not seeking input from the worthless peons), and just flinging crap at the wall to see what sticks. Unfortunately, it seems that nothing stuck.

 

I read a New York Times story on the demise of newspapers where several industry pundits were interviewed. One, the editor of MinnPost, said that newspapers should quadruple their price and hope that 25 percent of subscribers stay on. He said by doing that, it increases value to advertisers.

I'm not a business genius, but there is no way in heck that ad revenue is even close to what it was if a newspaper tried doing that.

 

I know a lot of Free Press subscribers who would pay double to still get their paper every day. Four times though? Maybe in the mid 90s. Not in this economy, people have to cut back somewhere.

 

Why pay more for an inferior product?

 

Wait, if it's an inferior product, I should be happy that it's showing up less often on my doorstep, right?

 

The other piece of the puzzle that I didn't mention.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/09/business/media/09carr.html?scp=4&sq=newspapers&st=cse

Scroll down to Joel Kramer's portion.

"Raise the quality. Make it more in-depth, more analytical, to complement the immediacy of your free Web site, and do not make that deeper, more insightful coverage available for free on the web. Perhaps make the printed product a tailored mix of sections that appeal to different readers: For $2, you get to pick, say, four sections out of six."

 

Quality seems to have gone by the wayside in most places by my estimation. Bosses seem to want "more" done with "less." "Better" is really an afterthought, isn't it?