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Tell me again ... why do newspapers need paper, exactly?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by 2muchcoffeeman, Jan 31, 2009.

  1. 2muchcoffeeman

    2muchcoffeeman Well-Known Member

    http://www.alleyinsider.com/2009/1/printing-the-nyt-costs-twice-as-much-as-sending-every-subscriber-a-free-kindle

    Yeah, the URL serves as a damn good headline, doesn't it? Printing the New York Times costs twice as much as sending every subscriber a free Amazon Kindle.

    I'm with you so far ...

    That's $347 million in profits and of course the Kindle is a one-time charge. So maybe you lop a percentage of the subscription fee for a renewal or for somebody who already has their own Kindle.

    [​IMG]

    So somebody please tell me why some people are still clinging to their precious rolls of dead trees?

    All we have to do now is figure out how to pay for it ... or get the subscribers to pay for it. First sumbitch that does that will have a license to print money ... um, okay, not exactly print money but you see what I mean.

    (Edited to add the final line of the story)

     
  2. Pete Incaviglia

    Pete Incaviglia Active Member

    Well, if I'm reading that right, I think the answer is parterning with Amazon and giving a free Kindle to anyone who wants one, including current print subscribers. Maybe, most importantly, current subscribers. And then entice new ones.
     
  3. fishwrapper

    fishwrapper Active Member

    How's the Kindle advertising market?
    (There's your answer.)
     
  4. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    Because the moment you start giving away Kindles, you've got a whole lot more subscribers.

    (But the ad thing is the real reason)
     
  5. Pete Incaviglia

    Pete Incaviglia Active Member

    But, if giving away Kindles cost half as much - or less - than printing on newsprint, you need less ad revenue.
     
  6. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    Then it should show you how much lower the ad revenue would be that no one has seriously tried this.

    Advertisers like print.
     
  7. Pete Incaviglia

    Pete Incaviglia Active Member

    Question: Do you get photos on the Kindle? Or just text?
     
  8. SixToe

    SixToe Well-Known Member

    Because I have never heard of "Kindle" I now will have to search the Internets to find out what it is.

    Can it be rolled up to start a fire?
     
  9. txsportsscribe

    txsportsscribe Active Member

    don't see the current kindle as the answer for newspapers
     
  10. 2muchcoffeeman

    2muchcoffeeman Well-Known Member

    I'm not at all impressed with the current Kindle but as we speak, my faithful manservant Google is tracking down rumors of a new, slimmer Kindle.

    @Pete: Yes, it does. Only in grayscale, though.

    [​IMG]

    EDIT: New Kindle introduction expected 09 February.
    http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/retail/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212903179&cid=iwhome_art_E-ret_mostpop

    2ndADD: More coverage, including a picture, here.
     
  11. TheSportsPredictor

    TheSportsPredictor Well-Known Member

    Hey, Kindle, gotta have better pic capability than the Etch-a-Sketch if you want anyone to take you seriously:

    [​IMG]
     
  12. Trouble is, the Kindle's proprietary. Amazon would have to get its cut. And its cut right now is substantial. Book publishers are still trying to figure out if they can survive as they are with the current percentages. Probably not.

    That said there are other readers out there. Sony, for example.

    We were going back and forth about this on another thread. The major newspapers need to hook up with a technology provider like Sony, and start selling downloadable versions of daily papers.

    Worth a try.
     
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