Internet? What Internet?

[Pete Incaviglia]

A newspaper IGNORES the 'net — and prospers. Greatly.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/22/business/media/22carr.html?_r=2&8dpc

“Why would I put anything on the Web?” asked Dan Jacobson, the publisher and owner of the newspaper. “I don’t understand how putting content on the Web would do anything but help destroy our paper. Why should we give our readers any incentive whatsoever to not look at our content along with our advertisements, a large number of which are beautiful and cheap full-page ads?”

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

A newspaper IGNORES the 'net — and prospers. Greatly.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/22/business/media/22carr.html?_r=2&8dpc

“Why would I put anything on the Web?” asked Fredrick, the publisher and owner of the newspaper. “I don’t understand how putting content on the Web would do anything but help destroy our paper. Why should we give our readers any incentive whatsoever to not look at our content along with our advertisements, a large number of which are beautiful and cheap full-page ads?”

Fixed.

 

[Stitch]

A newspaper IGNORES the 'net — and prospers. Greatly.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/22/business/media/22carr.html?_r=2&8dpc

“Why would I put anything on the Web?” asked Fredrick, the publisher and owner of the newspaper. “I don’t understand how putting content on the Web would do anything but help destroy our paper. Why should we give our readers any incentive whatsoever to not look at our content along with our advertisements, a large number of which are beautiful and cheap full-page ads?”

Fixed.

From the article.

Editorially, the newspaper is boosterish — “we want people to think of Asbury Park as the center of the universe,” he said — with notes of skepticism typical of alternative weeklies. There are six columnists in addition to the full-time staff, and they write with a mix of attitude and reporting that Mr. Jacobson describes as a “plog,” a blog on paper.

So is this a rag that just decided to not be online? The front page story highlighted on the Web site is Bling in Asbury Park.

 

[BYH]

PLOGS!!!!!!

 

[jlee]

PLOGS!!!!!!

;D Wonderful

 

[Reacher]

Yeah, that Internets thing isn't going to catch on. Paper and ink are the future! Happy days are here again!

 

[Pulitzer Wannabe]

Yeah, that Internets thing isn't going to catch on. Paper and ink are the future! Happy days are here again!

I wouldn't be so quick to make fun of the guy. As with a lot of things when it comes to humans and technology, just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

It would be difficult for a daily with competition to do this because you become irrelevant pretty quick on your paper's beats.

But there are plenty of times when I wish my own rag would just turn off the Web, post haste.

We talk a lot about what paper will be the first to go Web only.

I want to see what paper will be the first to have the guts to go back to paper only. What do we have to lose, right?

 

[Songbird]

when i was at a weekly a few years ago, people went online to read us and were forced to buy the paper too. at least from the sports perspective. i covered games galore, would write a preliminary, short piece soon as i got home and ended with a cliffhanger of sorts, and wrote, "for the rest of this story, see thursday's edition." i'd usually have rewritten the entire piece.

those who followed me always said the same thing about the web story: "dammit, Songbird, you ended that at the best part! i couldn't stand waiting those 3 days!"

of course, it was a hyper-local weekly but still, we got the web hits and we sold the hard copies.

kudos to the asbury park guy. stick with what you believe and make it happen your way.

 

[Fredrick]

This editor is a ****ing genius. Newspapers should have NO WEB SITES. They were sold a bill of goods. Because of this we all will be in the unemployment line soon. Kudos to this guy!!! A brilliant man.

 

[onetwo88]

His paper has 3.5 employees, it said.

What's the paper, like 6 pages plus ads?

 

[txsportsscribe]

His paper has 3.5 employees, it said.

What's the paper, like 6 pages plus ads?

is this the .5 employee?

 

[shotglass]

Yeah, that Internets thing isn't going to catch on. Paper and ink are the future! Happy days are here again!

Yeah, we wouldn't want anything to interrupt your forecast of doom and gloom.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

His paper has 3.5 employees, it said.

What's the paper, like 6 pages plus ads?

is this the .5 employee?

What the hell happened to Ron Jeremy?

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

when i was at a weekly a few years ago, people went online to read us and were forced to buy the paper too. at least from the sports perspective. i covered games galore, would write a preliminary, short piece soon as i got home and ended with a cliffhanger of sorts, and wrote, "for the rest of this story, see thursday's edition." i'd usually have rewritten the entire piece.

those who followed me always said the same thing about the web story: "dammit, Songbird, you ended that at the best part! i couldn't stand waiting those 3 days!"

of course, it was a hyper-local weekly but still, we got the web hits and we sold the hard copies.

kudos to the asbury park guy. stick with what you believe and make it happen your way.

That's what all non-dailies should be doing with sports -- quick wrap-up online that night, something completely different when the print edition comes out. Brings eyeballs to the web site (ad views!) and also brings eyeballs to the print edition (more ad views!). I was never able to convince any non-daily publishers of that.