More on the future of newspapers

[SF_Express]

I don't know if we're getting sick of these or not, but some interesting stuff in Steve Outing's column.

One is that it repeats the belief that one "major" U.S. newspaper will cease it's print edition in 2007.

And it talks about what young people will be reading, and where we're headed:

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/stopthepresses_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003541802

 

[shotglass]

No Outing allowed. ;)

Honestly, I don't see why such well-versed analysts can't recognize that reading habits change as people grow and mature. Sure his teen-age daughter isn't reading the newspaper. That does NOT mean she will not be picking up the paper when she is 30, or 35, or 40 ... or pursuing news off Web sites.

 

[SF_Express]

No Outing allowed. ;)

Honestly, I don't see why such well-versed analysts can't recognize that reading habits change as people grow and mature. Sure his teen-age daughter isn't reading the newspaper. That does NOT mean she will not be picking up the paper when she is 30, or 35, or 40 ... or pursuing news off Web sites.

I dunno, man. Veteran print people -- and I still consider myself one -- are hoping that's the case, but they're not growing up with a paper at all.

Now, this isn't necessarily bad. We've talked about it before; they simply might be getting all the "newspaper" news electronically as they grow up. Still will be a need to write it, edit it, make it look nice and deliver it.

 

[shotglass]

My friends didn't grow up with a paper either, SF. I did ... because I had the passion for newspapering. But they didn't.

They read it now.

 

[Claws for Concern]

Future of newspapers depends largely on the future of trees.

 

[OneMoreRead]

I was sitting in the living room skimming a couple of sports sections. My teenage daughter was sitting across from me reading the features section. I go make a sandwich, come back, eat it, finish the skimming and she's still there reading.

Me: "Reading something good?"
Her: "Yeah, hold on."

Several minutes later.

Her: "Those were good stories."
Me: "Wow. Little miss 'I have everything on my Blackberry" actually takes time to read the paper?"
Her: "Daddy, I always take time to read the good stories."
Me: "Oh, the good stories?"
Her: "Don't worry daddy, I read yours, too."

She laughed, grabbed her back pack and took off for school.

I bring up the story because each time one of these threads appears, I go back to thinking about why people leave newspapers. Without knowing she told me, my teenager convinced me it's because of a shortage of good stories in every section of every paper every day.

In reading the Vanifesto, I thought it was interesting that he wanted a centerpiece story every day. I thought it was highly ambitious,too. But that one little sentence tells so much.

"I always take time to read the good stories."

Put more good stories in the paper and maybe we'll keep the readers we have and reclaim a few of readers we've lost.

 

[dawgpounddiehard]

I was sitting in the living room skimming a couple of sports sections. My teenage daughter was sitting across from me reading the features section. I go make a sandwich, come back, eat it, finish the skimming and she's still there reading.

Me: "Reading something good?"
Her: "Yeah, hold on."

Several minutes later.

Her: "Those were good stories."
Me: "Wow. Little miss 'I have everything on my Blackberry" actually takes time to read the paper?"
Her: "Daddy, I always take time to read the good stories."
Me: "Oh, the good stories?"
Her: "Don't worry daddy, I read yours, too."

She laughed, grabbed her back pack and took off for school.

I bring up the story because each time one of these threads appears, I go back to thinking about why people leave newspapers. Without knowing she told me, my teenager convinced me it's because of a shortage of good stories in every section of every paper every day.

In reading the Vanifesto, I thought it was interesting that he wanted a centerpiece story every day. I thought it was highly ambitious,too. But that one little sentence tells so much.

"I always take time to read the good stories."

Put more good stories in the paper and maybe we'll keep the readers we have and reclaim a few of readers we've lost.

Great story... and quite the funny daughter you got there.

On Sunday, I woke up at my parents and we were all sitting around reading the paper, when my girlfriend was awfully quite for a few minutes. She was reading the main story on 1A about caring for the mental ill or something. She's the kind of person who's always on the go, never has time to do anything during the day, but here she was, relaxing on Sunday morning and reading a quality newspaper story.

In other words, you're right OneMoreRead... people will always take time to read the good stories.

Good thing that's all I write. ;)

 

[fishwrapper]

That's the problem...
I knew it was the writers. Damn writers. Killing the industry.
START WRITING GOOD STORIES. No pressure. :)

 

[STLIrish]

Put more good stories in the paper and maybe we'll keep the readers we have and reclaim a few of readers we've lost.

Amen.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

Put more good stories in the paper and maybe we'll keep the readers we have and reclaim a few of readers we've lost.

Amen.

We still have those readers. They just read it on the Web.

 

[fishwrapper]

Put more good stories in the paper and maybe we'll keep the readers we have and reclaim a few of readers we've lost.

Amen.

We still have those readers. They just read it on the Web.

Yep. For free.

 

[shotglass]

Well, it would be nice if that would change...

 

[Editude]

It might not have to if ad rates are based on the number of unique page views rather than the number of unread papers on the driveway.

 

[shotglass]

I'm certainly no expert on the cost effectiveness of advertising. I have always wondered if you get your money back by buying a full-page ad in a newspaper.

However ... I REALLY wonder if it would be cost-effective to pay serious amounts of money for Web advertising exposure.

I mean, everybody does their darnedest to avoid clickthroughs and pop-ups anyway. They don't WANT to see those ads.

 

[FileNotFound]

"I always take time to read the good stories."

That should be taped across the top of everybody's monitor.

 

[buckweaver]

I'm certainly no expert on the cost effectiveness of advertising. I have always wondered if you get your money back by buying a full-page ad in a newspaper.

However ... I REALLY wonder if it would be cost-effective to pay serious amounts of money for Web advertising exposure.

I mean, everybody does their darnedest to avoid clickthroughs and pop-ups anyway. They don't WANT to see those ads.

I have Firefox. I don't have to make any effort to avoid them -- they're voided for me. :D

 

[shotglass]

Yeah, well, Firefox remains the minority, even in spite of the chorus. ;)

 

[henryhenry]

people read good stories.
whoa.
stop the presses.

 

[zeke12]

You're rolling already?

 

[busuncle]

people read good stories.
whoa.
stop the presses.

And I'm not sure I even agree with that.

We like to think that people are just slobbering over that 600-inch, four-part series on some socially significant concern, but I think the number of people who actually read those stories from beginning to end can be counted on one hand (and some of them are paid to edit to the copy).

We don't really want to know the stuff that people read because it would upset so many of the myths that we hold dear. And, besides, newspapers don't win awards by having a strong crime blotter or making sure a picture of that grisly crash on Main Street gets good play or providing blow-by-blow coverage of the mayor's sex scandal or having a good comics section.