Some things should just die off.They become obsolete.
Are newspapers among these?
The problem isn't really the medium itself.
The model is flawed.
Why would Hearst, for example, publish a wholly different paper for every market?
Why not go the Gannet/USA Today route and publish a national paper?
Hearst could just add a local section to their national issue and cut back on staff, equipment and other overhead - while producing a product that could sustain itself at the lower cost.
IMO - As with many things, the medium isn't dead, just the business model.
Heard that Hearst was dropping their Seattle print paper and were going to produce an online paper only. Which, you know, is fine - until they try to charge a subscription fee, which I don't think anyone will pay. But I guess we'll see.
ReplyDeleteI don't get the paper, although I do like to read it. I just don't have the time.
In addition to the business model being outdated, the focus of his papers is becoming outdated. He allowed his too many of his products to straddle the line between journalism and sensationalism. People in general are tired of papers that have an anti-somebody slant. The number of people who are agree with a particular anti-slant is not large enough to sustain a newspaper. The USA Today model is the way to go, but slanted news is pocket particular, so hearst would have to give up his philosophy to survive.
ReplyDeletePersonally I'm glad the newspaper is dying the stories were biased and it wasn't the reporting of the news it was a lot of opinion influenced by people who bought the paper. So how real can anyone be when their revenue source doesn't want them to really confront issues that might make people uncomfortable? Also you knew if the paper was conservative, republican,democrat and the like so doesn't that show you the bias of the paper and thus shows you they aren't just reporting the news!
ReplyDeleteLet it die! You're right it's just a obsolete business model but I'm tired of reading old white guys opinions to the exclusion of everyone else. You read the LA times you would think no one else lives here but whites and what they eat, like and want to engage in some perverted act with.
When the LA times dies look for a picture of lone black guy standing in front of the office with a sign that says DING DONG THE DEVIL IS DEAD!
I was blogging about his earlier. The way we get the news is changing. Is it possible that this is the evolution of news?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.investigativevoice.com/
i read 4 or 5 papers a day will miss them
ReplyDelete