photo credit: aditya.internet on Flickr
When are the newspapers going to wake up and smell the new media and social media scene?? Grant it many have, but there are still major Luddites on the scene. I’m not saying the traditional news engines should go away, and bow down to the mighty electronic media gods – on the contrary. I say they should join the forces and modify their strategies for dissemination of news. Part of the problem is just that – the word “dissemination.” It makes me think that THEY are the deliverers of all messages in the world of news. If the newspapers (not to mention the TV broadcast world, magazine world and radio world) want to stay afloat in this era of participatory consumerism – then they need to provide opportunities for consumers to actually participate and interact with their publication in more than the print format.
This latest story - The Tribune Company announcing they are filing for bankruptcy today – is just one more example of the need for traditional media outlets to converge with new media outlets and create digital strategies. [Note: The Tribune Company publishes The L.A. Times and The Chicago Tribune.] Oh – and when you read this article, notice who the Tribune’s top creditors are – JPMorgan Chase and Merrill Lynch for example. Are we supposed to be surprised this is happening???
I like Steve Outing’s recommendations to newspaper CEOs in his “11 Points to Ponder” article (written on December 1, 2008):
photo credit: editorandpublisher.com
- Issue and edict: Digital is First!
- Consolidate print and online editing functions
- Print edition: Don’t bother chasing young people
- Print edition: Focus on the core demographic
- Guide older print loyalists to a life online
- Reduce the number of print editions
- Online: Broaden definition of news to include micro-personal
- Hire a social VP (I love this recommendation!)
- Experiment, fail, experiment more (I’ve done this one)
- Leverage your remaining staffers, and augment them
- Consider retirement
2 responses so far ↓
Chris Bailey // December 8, 2008 at 10:33 pm
I can’t even remember the last time I read a print newspaper. I subscribe to Tim Ferriss’ approach of not reading the newspaper, and not watching the news. If it’s a big enough deal to matter, I hear about it one way or another. I do like a lot of what the NY Times is doing – their election stuff was awesome, I do occasionally read the news via their iPhone app, and they are one of the few that I think are trying to leverage new media and change with the times.
carolinedec717 // December 9, 2008 at 6:35 am
I agree – the NYTimes has done a nice job. I like how they’ve made it easy to share on Facebook – and presenting them as “gifts” – nice touch. I haven’t heard of Tim Ferriss – can you post a link to his approach?