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What Newspapers Must Do To Survive Online: Customize!
from the yes,-but... dept
A long, but very interesting article from Vin Crosbie outlining what he believes newspapers must do to stay alive in an online world. He lays out his argument very carefully, and it's clear that he's done a lot of thinking about this and just as much research to back up his point. He gives a history of the newspaper business, and how it's been having trouble. He looks at current online efforts and how they fail to help solve the fundamental problems facing newspapers today (falling readership, fewer and fewer young readers). He points out that most newspapers are simply taking their offline content and tossing it online. This is cheap and easy, but does little to help solve the real problems. The whole point of the internet, of course, is that it's interactive and limitless. There aren't a limited number of pages that hold back how much content you can put online. Thus, his point is that newspapers need to create very customized content - pulling from a huge variety of sources, so that any reader gets the stories he or she wants. Furthermore, he says this content needs to be available and formatted for a variety of devices, since he believes many people will use wireless to read this ultra-customized newspaper. The points are all very well made, but here's the thing: I already have that and I don't need a newspaper company to provide it. It's called the web, and it lets me access whatever I want and "build" my own customized newspaper (and even format it for non-PC devices). In fact, with tools like Google, Bloglines, Feedster, RSS and whatever else people are using these days, many people are already doing this. So, what's the newspaper's role in all of this?
I have an idea...
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Reader Comments (rss)
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not sure
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Re: not sure
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Who wants customization?
What newspapers can do online better than anyone else can is offer instant access to local news online. They have better depth and coverage than local radio or local TV, and the medium is a better fit in terms of duplicating content.
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Newspapers busienss model will continues to erode.
Of course big national names like the New York Times and Washington Post will survive, but I suspect that their business models will continue to erode and will eventually be the supported by corporate philanthropy.
This happens to also be the model that supports this site.
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No Subject Given
In fact, with tools like Google, Bloglines, Feedster, RSS and whatever else people are using these days, many people are already doing this. So, what's the newspaper's role in all of this?
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Their role is to centralize, and automate it. Maybe I don't want to waste my time fiddling with Google, Bloglines, etc. Newspapers could use these tools, plus their own reporting, and supply their customers with everything from one place. Basically what Techdirt does for corporations, but for individuals. More of a news collection, and distribution than a reporting role.
-Charles W.
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Re: No Subject Given
Frankly, I don't believe that newspapers will survive beyond perhaps 2015. But when I was asked to write an article about which they MIGHT do to survive, I wrote such an article.
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news
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