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New Study Agrees That Customized Newspapers Are The Future
from the but-don't-we-have-that-already? dept
A week and a half ago, we wrote about Vin Crosbie's suggestion that newspapers need to offer completely customizable online versions to attract readers. Now, the Project for Excellence in Journalism has released a report entitled The State of the News Media that seems to come to pretty much the same conclusion. They say that, while circulation is declining and many newspapers are struggling, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for those who choose to head towards it. They believe that much more customized online news is what will save newspapers. So, I still stand by my original question: why should it be the newspapers who do this customization? Already, people can "create their own newspapers" just using the web and finding the stories that are interesting to them. What additional advantage is there for the newspapers themselves to offer the customization tools? Is the role of the newspaper to write the news or to deliver the news - or both?
Reader Comments
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Customized Newspapers
I found your article from my own customized newspapers on www.freshnews.org the best compilation of computer news anywhere!
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Re: Customized Newspapers
I am all for papers that can filter out so called articles from self-declaired "experts" with a political agenda, polls that have no meaning and other useless drivel that passes for "news"
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Actually...
I believe the children are the future.
(I'm sorry-- I couldn't resist.)
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Agreed - they're both missing the point
The problem is they're approaching it from the editorial perspective, vs. what people really get/want from a newspaper.
Syndicated and "wire" stories are filler. If you look at what consumers use a newspaper for, its local news, local weather, local opinion, and local ads. Yes, the large papers have all kinds of additional articles & sections - but come on, those sections are really there to sell local context ads. Which isn't a BAD thing, I know people who buy the paper to SCAN for local ads and sales.
Check the Car section of any Saturday paper in the country - yes, there may be a few cute columns or occasionally good advice, but nothing like what's available on the internet. And with something like 70% of car shoppers researching on the 'net now... is anyone really counting on that Car section to get them by? Of course not. But damn, isn't it handy to use it and see what local dealers have on special right now? However, as an internet publisher, I'm happy to see the dead tree media heading off again in the wrong direction.
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Re: Agreed - they're both missing the point
Only an american could write this! Local news? I read my *NATIONAL* newspaper to read about the state of the world, art, books, music. It isn't a local thing - it's a global thing. Yes, I also have a local newspaper - it's full of local things like Mrs Jone's dogs fleas (like most US newspapers). It is as dull as ditchwater and usually a complete waste of money. I don't want a personalised service because I want to be surprised. It might be nice to be able to say "no articles about mtoro cars" or whatever, but actually I even read the sports pages sometimes and I hate sport and have no interest in it.
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Re: Agreed - they're both missing the point
Well, actually, given that a typical US state is as big as a European country, state and local news is like national news to us already. National news would be like EU news. States do pass many important laws that affect our lifestyles, e.g. driving laws, school funding.
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Re: Agreed - they're both missing the point
What does being an american have to do with it? That comment really doesn't make you look good...rather childish.
I'm canadian and while I do like reading stories on an international or national level, I want local news, NEED local news, of which there is very little or none online and in the local newspapers as well.
I have european friends who feel the same way.
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Re: Agreed - they're both missing the point
Jeurno singled out Americans, so I responded accordingly. The accusation of childishness really belongs to jeurno.
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Compilation
Seems to me that there will long be the need for news compilation based on social importance and demand done (hopefully) by those who strive to be unbiased, experienced, educated, and thoughtful. Probably the majority of information consumers do not have the time to perform this compilation for themselves. Newspapers (of some form) can and probably will continue to fill this role.
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