It's important I think to clarify the value of news to a mass market.
For most people most of the time, my impression is that the "news" is engaged mostly as one engages a weather report. Question one is "Is it going to rain." This translates to "did anything terrible happen that is going to affect me." Or it might be "who won yesterday's game.' The game in question might be sports, politics, or finance.
After that question is answered, one looks for other interesting things to discover. The fact is that while the internet is optimized for search, print is optimized for discover.
One can scan a print document using the visual part of the right brain in the background. Using words to search is a left brain activity that requires focus.
The business problem of newspapers in the last few years is merely the problem that is moving through the global economy. Over leveraged business enterprise who couldn't pay back their debts when the cycle changed. And couldn't make their payrolls when the funny money disappeared.
Now new forms of highly differentiated enterprises are reorganizing to grow for the next period of growth. It's clear that it's impossible to get any significant revenues from web advertising. While the reach of a website is massive compared to paper, the price of eyeballs keeps going down and down. Print advertising is a well proven model. Now that digital technology allows the same real estate to be sold again and again for different versioned editions an even better monetization model is possible.
Some newspapers in the States have taken a contrary approach. They charge for access to the website, not for the revenue stream, but to increase the perceived value of the print product.Given the recent announcements that Rupert plans to charge for web content and the fact that he's built the largest newspaper printing plant in the world, I would not be surprised if that were his strategy.
I think tele2002 is pointing to the real business problem when he describes the difference between the Independent and The New York Times International edition. The Independent is chock full of paying ads. the Times Internation, no so much.
The business problem is a legacy system that was too expensive to sell ads to local business would would love to buy them if the price were affordable.
In this context, I think tele2002 might really be on to something.
In this context, I think tele2002 is on to something.
The thing is that "souvenirs" and "mementos" are important in people's lives. While some believe that "political" news, which is usually just about the horse race, is the "important" stuff, there are millions of people who might disagree. About 40% didn't think it was worth voting.
Physical newspapers are a much better tool for thinking and learning than the web. The screen after all is much more like reading a hyperlinked 12"scroll. Nice for consuming data and "information" quickly. A little like fast food.
Print is to information what slow food is to a good meal.
Consider the explosive growth of self published books and the success of photo sites, customized gifts with photos. Not very exciting, to the big wigs, but very important to the people who create them.
Sound bites and quick hits - great for the web. Mulling and getting context? Print and a pencil.
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Re:Re;Re; So would it work
It's important I think to clarify the value of news to a mass market.
For most people most of the time, my impression is that the "news" is engaged mostly as one engages a weather report. Question one is "Is it going to rain." This translates to "did anything terrible happen that is going to affect me." Or it might be "who won yesterday's game.' The game in question might be sports, politics, or finance.
After that question is answered, one looks for other interesting things to discover. The fact is that while the internet is optimized for search, print is optimized for discover.
One can scan a print document using the visual part of the right brain in the background. Using words to search is a left brain activity that requires focus.
The business problem of newspapers in the last few years is merely the problem that is moving through the global economy. Over leveraged business enterprise who couldn't pay back their debts when the cycle changed. And couldn't make their payrolls when the funny money disappeared.
Now new forms of highly differentiated enterprises are reorganizing to grow for the next period of growth. It's clear that it's impossible to get any significant revenues from web advertising. While the reach of a website is massive compared to paper, the price of eyeballs keeps going down and down. Print advertising is a well proven model. Now that digital technology allows the same real estate to be sold again and again for different versioned editions an even better monetization model is possible.
Some newspapers in the States have taken a contrary approach. They charge for access to the website, not for the revenue stream, but to increase the perceived value of the print product.Given the recent announcements that Rupert plans to charge for web content and the fact that he's built the largest newspaper printing plant in the world, I would not be surprised if that were his strategy.
I think tele2002 is pointing to the real business problem when he describes the difference between the Independent and The New York Times International edition. The Independent is chock full of paying ads. the Times Internation, no so much.
The business problem is a legacy system that was too expensive to sell ads to local business would would love to buy them if the price were affordable.
In this context, I think tele2002 might really be on to something.
In this context, I think tele2002 is on to something.
Political News ain't everything
The thing is that "souvenirs" and "mementos" are important in people's lives. While some believe that "political" news, which is usually just about the horse race, is the "important" stuff, there are millions of people who might disagree. About 40% didn't think it was worth voting.
Physical newspapers are a much better tool for thinking and learning than the web. The screen after all is much more like reading a hyperlinked 12"scroll. Nice for consuming data and "information" quickly. A little like fast food.
Print is to information what slow food is to a good meal.
Consider the explosive growth of self published books and the success of photo sites, customized gifts with photos. Not very exciting, to the big wigs, but very important to the people who create them.
Sound bites and quick hits - great for the web. Mulling and getting context? Print and a pencil.