The rise of the Internet has impacted how mass media
operates; specifically, how newspapers and magazines deliver material. Some
magazines have ceased publication or switched to an all-online model. As for
newspapers, some have merged together, others have been sold to corporations, a
few have ceased publication and some have even tried an all-online model.
Magazines typically serve a national audience and can thus
adjust as needed to the demands of that audience. Newspapers, though, are
different in that they are generally based in cities and towns and thus need to
serve the local clientele.
As somebody who writes for a newspaper that serves a small
city and several surrounding smaller communities, I know The Raton Range serves
an important role. The Raton Range has had to adjust to changing technology but
what has really kept it going is the fact it serves a local clientele. There is
the challenge of how to find more advertisers, but readership would not be
there if The Raton Range switched its focus too far away from the local
communities.
This seems to be an area in which many larger newspapers are
drifting away from. It is true they, like all newspapers, need advertisers to
stay in business. But it’s important for newspapers to remember that the cities
they are based in need to come first when it comes to coverage.
Given changes in how content can be delivered and in
technology, along with the need to keep local clientele in mind, I think most
newspapers could best be served by following a few guidelines.
First, keep the focus mostly on the city in which the
newspaper is based. There is little reason for a newspaper to focus heavily on
national news topics, unless one has a direct impact on the city in which the
paper is based. Covering some news from the state level is fine, particularly
whatever has the most impact on the city in question. But there are many more
avenues in which people can access national news events, so most newspapers don’t
need to focus efforts there.
What this leads to is that fewer newspapers need to be
members of The Associated Press, particularly if they serve a smaller city or
community. Being a member of the AP costs a lot of money. The AP itself needs
to evolve the most in the face of changing technology and delivering of
content. It can still serve a role in providing content to those who provide
news coverage via the web, and in providing content to the largest newspapers,
but there is far less of a need for smaller papers to continue their ties to
the AP.
Newspapers should also examine as many avenues as possible
to deliver content. This does not simply mean putting together a website and
requiring people pay a subscription to access it. When music downloads over the
Internet became a major event, it eventually led to the rise of iTunes and
similar services, in which people could pay for the material they wanted to
acquire and not be forced to buy a CD that may have material people might not
have as much interest in. A model in which people pay specifically for the
content they want could work just as well for most newspapers, perhaps with
certain sections always made free (obituaries and classified ads are two
perfect examples) and possibly allowing readers to view a certain number of
articles for free before they must pay for an article.
If newspapers are worried that people won’t pay for written
material, the truth is that, while there will always be those who want
something for nothing, the majority of people will pay for something they enjoy
and find to be of high quality. Again, music downloading provides that example.
It may have started as music being passed around the Internet for free, and
there is still such activity taking place. But iTunes showed that people were
still willing to pay for music — all they wanted was a different approach
to how they paid for it.
Andrew Sullivan, who runs The Dish, has introduced a pay
model for his website that has already attracted many subscribers. His model is
not a pay-per-article one but it still shows that people who like the material
he provides are willing to pay for it. I would not be surprised to see more of
the popular websites try paid models as well, although it may be better for
more websites to try a pay-per-article model.
Newspapers can deliver content by other means as well. The
Raton Range offers an online version of the paper, in PDF format, which
subscribers may download to a computer or reading tablet. This format allows
for a less expensive version of the paper to be delivered. It means newspapers
do not have to spend as much on printing expenses, thus allowing the newspaper
to offer subscriptions at a lower cost and thus save readers money.
I do believe there is still going to be a place for material
printed on paper — it just won’t be as large as it has been. There is
still something to be said about clipping a favorite article from a newspaper
and putting it into a scrapbook.
But newspapers can’t simply stick to the model that has been
done in the past and must find ways to adapt. Those that do will remain in
business, even if it’s under different circumstances.
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