Howard Owens rakes newspapers over the coals for their initial foray’s into the Internet. Harsh treatment, but I always say there are lessons to be learned even from the most rabid of critics. Take with a *huge* grain of salt….
July 12, 2007...5:52 pm
Harsh criticism, but some useful things to think about
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3 Comments
July 12, 2007 at 10:02 am
Thanks for the link, but I’m puzzled by the “Take with a *huge* grain of salt….”
Sure, it’s just one man’s opinion, but it is the opinion of somebody who has been involved in online newspapers for more than 12 years. I think I have some perspective.
But maybe I’m misunderstanding what your saying.
July 12, 2007 at 10:20 am
The economics of a community newspaper are different – a smaller population served, less resources to run the paper, a smaller advertising base.
Yet the Internet looms large for them, because they recognize, if not in concrete business terms, that there is an imperative to embrace this new distribution mechanism.
They are still figuring out what it means to their business and how to justify investment in it. This blog is meant to give them ideas and tools to help.
July 12, 2007 at 11:36 am
Well, small papers are in peril, too. The peril may not be as immediate as larger papers, but it is real.
And of course the opportunity is just as big.
There’s a real easy answer for small-paper publishers trying to figure it out: Just do it.
I’m sorry, the days of “trying to figure it out” have passed. The days of sitting on your pocket book are over.
There are easy ways to significantly increase revenue from online and then invest that money in online. But to get there, you’ve got to spend money to make money.
I meet way too many small paper publishers who think spending three hundred bucks on one point-and-shoot camera is a huge expense. The huge expense is in not buying one for every reporter, in not hiring an online editor, in not investing in a great CMS. Publishers that aren’t doing that are paying a huge price.