A publisher of a small newspaper illustrates why big media doesn’t get it, and why the town newspapers will always be there.

 It’s all about the relationship between the small town newspaper and the community. It’s a personal relationship, and relationship with history. Something big media  has removed themselves from.  

Small town newspapers are doing just fine, thank you. Why?

1. Relatively inexpensive way for marketers to reach an extremely geographically targeted locale.

2. A way for people to keep in touch with, and feel part of, their communities.

3. A professional news digest about communities (meaning – journalistic standards apply)

 What do people want after gorging themselves on MySpace, Blogger and AddictingGames.com? A good, healthy portion of professionally written news content.

 Don’t forget what makes newspapers special – journalistic standards. It’s like comfort food – it doesn’t excite like French cooking, but you come back to it again and again because you know it will always be good.

Revenues grow, revenues slow. The real story is the reporting of newspaper stats by combining online and print. Why report the combination instead of them separately?

Because we have found the point of no return where a newspaper is now defined as having a print and online offering. Calling the business a “newspaper” is officially a misnomer. They should just be a “news” business that serves their community with professional journalism, whether printed or electronic.

Newspaper auditor to count Web readers – Los Angeles Times

Eight historical mistakes the newspaper industry made

Newspaper digital editions or electronic editions By J.D. Lasica

And here’s a follow up saying uptake of digital editions among newspaper titles varies between 0.2% and 1% of actual newspaper circulation:

Newspaper Digital Editions – future or futile? by Alistair Brown 

In their phone survey, 81% of newspaper website users also read the printed newspaper in the last 7 days. “Crossover users,” as they’re called, love both their print edition and newspaper website. They visit their newspaper website to access breaking news (96%), find articles seen previously (85%), and to find things to do/places to go (72%).

Here’s the study press release:

New Study Finds Significant Crossover in Newspaper Readership and Usage of Newspaper Websites

Digital cameras are cheap, and many produce digital video with sound. You’re out there shooting pics, why not make a short video with narration to add another level of experience for your website vistors?  

 It’s certainly within reach.

Newspapers Find Online Video Niche – 6/11/2007 – Broadcasting & Cable

Newspapers Find Online Video Niche

Dailies stake out Web territory with broadband newscasts. But can they make money?
By Michael Malone — Broadcasting & Cable, 6/11/2007
In the race to capitalize on the popularity of broadband video, newspapers are continuing to take a page from TV stations’ playbooks by producing increasingly sophisticated newscasts and other Web programs. And although the newscasts may not pose a threat to stations’ ratings, newspaper executives are hoping they will help secure their lead over broadcasters in the battle for local ad revenues on the Web.

This newspaper’s website has one of the best layout designs I’ve seen. It’s a college paper, but you know, they are very much like a small town paper.

 It has a font and layout reminiscent of modern newspapers. Note the width – it feels like a broadsheet. Placement of columns and photos gives a feel of reading a newspaper on the screen.

Kudos.