Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - the sinking of the chicago tribune and other sad tales about newspapers and politics

Baraka_Guru · 10-07-2010, 11:21 AM

There is some parallel between the issue with newspapers and the issue with books, of which I play a part as an editor for a small press in Canada.

One way to look at it is that the digital age has shifted our perceptions of certain cultural products, namely, music, news media, books, magazines, and the like. What this has meant is a shift from a physical-oriented product to a more content-oriented product. The music industry was the first to experience this shift, so it helps to look at that.

For example, one of the best initial shifts in mindset is to get it out of your head that you're in the business of selling pressed plastic discs, folded newsprint, paperbound books, etc. What you're selling is content. So the music industry learned and is learning how to "monetize," as you mentioned, certain things such as the Web and the culture surrounding music. So with music you get new revenue streams such as digital downloads of mp3s and ring tones, new models surrounding performances and other media, etc.

With books you get new revenue streams via e-books. Libraries, for example, are snatching up digital products like crazy, and e-book readers are finally hitting the mainstream. But there is still a lot of work to be done. In some ways we're just behind newspapers, who are struggling with the models you've mentioned: how to monetize the Web via ads or subscription models.

It's messy. But I think the whole deal needs to come back to the idea of content and how to monetize it. Book publishers aren't producers of books, they're producers of book-length textual content, so newspapers companies aren't producers of newspapers, they're producers of news content. The focus needs to remain on the quality of the content. There needs to be a market and the market needs to be served. If this means diversifying or focusing, then do it.

The Globe and Mail recently invested in newfangled, multimillion-dollar German printers to come up with a full-color, mixed glossy/matte product on overall higher-quality paper. It's reorganizing its content, mixing it up with info and editorial. They're emphasizing the quality of journalism and the overall experience of delivering what readers want. Of course, they also revamped their online presence too.

And the Globe's circulation has actually been increasing lately.

It's about knowing your market and giving it what it wants. I think there are still enough people out there who want quality journalism—actual journalism. It's too bad the Chicago Tribune didn't make the transition to the newer models.

10-07-2010, 11:21 AM	#2 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	There is some parallel between the issue with newspapers and the issue with books, of which I play a part as an editor for a small press in Canada. One way to look at it is that the digital age has shifted our perceptions of certain cultural products, namely, music, news media, books, magazines, and the like. What this has meant is a shift from a physical-oriented product to a more content-oriented product. The music industry was the first to experience this shift, so it helps to look at that. For example, one of the best initial shifts in mindset is to get it out of your head that you're in the business of selling pressed plastic discs, folded newsprint, paperbound books, etc. What you're selling is content. So the music industry learned and is learning how to "monetize," as you mentioned, certain things such as the Web and the culture surrounding music. So with music you get new revenue streams such as digital downloads of mp3s and ring tones, new models surrounding performances and other media, etc. With books you get new revenue streams via e-books. Libraries, for example, are snatching up digital products like crazy, and e-book readers are finally hitting the mainstream. But there is still a lot of work to be done. In some ways we're just behind newspapers, who are struggling with the models you've mentioned: how to monetize the Web via ads or subscription models. It's messy. But I think the whole deal needs to come back to the idea of content and how to monetize it. Book publishers aren't producers of books, they're producers of book-length textual content, so newspapers companies aren't producers of newspapers, they're producers of news content. The focus needs to remain on the quality of the content. There needs to be a market and the market needs to be served. If this means diversifying or focusing, then do it. The Globe and Mail recently invested in newfangled, multimillion-dollar German printers to come up with a full-color, mixed glossy/matte product on overall higher-quality paper. It's reorganizing its content, mixing it up with info and editorial. They're emphasizing the quality of journalism and the overall experience of delivering what readers want. Of course, they also revamped their online presence too. And the Globe's circulation has actually been increasing lately. It's about knowing your market and giving it what it wants. I think there are still enough people out there who want quality journalism—actual journalism. It's too bad the Chicago Tribune didn't make the transition to the newer models. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 10-07-2010 at 11:24 AM..