Okay, I’m not so high-and-mighty to think I have all the answers. Just some opinions and pointers to others with good opinions.
For the other pointers, see Scott Baradell/IdeaGrove and the exchange with Mark Cuban. (Yes, that Mark Cuban).
Editors Weblog’s Online magazine lessons for newspapers has good points, in comparing-contrasting what Slate does and how newspapers should/should not follow.
Now, what do I think?
As I believe Mark Cuban noted, newspapers should focus on their primary advantage — depth of coverage — which it has always had over radio (speed, easy access) and television (visual).
Online should be no different. Radio and TV and most non-newspaper Internet news sites are nothing more than headline news.
Newspapers need to beef up their online reporting with more breaking and developing news — as long as it is accurate, not just first.
They need to allow readers to pull the news from the sites. RSS is fine, but I also want customized content delivered to me via e-mail or even IM. And sent as often as I want it, if there are updates. This customized “newspaper” is another outlet for ads. If you don’t want ads, you pay a little something for it. Otherwise, it’s free and includes ads — whether text or html.
They need to allow reader comments — like blogs and discussion boards. I’m sure some are doing that, but more need to get off the dime and technically update and modernize their online versions.
They need to look at their online advertising rates. If site traffic is high, rates should be comparable.
Along those lines, they need to start migrating or at least encouraging their print advertisers to move online. Granted, the readership demographic of online vs. print is different, but that difference is dwindling.
Finally, newspapers need to open up to citizen journalists. Some already are, but again, more need to. Not every submission needs to be accepted. However, to give your readers a greater stake in the finished product, they should be allowed to contribute (other than a letter to the editor). And, I mean not just news and spot photos, but commentary, too.
So, any other suggestions? Am I off? Will this work?
– Mike
Technorati tags: newspapers, journalism, newspaper business
