A couple posts this week stoked the old journalistic fires in me, but more on the business side of the newspaper business. One was by Mike Bawden, and the other by Gary Goldhammer.

While I love public relations and enjoy my current job, there’ll always be a special place for my first (professional) love and passion: journalism.

So, the slow-moving behemoth newspaper industry — which is dwindling in size — needs to step up. And, I’m not talking about the national papers. They’ll always be around. What really matters in journalism are the local papers. The Toledo “Blade.” The Cleveland “Plain Dealer.” The Adrian “Daily Telegram.” And similar newspapers across the country. Here’s how (in no particular order):

Join the real-time news cycle. Today’s news is tomorrow’s history. Yes, many or most newspapers are updating their Web sites with breaking news. But more resources (i.e., people) need to be devoted to covering breaking news — local and regional news. Leave the national and international news to the wires.

Push the news. Let readers sign up for a daily e-mail synopsis of that day’s news. Send me breaking news — local stuff.

Focus on local and regional news. There are so many sources for national and international news. We are an information society — no matter how old or young we are. I can get what you print tomorrow today via my TV, radio and the Internet. Unless it’s of significant, historical or national importance, don’t put national/international news on your front page. At least, keep it to one story.

Focus on your strengths. Radio and TV offer immediacy and first-hand accounts (audio and visual). Newspapers offer in-depth coverage (whether in print or online), analysis and multiple stories on the same story. Radio and TV can’t touch that. And, national newspapers don’t have the connection with your local communities.

Be like the blogs. Okay, most of your readership don’t read blogs. But, they will eventually. Let me comment on your online stories. Involve your readers. Yes, there is a letter-to-the-editor section, but make it eaiser and offer other opportunities for community feedback. To help combat reducing advertising revenue, make readers subscribe or have “premium” memberships to be able to comment. Nothing outrageous. But something.

Cover the local social media. Community boards like ToledoTalk and a host of local blogs are in practically every city. People are talking and voicing opinions. Let your readers know about them. Cover them. Engage them. Join them.

Increase online ad rates. Local newspapers are among the most heavily-visited sites in a community. (I read that somewhere, but don’t recall and can’t find where. Sorry.) Don’t rake over your advertisers because of it, but don’t lose out on the opportunity.

Encourage citizen journalists: Hey, with shrinking staffs, why not engage your readership? Encourage readers and your community to send you news items and photography — not just news tips that you assign to current staff members who are likely already overworked and underpaid. Make this an online special. Once a week, publish the best citJ submission — story and/or photograph — of the week. And, pay submitters for the top story/photography.

Offer your news to local businesses. Maybe you can generate additional revenue by selling a news feed to the Web sites of local businesses. It’ll help ensure local small business owners have fresh content (as long as you keep your news fresh). At the very least, offer it as a bonus to advertisers.

Encourage your staff to blog and/or have the editorial board blog. Enhance your voice in the community. We’re talking connecting with the growing online community here. Of course your reporters and editors have opinions and views on what’s going on. They can be objective in writing their stories, but still have an opinion. We want to hear it. It’ll also offer a chance to learn about the stories they write that don’t make it into the paper (print or online).

No other single entity can impact a community like a newspaper can. Newspapers need to focus on how they can most impact the communities they cover. If they do that — online and offline — then they will ensure their prominence in the information age.

– Mike

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