SubscribeThe Future of News(papers)
Posted in Publishing, News, Pro Am Journalism, Hyperlocal Journalism on September 21st, 2007. By Eduard F. Vinyamata.
The first stage is denial, the second is anger, the third is bargaining, the forth is depression, the fifth is acceptance…then you die. Steve Boriss of The Future of News reminds us of the 5 stages terminal patients go through as they accept their death, using this pattern to illustrate how newspaper’s are either dying of going through the same path as terminal ill patients do. Boriss’ anaysis is in any case a unique point of view on Pro-Am journalism, what he would now call the bargaining stage, right before the depression.
Through his blog Boriss gives us new informed reasons to believe that the newspaper industry is not doing enough to survive, or that it’s structure is so rooted into their old ways that it will crumble before accepting change. It is in fact understandable that after years of little or no competition, suddenly having to react change and compete is something that can’t happen overnight.
In order to survive, the greatest challenge to newspapers is to create value to the reader once again. This time, value can’t be based solely on distribution scarcity strategies. Four good strategies wold be to:
1. Regain control and exclusivity of local news (actually in the agencies hands)
2. Make the journalist the editor (as previously mentioned in MCH)
3. Understand and embrace the new meaning of Free.
4. Make the customer the first priority once again.
Related: News Shifting to the Internet (and what to do about it)
Related: Network TV evening news was never meant to be and soon will cease to be.
2 Comments
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Excellent four points!!!
If you don’t mind I will quote you on the blog I write for Fundación Telefónica:
www.estrategias2.es
Keep it up!
Comment by ruizdequerol on September 21, 2007
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