Washington Post hunkers down

It looks like the Washington Post is pulling out of its bureaus in other U.S. cities to concentrate on Washington-area coverage in yet another example of cuts that can't help but devalue the content of the news organization.

One wonders if sacrificing content makes sense given the competitive environment.

Good Luck making that work

Murdoch is suggesting that his new paid content sites will be invisible to Google.

It will be interesting to see if he can make that work. I'm skeptical, because Google is not only most people's first choice for searching for information, but their last. IO think Google is becoming like TV, if it's not on Google it doesn't exist.

We will see if this works

The Wall Street Journal to experiment with micropayments. An experiment that will be watched closely.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003971568

They will miss us when we're gone ...

... but we'll still be gone.

Expert sees decline of print newspapers accelerating: http://www.bizreport.com/2009/05/printed_newspapers_to_decline_at_faster_rate_than_initially.html

Amusing excerpt:
However, some nostalgia remains for printed newspapers. The study found that a large percentage of Internet users remain loyal to print versions and, when asked if they would miss the print edition of their newspaper if it were no longer available, 61% of those who read newspapers offline agreed - up from 56% in 2007.

Does an online paper need a print presence?

Since the Seattle Post-Intelligencer closed Neilson reports traffic to the online-only paper has plummeted. The Seattle P-I folks say it's not true. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/22/AR2009042202654.html

Time will tell, but it does raise the question of whether a online edition needs a physical presence somewhere? Does Time Magazine keep its reputation if there isn't an actual magazine somewhere? How important is that incidental contact that print newspapers and magazine derive from being on the racks, in the honor boxes and lying around in waiting rooms? Can you sustain visibility over the long haul without it?

And good luck with that

Journal Inquirer to charge a fee to see their Web content. Good luck with that.

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-journal-inquirer-charge.artapr15,0,7892343.story

Small vignette from Kos on why newspapers are dying

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/4/9/718099/-Yet-another-reason-newspapers-are-dying

Will this be the future?

If newspapers don't adapt quickly enough, will they be replaced by startup online-only news sites?

http://www.abetteroakland.com/

http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/

Interesting review of the online Detroit Free Press

Read about the episode here: http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/03/review_detroit.html

Then consider this fact. That same morning I reached over to my Kindle, turned it on, made one click and I could start reading that morning's New York Times while still in bed. Much more user friendly than her odyssey.

You tell me which one you think represents the future? I know where I'd place my bets.

Kindle and coffee

For most newspaper readers, the morning paper is part of their regular routine. Maybe they pick it up off the porch in their bathrobe while their morning pot of coffee brews. Or perhaps they pick it up at the newsstand on their way to work. Or maybe it's waiting for them at the office and they start the workday by catching up on the news as they drink their coffee.

Well, I can already see that my Kindle can fit very comfortably into any of those routines, or even a new one. Most days I start off flicking on the TV to CNN to see what the big news of the day might be. But now I can just reach over to the night table and open my Kindle to the morning's New York Times -- not just delivered to my door, but delivered to my bed!

This is the real future for newspaper-style news organizations. Yes, being on the Web is important, but the Internet does not play to the strengths of the newspaper journalist. You're just a voice in the crowd.

What you need to be is the first voice in the morning, and that will comes from a Kindle-like device in the future.

Fortune looks at "The End of Paper"

Interesting summary of the state of eReading

http://money.cnn.com/2009/03/03/technology/copeland_epaper.fortune/index.htm

Seattle Times looks at the P-I's move online and precedents for online-only papers

Link is here, but the bottom line is that the Post-Intelligencer will be trying to fly solo as an online paper, where most of the other online-only papers still have a connection to some print publication.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008823971_onlinepapers07.html

An offer they can't refuse?

Seattle P-I staffers being offered lower-paying positions at online-only edition:
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=67955853853&h=3wxz-&u=JOwXm

Google ends ad experiment with newspapers

Google has dropped its program that worked with newspapers on ad revenue.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/20/AR2009012003052.html

Probably not a big deal, but not great news either.

Web-based international news site launches Monday

Interesting experiment in replacing newspaper content with online-based reporting:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j4lM3kO4F3u__cKfnhcAIOavHoOw