More on the future of newspapers

It might not have to if ad rates are based on the number of unique page views rather than the number of unread papers on the driveway.

 

I'm certainly no expert on the cost effectiveness of advertising. I have always wondered if you get your money back by buying a full-page ad in a newspaper.

However ... I REALLY wonder if it would be cost-effective to pay serious amounts of money for Web advertising exposure.

I mean, everybody does their darnedest to avoid clickthroughs and pop-ups anyway. They don't WANT to see those ads.

 

That should be taped across the top of everybody's monitor.

 

I have Firefox. I don't have to make any effort to avoid them -- they're voided for me.

 

Yeah, well, Firefox remains the minority, even in spite of the chorus.

 

people read good stories.
whoa.
stop the presses.

 

You're rolling already?

 

And I'm not sure I even agree with that.

We like to think that people are just slobbering over that 600-inch, four-part series on some socially significant concern, but I think the number of people who actually read those stories from beginning to end can be counted on one hand (and some of them are paid to edit to the copy).

We don't really want to know the stuff that people read because it would upset so many of the myths that we hold dear. And, besides, newspapers don't win awards by having a strong crime blotter or making sure a picture of that grisly crash on Main Street gets good play or providing blow-by-blow coverage of the mayor's sex scandal or having a good comics section.

 

good doesn't mean 600 inches anymore than it means 4 inches.
length has nothing to do with it.

 

Mine will be much better when, in pretty much the same eight-hour shift, I don't have to:
1) head to three assignments
2) take the photos for all three
3) upload, photoshop, save, etc. said photos
4) layout pages
5) layour agate
6) write a column
7) wade through the garbage people send in

Ridding the biz of copy editors, photographers, graphic designers and reporters, and then amalgamating all of those has caused us to rush out half-assed stories and half-assed photos.

I ask: How can I perfectly capture the moment/spirit/play/details/emotion in both print and photo - at the same time?

 

World's oldest newspaper goes digital

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070205/ap_on_hi_te/sweden_oldest_newspaper

 

There is a damn good chance that papers as we know it won't be around in the near future. Young people aren't plunking down 75 cents to read what Donnie Sports Columnist has to say about the big game. People can figure things out for themselves.
When was the last time you saw someone under 25 purchase a newspaper from the store or a newsstand?