Newspapers vs. Internet

The argument about revenue sources is interesting. Local ads are a big part of revenue for local papers, and as Heineken pointed out, newspapers will likely lose more and more ground when it comes to classified ads, especially in certain areas (some jobs, car listings, etc.). I don't think that will happen too soon, though. I know of one paper where a local car dealer pulled its ads from the paper, planning on concentrating on Internet and TV sales only, and the dealership saw a SHARP decline in sales. They came bacl to the paper and since then have seen an increase. Now, that goes beyond just your average classified, but still, for a lot of businesses, the best way to get your listing out to the local market is the local newspaper.

Now, will it be that way 10 years from now? Don't know. Classifieds might take a bigger hit, but what about the regular ads that run throughout the section? Right now, newspapers are the best way to deliver those ads to the widest audience. Just think about how many readers pick up the paper on Sunday just for the ads and the comics, and how many get them on Wednesday for the grocery ads. Maybe that will change. Probably will. But until that happens, newspapers will be a viable industry.

What we need to figure out is how to stay viable if/when that happens, and how to make the Internet a viable revenue source. And local ad revenue will be the key to that for most newspapers.

 

I had to use the phrase "looks good" because you were blathering about the usual 120 inches of gray text, (insert hand-wringing here) only gray text. The next step would have been to start rambling about the Gutenberg Bible.

I have no problem at all laying blame with the designers. They have no problem blathering about how terrible editors and copy editors are when they have nothing to support their own arguments.

And yes, many reporters and copy editors are terrible, too. Not really my point.