Yesterday I wrote a blog post called ‘imagine’ where I ask the question what would you do in the brave new world of infinite possibilities. It seems to have resonated with a lot of people. In it, I ask this question to media executives:
If you are a media executive, think about how your company’s role changes in this new world? How can you help everyone maximize their talents and realize their dreams?
One newspaper seems to be thinking along those lines and leveraging the new world rather than being killed by it.
The Bakersfield Californian is an anomaly in the newspaper business. While other papers are shutting their doors and filing for bankruptcy, it’s expanding. The reason is the paper’s 2005 launch of an online social network, called Bakotopia.com, aimed at reaching nonreaders, especially the young people in this city of nearly 329,000.
The Web site has caught on to the point where Bakersfield Californian now publishes 20,000 copies of a free magazine with content from Bakotopia twice a month. The articles range from reviews of the local theater scene to goings-on at various hot spots. Because the magazine’s audience is young, hip, and hard to reach, “advertisers do pay full rates,” says Dan Pacheco, senior manager of digital products at the company. The magazine even turns a profit.
This is a great example of how media companies can grow their pie even bigger by embracing the new media. I hope the music labels, the movie studios and the TV networks take note.
On a related note, Yahoo seems to be doing a good job of working with the newspapers to help them with the transition. This article talks about 10 major newspaers that may have to shutdown their print divisions and go completely online or close shop. Here is the list which includes a couple of sites that I vsit often:
- Philadelphis daily news
- The minneapolis star tribune
- The miami herald
- The detroit news
- The boston globe
- The san francisco chronicle
- The chicago sun times
- NY daily news
- The fort worth star telegram
- The cleveland plain dealer
This post discusses the top 50 sites that are linked to most by bloggers. This list includes many newspapers and links are one of the most basic distribution vehicles in the web world. I have a feeling that all the newspapers on this list will thrive when all the dust settles. This list includes the boston globe, the chicag sun time, the san francisco chronicle and the newyork daily news from the above list. They will do fine based on this indicator.
Mr. Jasti, I respect the tone, the optimism and confidence that dozens of print-based giants will rise in digital ether. Still, the wealth of training and generational memory contained in the newsrooms cited is deep. Watchdog journalism is born of elder scribes, photogs, investigative reporters and their ilk who’ve passed through hundreds of govt. meetings and board reports to help readers navigate the world. Abroad, their brethren risk life and limb to pursue stories of violent political upheaval, wars and struggles against disease and malnutrition.
In the upheaval we witness, where will their expertise be valued and paid for if not by a news outlet whose product is worth coin? Who’s distributing the complimentary Kindles for avid readers of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s yet-to-be launched online version? When the “dust settles,” it may be too late for some of this generational newsroom wisdom. We all need this torch of talent, training and wisdom to be passed. Democracy and the other Three Estates depend on it.
Comment by R. Riski — March 10, 2009 @ 9:13 pm
I am not sure that generational newsroom wisdom and experience will necessarily be undervalued in the evolution of newspaper. We still need the latest news to be told in compelling ways. The delivery mechanisms may be different (online, mobile, kindle, ipod etc) or the formats may be different (video etc). It is also not necessary that news is provided free of charge. I can see people paying for convinience in accessing news over their device of their choice. So I hope the skills needed in the old news world are valued and compensated even more in the new world. I just don’t think it makes sense for news to be deliverd in paper form anymore.
Comment by Raja — March 10, 2009 @ 11:53 pm
[...] Newspaper is evolving and personalization is a key aspect of it. We want to consume only the news that we care about and on devices of our choice (laptop, mobile, kindle etc). This is inevitable and companies that try to fight this will suffer. [...]
Pingback by News personalization: Meehive « Raja Jasti’s Blog - Renaissance Thinking — March 11, 2009 @ 8:52 am
californian newspaper…
Who says the internet is full of garbage?? Great post, I was searching for californian newspaper and came across it. Glad I did….
Trackback by californian newspaper — July 21, 2009 @ 3:11 pm