How do you monetize dead wood? That's the challenge facing the nation's newspapers by Joyce Schwarz, blogging at www.hollywood2020.blogs.com. Headlines in the business section of the Los Angeles Times, Thursday, January 25 edition indicate that the big pubs are FINALLY realizing we're in a multi-media world and if they ever want to catch that 'screenager' they better do it NOW.
LA TIMES BEHIND NY TIMES/WASHINGTON POST
 Playfuls.com |
The Times shifts its focus to Web Los Angeles Times, CA - Staff will be trained to be 'savvy multimedia journalists' in an effort to meld the newspaper and latimes.com. By James Rainey, Times Staff Writer ... The Times shifts its focus to Web |
-- century old tech antiquated!
The centuries old tech of 'printing' is just not measuring up to the media demands of an on-the-go generation. Newspaper chains are BLEEDING money. And the black and white and in the red combo is about as attractive as a silent horror movie. That's the analogy that I've been using about this outdated industry. They are like the silent flicks when the TALKIES came to town.
"TALKIES WILL NEVER LAST" ....that's what they said about automobiles, SINGING IN THE RAIN....The internet is rampant with quotes about how the TALKIES revolutionized the motion picture scene forever. And there were other major naysayers too, one of the be the best quotes, I caught was : "Motion pictures need sound as much as Beehoven symphoness need lyrics. "Charlie Chaplin". (source NY Public Library Book of 20th Century American Quotations".
THE NEXT GENERATION OF NEWSPAPER JOURNALISTS? ....(full disclosure here, I was once married to a newspaper journalist who has been a newspaper journalist his whole life and will be one,one way or another if he can, the rest of his life.) But what about the next-gen of newspaper journalists. Just the word newspaper makes me think old and yellow and crinkly and of course it's not just me, I searched the web and found a quote from Esther Gim, the managing editor of The State News -- the newspaper for Michigan State University who says in her opinion piece "Newspapers are a dying breed, and we're trying anything — and everything — we can to have you, the reader, pick up the paper each day.Here's a link to her full article which is posted online (of course):
"SN needs your help, constructive criticism to strengthen, improve
MSU State News, MI -
Newspapers are a dying breed, and we're trying anything — and everything — we can to have you, the reader, pick up the paper each day.
Hollywood2020.blogs.com attempted to contact the managing editor of THE STATE NEWS in East Lansing for comments for this post.
YET, even though Kim says she wants to serve her readership 'every day', The State newsroom was closed. An answering machine picked up. 9-5 Monday-Fridays they are open -- "every day" I guess other than Saturday and Sunday. News is 24/7/365 it doesn't stop. My hope is that what Ms. Kim really wants are people to read or listen to her reporters stories. I wonder if they've ever heard of this thing called podcasting back in East Lansing? Don't see any mention of podcasts or Internet radio on The State news site. And remember, this is a college newspaper with a circulation bigger than some small towns!
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE INTERNET --
and yes, I was there, almost, everyone kept saying they were searching for the next "Charlie Chaplin" yet as you can see above and repeated here -- even the talent of Chaplin was no match for technology "Moving pictures need sound as much as Beethoven symphonies need lyrics".
LA TIMES NAMES "EDITOR FOR INNOVATION:
At the LA TIMES, the staff will be trained to be 'savvy multimedia journalists' in an effort tomeld the newspaper and latimes.com according to the January 25 report (see link above). Business Editor Russ Stanton is now The Times editor for innovation.
And contrary to many of its competitors, The LA TIMES is making money --
Editor James O'Shea said in announcing the reorganization taht 'some might hav ea false sense of security about the newspaper because it has continued to post substantial profit. In fact, according to their reports, The Times earned an estimated $240 million before taxes. Yet auto advertising in the print edition is expected to be $47 million less than in 2004 and only half of that loss will be recovered with new online ads. O'Shea explains that, "for every $2 we lost, he said, " we are recouping only about $1.00.
STAKES HIGH FOR NEWS MEDIA
"If we don't help reverse these revenue trends, we will not be able to cost-effectively providee the news -- the daily bread of democracy. The stakes are high" says LA TIMES editor James O'Shea. At The Times, they are starting an Internet 101 course that hopefully will teach reporters, editors and photographers to become savvy multimedia journalists able to enhance their writing with audio and video reports.
News is 24/7/365 -- even on weekends!
Hmm wonder if they are doing the same at the campus in East Lansing...it's 35 minutes after my email to Ms. Kim, managing editor at The STATE news and no response. And no phone listed. And only an answering machine at the newsroom...maybe I should have called the radio station there? Probably would have gotten a recording too --but with a musical background! js
Comments