Comments on: Want to save the newspaper industry? Get Jeff Bezos on the phone! http://transparentagenda.com/2009/03/06/want-to-save-the-newspaper-industry-get-jeff-bezos-on-the-phone/ Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:56:43 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: gfurry http://transparentagenda.com/2009/03/06/want-to-save-the-newspaper-industry-get-jeff-bezos-on-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-74 gfurry Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:11:50 +0000 http://transparentagenda.com/?p=487#comment-74 I would guess that people that still read the paper in paper form either aren't comfortable with computers or like the portability of reading in paper form. The kindle is also much easier on the eyes than a computer and/or iphone. <br><br>There would be no print ads after shutting down the presses. The online ads and print ads would be combined. The people who pay for the paper now would continue to pay for it but they would get it on a kindle. Others I suspect would pay for a subscription to their local paper to get a free kindle. I know I would. I would guess that people that still read the paper in paper form either aren't comfortable with computers or like the portability of reading in paper form. The kindle is also much easier on the eyes than a computer and/or iphone.

There would be no print ads after shutting down the presses. The online ads and print ads would be combined. The people who pay for the paper now would continue to pay for it but they would get it on a kindle. Others I suspect would pay for a subscription to their local paper to get a free kindle. I know I would.

]]> By: reality check http://transparentagenda.com/2009/03/06/want-to-save-the-newspaper-industry-get-jeff-bezos-on-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-73 reality check Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:48:36 +0000 http://transparentagenda.com/?p=487#comment-73 Why would you want to pay for news content and a Kindle when you can already get all the news you want for free on the internet via your computer, iPhone, etc? The only people interested in this deal would be those who see another reason to own a Kindle--because they are book readers. And there aren't many of those (according to <a href="http://parapub.com" rel="nofollow">parapub.com</a>, 80% of Americans did not buy or read a book in 2007). By comparison, Pew Research says 81% of Americans consume news on a daily basis.<br><br>Incorporating color and video into the Kindle could change all that. That technology will take a while to arrive still, unfortunately not in time to save most newspapers.<br><br>Lastly, the math just doesn't work. Online ad revenues are only 20% of the ad revenues collected from print ads. Cutting all paper, ink, presses, delivery, etc costs does not represent 80% of the budget, so you still have an unsustainable business. Why would you want to pay for news content and a Kindle when you can already get all the news you want for free on the internet via your computer, iPhone, etc? The only people interested in this deal would be those who see another reason to own a Kindle–because they are book readers. And there aren't many of those (according to parapub.com, 80% of Americans did not buy or read a book in 2007). By comparison, Pew Research says 81% of Americans consume news on a daily basis.

Incorporating color and video into the Kindle could change all that. That technology will take a while to arrive still, unfortunately not in time to save most newspapers.

Lastly, the math just doesn't work. Online ad revenues are only 20% of the ad revenues collected from print ads. Cutting all paper, ink, presses, delivery, etc costs does not represent 80% of the budget, so you still have an unsustainable business.

]]> By: gfurry http://transparentagenda.com/2009/03/06/want-to-save-the-newspaper-industry-get-jeff-bezos-on-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-72 gfurry Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:12:20 +0000 http://transparentagenda.com/?p=487#comment-72 The advertising part is hard but not impossible. See my comment below about how coupons could work. As far as the studies are concerned I don't doubt those but there is a fairly easy way to provide better data. <br><br>Have users for the kindle. Have a family of 5? You get your Kindle from the newspaper and they input all your family members. When dad picks up the Kindle he first clicks the dad button and then reads the digital paper. When he passes it off to mom she click the mom button and so on. While this does make it hard to share sections at the breakfast table it would tell you exactly who read what. <br><br>Part of the reason for this post is that I see cuts being made to the talent rather than the fluff. If you cut your best talent you get what you deserve. Hopefully by cutting the press and delivery you could afford to keep the talented staff and hire some more vetters for the public submissions. <br><br>I would love to discuss this over lunch sometime. The advertising part is hard but not impossible. See my comment below about how coupons could work. As far as the studies are concerned I don't doubt those but there is a fairly easy way to provide better data.

Have users for the kindle. Have a family of 5? You get your Kindle from the newspaper and they input all your family members. When dad picks up the Kindle he first clicks the dad button and then reads the digital paper. When he passes it off to mom she click the mom button and so on. While this does make it hard to share sections at the breakfast table it would tell you exactly who read what.

Part of the reason for this post is that I see cuts being made to the talent rather than the fluff. If you cut your best talent you get what you deserve. Hopefully by cutting the press and delivery you could afford to keep the talented staff and hire some more vetters for the public submissions.

I would love to discuss this over lunch sometime.

]]> By: gfurry http://transparentagenda.com/2009/03/06/want-to-save-the-newspaper-industry-get-jeff-bezos-on-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-71 gfurry Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:01:23 +0000 http://transparentagenda.com/?p=487#comment-71 Color will come and the ads and coupons could work electronically. Picture an ad section on the kindle. You could click a checkbox on all the ads you want to see and all the coupons you want to use. <br><br>The kindle would email you a page of links to the websites of the various companies or even to the papers own website where the full color ad would be shown. For coupons the selected coupons would appear on a special page that you could easily bring up while at the store so it could be hit with a scanner at the checkout counter. Color will come and the ads and coupons could work electronically. Picture an ad section on the kindle. You could click a checkbox on all the ads you want to see and all the coupons you want to use.

The kindle would email you a page of links to the websites of the various companies or even to the papers own website where the full color ad would be shown. For coupons the selected coupons would appear on a special page that you could easily bring up while at the store so it could be hit with a scanner at the checkout counter.

]]> By: Greg Hildebrand http://transparentagenda.com/2009/03/06/want-to-save-the-newspaper-industry-get-jeff-bezos-on-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-70 Greg Hildebrand Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:48:59 +0000 http://transparentagenda.com/?p=487#comment-70 Greg,<br>There was a recent article on <a href="http://businessinsider.com" rel="nofollow">businessinsider.com</a> that printing and delivering the NYT costs twice as much as providing a Kindle to every subscriber. No doubt the physical newspaper is going the way of the buggy whip. <br>My concern is the news gathering that these papers are providing. It seems that the journalism that once was regarded as the main product that local newspapers provided is being replaced by submitted first hand observations of participants. And as anybody involved in crime will tell you some of the most unreliable evidence is from a single witness. And honestly newspapers have been their worst enemy when it comes to quality journalism, cutting newsroom staff to save operating expenses, relying on this type of submitted copy to fill editorial space.<br>In my opinion Kurt has a good handle on what is keeping the newspaper industry printing and that is the display ads and inserts. In marketing the number one statistic is how many people see my ad. The newspaper industry has done studies to show that appox. 2.5 people read every printed copy of the paper. And this number goes up with multiple days in the paper. Webstats are a little harder to play this math with. Combine this with the level of sophistication of the local retail merchants, and online sales of ads gets a little more difficult, but it is starting to change. People are beginning to realize that marketing next to local content on the World Wide Web is still marketing to local consumers.<br>If you are ever in Plymouth stop by the newspaper, perhaps we can discuss this over lunch. Greg,
There was a recent article on businessinsider.com that printing and delivering the NYT costs twice as much as providing a Kindle to every subscriber. No doubt the physical newspaper is going the way of the buggy whip.
My concern is the news gathering that these papers are providing. It seems that the journalism that once was regarded as the main product that local newspapers provided is being replaced by submitted first hand observations of participants. And as anybody involved in crime will tell you some of the most unreliable evidence is from a single witness. And honestly newspapers have been their worst enemy when it comes to quality journalism, cutting newsroom staff to save operating expenses, relying on this type of submitted copy to fill editorial space.
In my opinion Kurt has a good handle on what is keeping the newspaper industry printing and that is the display ads and inserts. In marketing the number one statistic is how many people see my ad. The newspaper industry has done studies to show that appox. 2.5 people read every printed copy of the paper. And this number goes up with multiple days in the paper. Webstats are a little harder to play this math with. Combine this with the level of sophistication of the local retail merchants, and online sales of ads gets a little more difficult, but it is starting to change. People are beginning to realize that marketing next to local content on the World Wide Web is still marketing to local consumers.
If you are ever in Plymouth stop by the newspaper, perhaps we can discuss this over lunch.

]]> By: Kurt Knippel http://transparentagenda.com/2009/03/06/want-to-save-the-newspaper-industry-get-jeff-bezos-on-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-69 Kurt Knippel Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:35:29 +0000 http://transparentagenda.com/?p=487#comment-69 That is an excellent idea. The physical news paper is a relic of the past and should be done away with. So much more could be done via the electronic delivery. Sadly the #1 revenue stream of the newspaper is selling ad space. The #1 worst competency of the old media is web design. They would first have to translate how the ad sales paradigm works on the Kindle....no more full color, no more inserts. Its great for the reader of course and for the environment. That is an excellent idea. The physical news paper is a relic of the past and should be done away with. So much more could be done via the electronic delivery. Sadly the #1 revenue stream of the newspaper is selling ad space. The #1 worst competency of the old media is web design. They would first have to translate how the ad sales paradigm works on the Kindle….no more full color, no more inserts. Its great for the reader of course and for the environment.

]]>