Comments on: Newspapers are the new general stores http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/2008/06/12/newspapers-are-the-new-general-stores/ Thoughts from a technologist and journalist Wed, 09 May 2012 14:41:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: » Today’s Thought: Are the days of the Metro newspaper officially numbered? | The Journalism Iconoclast http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/2008/06/12/newspapers-are-the-new-general-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-4008 » Today’s Thought: Are the days of the Metro newspaper officially numbered? | The Journalism Iconoclast Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:20:49 +0000 http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/?p=298#comment-4008 [...] Metro newspapers don’t really excel at anything, and in the era of niche publications, does that model still make sense? The Star-Ledger has found success with a niche publication, Pharmalot. Is that the model for metros to move forward? [...] [...] Metro newspapers don’t really excel at anything, and in the era of niche publications, does that model still make sense? The Star-Ledger has found success with a niche publication, Pharmalot. Is that the model for metros to move forward? [...]

]]> By: Rick Waghorn http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/2008/06/12/newspapers-are-the-new-general-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-3966 Rick Waghorn Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:25:43 +0000 http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/?p=298#comment-3966 Just 'unbundle' your traditional newspaper and re-organise. Elegantly. Or at least that's our theory with www.myfootballwriter.com - and it's US cousins, www.myhockeywriter.com, www.mybaseballwriter.com and www.mybasketballwriter.com... Before that, however, and it's time to get the big mother off the ground, www.mylocalwriter.com... Just ‘unbundle’ your traditional newspaper and re-organise. Elegantly.

Or at least that’s our theory with http://www.myfootballwriter.com – and it’s US cousins, http://www.myhockeywriter.com, http://www.mybaseballwriter.com and http://www.mybasketballwriter.com...

Before that, however, and it’s time to get the big mother off the ground, http://www.mylocalwriter.com...

]]> By: JeremyF http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/2008/06/12/newspapers-are-the-new-general-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-3841 JeremyF Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:02:36 +0000 http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/?p=298#comment-3841 Don't forget that some small newspapers can't afford to get smaller. They're primarly funded primarily by display advertising, which can't cover 100 percent of every page. Something has to fill the gap. In a small enough paper, most local content goes on the front page and one or two inside pages. The rest of the pages are filled with regional and national copy from wire services. Without that copy, the space for advertising shrinks dramatically. That's bad for the bottom line. Don’t forget that some small newspapers can’t afford to get smaller. They’re primarly funded primarily by display advertising, which can’t cover 100 percent of every page. Something has to fill the gap. In a small enough paper, most local content goes on the front page and one or two inside pages. The rest of the pages are filled with regional and national copy from wire services. Without that copy, the space for advertising shrinks dramatically. That’s bad for the bottom line.

]]> By: Brian Cubbison http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/2008/06/12/newspapers-are-the-new-general-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-3830 Brian Cubbison Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:01:18 +0000 http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/?p=298#comment-3830 You should check out David Sullivan's newspaper/department store blog. http://davisullblog.blogspot.com You should check out David Sullivan’s newspaper/department store blog.

http://davisullblog.blogspot.com

]]> By: G Love http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/2008/06/12/newspapers-are-the-new-general-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-3829 G Love Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:39:09 +0000 http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/?p=298#comment-3829 Ya had me until you compared Google to Wal-Mart...replace it with Yahoo or another "portal" and I agree with you 100%. Yahoo came in and took everything that a newspaper has ever done (news, classifieds, reviews, etc) and took advantage of the internet's freakish scaling capabilities to be the bigger, better, cheaper general store. Google came in through the side door, building the fastest/cheapest car, which could drive you to the Hershey factory faster than you could walk to your corner store for a bar of chocolate. Wow, I love metaphors. Newspapers, like any other struggling industries (independent bookstores, cd stores, general stores, etc) have plenty of options ahead of them. The part that they're struggling with is there is no way for them to continue making as much money, keeping their current skills, and using the same staff. If those are the requirements for the solution they're looking for, they'll never find it. Good post. Ya had me until you compared Google to Wal-Mart…replace it with Yahoo or another “portal” and I agree with you 100%. Yahoo came in and took everything that a newspaper has ever done (news, classifieds, reviews, etc) and took advantage of the internet’s freakish scaling capabilities to be the bigger, better, cheaper general store.

Google came in through the side door, building the fastest/cheapest car, which could drive you to the Hershey factory faster than you could walk to your corner store for a bar of chocolate.

Wow, I love metaphors.

Newspapers, like any other struggling industries (independent bookstores, cd stores, general stores, etc) have plenty of options ahead of them. The part that they’re struggling with is there is no way for them to continue making as much money, keeping their current skills, and using the same staff. If those are the requirements for the solution they’re looking for, they’ll never find it.

Good post.

]]> By: Hass http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/2008/06/12/newspapers-are-the-new-general-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-3827 Hass Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:16:54 +0000 http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/?p=298#comment-3827 Another area the niche model applies is biology, where we could compare newspapers to dinosaurs. Big and hungry while having their food eaten by smaller mammals. I'd actually argue for having non-niche content as long as it's not a drain on resources. There are still people out there who turn to newspapers to get these things, and we can't just abandon them, lest we hasten our demise. They've got to go, but its not a good idea to chop wildly. I would also argue for taking a niche and going big with it, inside or out of the paper. http://www.pharmalot.com The only constant is change. Once you've found a niche, you've got to make sure it's still there tomorrow. Another area the niche model applies is biology, where we could compare newspapers to dinosaurs. Big and hungry while having their food eaten by smaller mammals.

I’d actually argue for having non-niche content as long as it’s not a drain on resources. There are still people out there who turn to newspapers to get these things, and we can’t just abandon them, lest we hasten our demise. They’ve got to go, but its not a good idea to chop wildly.

I would also argue for taking a niche and going big with it, inside or out of the paper. http://www.pharmalot.com

The only constant is change. Once you’ve found a niche, you’ve got to make sure it’s still there tomorrow.

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