Newspapers must chart a new course

Newsday ^ | November 21, 2005 | Rick Edmonds

[george76]

Troubles abound for the print business, but smart leadership can steer through the roughest seas

Good news about the newspaper business is hard to find these days.

Already this month, daily circulation losses ...

At the demand of disgruntled institutional shareholders, once-proud Knight Ridder - the nation's second-largest publicly traded chain - is considering putting itself up for sale, whole or in pieces.

This comes on the heels of deep news staff cuts at many of the nation's most respected regional papers, Newsday included...

Important trends are downward and reinforcing...

Profit margins, down from their peak, but still at 20 percent, with ample cash flow for restructuring and new investments.

...time to invent new economic models that can supplement or replace the old and support the expensive enterprise of news-gathering.

I am skeptical about whether newspapers are nimble enough to do all that needs to be done, to change steadily and purposefully, but not so fast that they chase off readers happy with the newspaper as it is.

The situation is hardly hopeless, though.

[george76]

 

 

 

 

 

[brivette]

As long as newspapers lean left, their sales will go south.

[george76]

What about a mention of bias in news reporting?

[Oatka]

"...time to invent new economic models that can supplement or replace the old and support the expensive enterprise of news-gathering."

...time to invent old style reporting of "just the facts, ma'am" and leave the editorializing to the opinion pages.

[randog]

Profit margins, down from their peak, but still at 20 percent, with ample cash flow for restructuring and new investments.

Yeah, the newspapers have so much money they're laying off their workforce. OK.

[popdonnelly]

They should try journalism.

[oyez]

Death by Self inflicted wounds. It not only the yellow journalism, it the artistic license they take with the layout. You can't find anything anymore.

[george76]

Maybe Wal-Mart will buy Knight Ridder.

[ClaireSolt]

They need to cover the local news in ways that make them an important loical resource.

[Lacey]

They could start by reporting facts, not the truth as they want it to be. And quit choosing only stories to report on that support their liberal agenda.

[RexBeach]

Newspapers are changing direction - they're going right down the toilet.

Buh-bye, baby!

[george76]

They should reduce the size of the pages and put them on a roll for recycling....

[oyez]

Maybe Wal-Mart will buy Knight Ridder.

I'll still not be able to find anything.

[george76]

It would be fun to watch the left freak out over the possibility of Walmart owning media sources.

[LdSentinal]

Maybe Wal-Mart will buy Knight Ridder

That would be awesome.

[citizen]

How about unbiased reporting?....Then they have no reason to exist.

[Redbob]

"...time to invent old style reporting of "just the facts, ma'am"..."

Too late for that: folks get their facts from the internet.
Newspapers are left with the classified ad revenue, and when Google gets their classifieds up and running, second-rate outfits like Knight-Ridder are toast.

[george76]

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Dear LMSM, please keep on keeping on with plan to modernize and improve your buggy whip and mule harness industry to prove it is not outdated.