[Milhous]

Paper And Ink Companies Screwed Again -- By Paper

Peter Kafka | November 26, 2007 7:40 AM

Magazine publishers can't blame the Internet for their latest problem: The price of paper, which accounts for 15% to 20% of their costs, is expected to spike by 20% to 25% next year, says AdAge.

Paper costs tend to be cyclical, but AdAge says the coming increase is different. It theorizes that this one is due to "structural changes, including mergers and a growing role for aggressive private equity." Some publishers may try to raise subscription and cover prices, and if that doesn't work...

The other obvious recourse, trying to pass costs along to advertisers, just won't work well enough for everyone, said Malcolm Campbell, publisher of Spin. "It's going to put some people out of business," he said.

And he didn't just mean the indies. "Don't kid yourself," he said. "There are a lot of large-publishing-company old titles that are very marginal anyway. You're going to see a lot of icons going down if paper prices go up that much." AdAge

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I am becoming increasingly convinced that the wealthy, powerful, and somewhat archaic media conglomerates that have controlled the messaging to America for so long are beginning to crumble. As they begin to deteriorate under the weight of a more democratic media system, opportunities to infiltrate the pervasive and corrupt lies and spread truth in love are becoming abundant. As America continues to grow fatigued and sluggish from decades of the mainstream media's preaching of godlessness, bright lights are beginning to shine in the most unlikely media places. And like any small light in a pitch black room, the effect will be unmistakable. - Brian Fisher, Coral Ridge Ministries

[Milhous]

ping

[DManA]

If you’ve been following advances in electronic media you would not be investing in paper companies.

[Grampa Dave]

Either this writer is lying or spinning or the reports below re the decreases in newsprint prices are wrong:

http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/columns/forestwebs_archive.jsp

[Califelephant]

But the seemingly mundane budget line for glossy paper...

It's possible that gloss (magazine) paper costs are going up while newsprint (newspaper) costs are going down.

[okie01]

The price of paper, which accounts for 15% to 20% of their costs, is expected to spike by 20% to 25% next year.

It ain't gonna get them to support drilling ANWAR.

But we may have heard the last on "the plight of the spotted owl" and "the sanctity of old growth forests".

[CIB-173RDABN]

I am willing to bet that if asked, most everyone that post on this forum could provide suggestions that would save the print media. I will go first.

1. Don’t piss off half your potential market by taking sides. Report the news fairly, honestly. You will be surprised how many would be interested in subscribing.

2. Hard copies of your product are going away. There may be a need for some, then make them pay extra. Put your content on line.

3. Want to charge for on line content, provide those extras that a user would not get anywhere else. Such as the ability to search your entire archive of contents going back to the first issue.

4. Allow forums such as FreeRepublic to pull articles out for discussions. This will generate traffic as people go to your site to read the article and then perhaps stay for something else.

5. Report the news, not opinions (I know I have listed this one already but it should be repeated since this more then anything else that is killing the print news media.)

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Isn’t paper made of carbon? Let’s make them buy carbon credits, too!

[samadams2000]

But as a timber property owner, this is great news!!! Behind the woodshed you traitors!!!! Ye-haw!!!