“Is the newspaper industry doomed?”

Is the newspaper industry doomed? I get asked that question a lot and my answer is typically something like, “The print editions will eventually go away, increase in price or be free.” The sequence is more likely to be that the print editions will increase in price and then eventually go away. Online will be where the news is reported… but whether the newspapers can figure out how to turn a profit in that medium is still to be determined.

Newspapers seem to do so many things wrong. Not just wrong, really wrong. For example, I subscribe to several newspaper RSS feeds and not a single one of the pubs inserts ads into the feeds. As an advertiser, I cringe each day as I read the feeds knowing that thousands of others are doing the same, but arent seeing the ads that I run in the print and online edition. The newspapers I’m referencing don’t even track the number of individuals that subscribe to their RSS feeds. That is insane! Why would you not track something that could potentially add value?

Newspapers do tend to have an underutilized niche. They are typically staffed by extremely talented individuals that have spent years learning how to tell a great story. Maybe it’s time for newspapers to completely change their format. Is there seriously a need for national news in your local paper? If you think there is, please leave a comment as to why. I personally think it is a waste of space. By the time someone sees national news in the newspaper they’ve probably seen the story on TV several times and seen it online as well.

Online should be for news. Print should be for stories.