Oct 27, 2008
Newspaper circulation: Now can we call this a crisis?
This is not exactly a surprise, but it’s disappointing nonetheless.
Circulation is down, again, across the board at U.S. newspapers. According to the latest figures released this morning from the Audit Bureau of Circulation, overall daily circulation for the period ending September, 2008 was down 4.6%, and Sunday was down 4.8%
And these numbers were compiled before the financial panic of 2008. That will be taken into account in the numbers reported in March, 2009.
It’s time for creativity. Which major metro will transition to free distribution first? Who will convert to all-electronic? In any other business, this steady drumbeat of decline every six months would surely lead to a change in the gameplan that did more than redesign the packaging. Hint: A crisis gives you the cover to make bold moves, and this certainly qualifies as a crisis.
Notes from a Teacher - Monday squibs (illness edition)
Oct 27, 2008 @ 18:31:04
[...] Most Major Papers Continue Circ Decline. The latest reports are no better than previous reports. Editor & Publisher’s Jennifer Saba writes, “For those holding out for some improvement in print circulation, this morning brings disappointment.” I don’t know any serious observer of the newspaper scene who was expecting circulation to start stabilizing. The trends are against it. Related: Tim Windsor’s Newspaper circulation: Now can we call this a crisis? [...]
Oct 28, 2008 @ 11:47:32
Seems to me we're still going down a backwards path on those questions. The Bluffton, S.C., paper just went from being free to costing a quarter, and the Times and plenty of other papers have recently raised prices to generate more revenue, despite knowing they'd lose customers. Don't we want more customers/readers and for that to continue to grow?
Monday squibs (illness edition)
Oct 28, 2008 @ 17:52:04
[...] . The latest reports are no better than previous reports. Editor & Publisher’s Jennifer Saba writes, “For those holding out for some improvement in print circulation, this morning brings disappointment.” I don’t know any serious observer of the newspaper scene who was expecting circulation to start stabilizing. The trends are against it. Related: Tim Windsor’s Newspaper circulation: Now can we call this a crisis? [...]
El diario Christian Science Monitor dejará de publicarse en papel « The Daily DG
Oct 28, 2008 @ 18:00:52
[...] leía este post del periodista Tim Windsor, su reacción ante una nueva (y prevista) caída de los diarios en el [...]
Nov 01, 2008 @ 12:46:08
The reporters I know are eager to use new technology, even when the means to do so is on their own dime and time — like buying an iPhone, buying a digital camera, buying a videocam and setting up a personal blog. However, these reporters meet resistance and apathy among management. It goes like this:
Want to blog about your beat? Sorry, you need permission first. Permission? No, not at this time.
Want to shoot video and upload it? Sorry, you need to go to a class for two weeks on how to shoot video. What's that? You've got a flip video that practically shoots itself? Sorry, rules are rules. Want to sign up for those two weeks of training? Sorry, we can't spare you for two weeks because, as you know, you're now covering twice the beat you once did due to layoffs.
Want to have a meeting to discuss ways to make your reporting more interactive and relevant to readers? Put it in a memo and I'll get back to you. (Lather rinse repeat ad infinitum.)
Get the picture? What's going on? It seems management is determined to shove everyone into cattle car. But why?
Nov 01, 2008 @ 13:46:08
The reporters I know are eager to use new technology, even when the means to do so is on their own dime and time — like buying an iPhone, buying a digital camera, buying a videocam and setting up a personal blog. However, these reporters meet resistance and apathy among management. It goes like this:
Want to blog about your beat? Sorry, you need permission first. Permission? No, not at this time.
Want to shoot video and upload it? Sorry, you need to go to a class for two weeks on how to shoot video. What's that? You've got a flip video that practically shoots itself? Sorry, rules are rules. Want to sign up for those two weeks of training? Sorry, we can't spare you for two weeks because, as you know, you're now covering twice the beat you once did due to layoffs.
Want to have a meeting to discuss ways to make your reporting more interactive and relevant to readers? Put it in a memo and I'll get back to you. (Lather rinse repeat ad infinitum.)
Get the picture? What's going on? It seems management is determined to shove everyone into cattle car. But why?
Nov 01, 2008 @ 18:46:08
The reporters I know are eager to use new technology, even when the means to do so is on their own dime and time — like buying an iPhone, buying a digital camera, buying a videocam and setting up a personal blog. However, these reporters meet resistance and apathy among management. It goes like this:
Want to blog about your beat? Sorry, you need permission first. Permission? No, not at this time.
Want to shoot video and upload it? Sorry, you need to go to a class for two weeks on how to shoot video. What's that? You've got a flip video that practically shoots itself? Sorry, rules are rules. Want to sign up for those two weeks of training? Sorry, we can't spare you for two weeks because, as you know, you're now covering twice the beat you once did due to layoffs.
Want to have a meeting to discuss ways to make your reporting more interactive and relevant to readers? Put it in a memo and I'll get back to you. (Lather rinse repeat ad infinitum.)
Get the picture? What's going on? It seems management is determined to shove everyone into cattle car. But why?