Comments on: My Ideal News, uh, Thingy http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/ A Good Christian Raisin' and a Eighth Grade Education Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:24:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Dave http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/comment-page-1/#comment-1709 Dave Fri, 11 Jan 2008 04:13:36 +0000 http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/08/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/#comment-1709 Don't forget delivery! Don’t forget delivery!

]]> By: Jack’s Newswatch http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/comment-page-1/#comment-1708 Jack’s Newswatch Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:49:43 +0000 http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/08/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/#comment-1708 [...] I’m not affiliated with and don’t have any knowledge of the newspaper business.  You could make the case that this doesn’t make my opinion worth much, but if you consider the performance over the last few years of people who do know the business, maybe doing something different warrants some consideration. [...] [...] I’m not affiliated with and don’t have any knowledge of the newspaper business.  You could make the case that this doesn’t make my opinion worth much, but if you consider the performance over the last few years of people who do know the business, maybe doing something different warrants some consideration. [...]

]]> By: sadcox http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/comment-page-1/#comment-1707 sadcox Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:37:33 +0000 http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/08/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/#comment-1707 Wow! Thanks for all of the links and comments guys! Larry J, you're dead on. Just like the music industry guys need to stop thinking about CD sales and start thinking about how they can monetize entertainment. Jim, I really like your idea of paying a single fee and getting several paper-sites ad free. The key to that, I think, is retaining the EXCELLENT writing. Clancy, so you're saying they have a "tremendous opportunity" to exceed your expectations, right? :) Wow! Thanks for all of the links and comments guys!

Larry J, you’re dead on. Just like the music industry guys need to stop thinking about CD sales and start thinking about how they can monetize entertainment.

Jim, I really like your idea of paying a single fee and getting several paper-sites ad free. The key to that, I think, is retaining the EXCELLENT writing.

Clancy, so you’re saying they have a “tremendous opportunity” to exceed your expectations, right? :)

]]> By: Clancy http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/comment-page-1/#comment-1705 Clancy Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:06:58 +0000 http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/08/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/#comment-1705 "Excellent writing Not just good writing. For now, newspapers have a large market share of excellent writers." Heh. You obviously haven't read my local rag: http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage Their staff writers represent the antithesis of excellent writing… “Excellent writing
Not just good writing. For now, newspapers have a large market share of excellent writers.”

Heh. You obviously haven’t read my local rag:
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage
Their staff writers represent the antithesis of excellent writing…

]]> By: Jim http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/comment-page-1/#comment-1703 Jim Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:23:22 +0000 http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/08/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/#comment-1703 Most people don't have the patience to wait to read about something in the newspaper hours after they first heard about the event. Further, more and more of the population owns and are comfortable with computers and portable devices, and can stay in touch as events unfolds. Newspapers are going to have to evolve toward electronic venues and websites, and provide more bang for the buck. For those of us comfortable with online news, and who hate ads, spyware, cookies and pop-ups, it seems the best way to make money online might be to form fee-based consortiums of news outlets, say $10.00 per month for all of the news in 100+ papers (NYT, WaPo, AJC, Boston Hearld, Ch. Tribune, etc. down to regional markets such as Knoxville, Seattle, Denver and so forth). One log-in, one password, and the reader is in - no ads, no pop-ups, full archives, video / YouTube feeds, audio, podcasts, full transcripts of speechs, and more. Don't give it away. Other than that, I agrre. Most people don’t have the patience to wait to read about something in the newspaper hours after they first heard about the event. Further, more and more of the population owns and are comfortable with computers and portable devices, and can stay in touch as events unfolds. Newspapers are going to have to evolve toward electronic venues and websites, and provide more bang for the buck. For those of us comfortable with online news, and who hate ads, spyware, cookies and pop-ups, it seems the best way to make money online might be to form fee-based consortiums of news outlets, say $10.00 per month for all of the news in 100+ papers (NYT, WaPo, AJC, Boston Hearld, Ch. Tribune, etc. down to regional markets such as Knoxville, Seattle, Denver and so forth). One log-in, one password, and the reader is in – no ads, no pop-ups, full archives, video / YouTube feeds, audio, podcasts, full transcripts of speechs, and more. Don’t give it away.
Other than that, I agrre.

]]> By: On Bloggers and Newspapers. Someone who gets it. | http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/comment-page-1/#comment-1701 On Bloggers and Newspapers. Someone who gets it. | Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:58:03 +0000 http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/08/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/#comment-1701 [...] not really much more than folks with an opinion and enough time to build a following.  ItFrom.us gets it, and posts an excellent article about the things that newpapers can do that [...] [...] not really much more than folks with an opinion and enough time to build a following.  ItFrom.us gets it, and posts an excellent article about the things that newpapers can do that [...]

]]> By: Newspapers might ponder this « Blithe Spirit, the Blog http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/comment-page-1/#comment-1700 Newspapers might ponder this « Blithe Spirit, the Blog Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:41:10 +0000 http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/08/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/#comment-1700 [...] you want to know the three things, look here. Tags: [...] [...] you want to know the three things, look here. Tags: [...]

]]> By: Larry J http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/comment-page-1/#comment-1699 Larry J Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:14:30 +0000 http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/08/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/#comment-1699 <I>The way I see it, newspapers, for now, are positioned to provide three things that are at a high premium and that most blogs/bloggers can’t deliver. I think most would be wise to capitalize on these by <b>shifting the state of mind from being a newspaper to becoming a news organization/outlet/center</b></i> Years ago, I read an article about the importance of knowing what your business really is. The article talked about the "railroad men" and their failure to respond to changes in the marketplace. Had they realized that they were really in the transportation business (of which the railroads were only a part) instead of concentrating on being "railroad men", they probably would've been better able to respond to the changes. Your point - and it's the correct one - is that people working for newspapers shouldn't think of themselves as "newspaper men" (or women). Instead, they should concentrate on being information providers regardless of the media used to convey that information. If they can do that (and deliver quality products instead of the partisan bilge they so often peddle), then they'll be better positioned to respond to changes such as what Craig's List is doing to their classified advertising sales. The way I see it, newspapers, for now, are positioned to provide three things that are at a high premium and that most blogs/bloggers can’t deliver. I think most would be wise to capitalize on these by shifting the state of mind from being a newspaper to becoming a news organization/outlet/center

Years ago, I read an article about the importance of knowing what your business really is. The article talked about the “railroad men” and their failure to respond to changes in the marketplace. Had they realized that they were really in the transportation business (of which the railroads were only a part) instead of concentrating on being “railroad men”, they probably would’ve been better able to respond to the changes.

Your point – and it’s the correct one – is that people working for newspapers shouldn’t think of themselves as “newspaper men” (or women). Instead, they should concentrate on being information providers regardless of the media used to convey that information. If they can do that (and deliver quality products instead of the partisan bilge they so often peddle), then they’ll be better positioned to respond to changes such as what Craig’s List is doing to their classified advertising sales.

]]> By: fly at night » Blog Archive » Newspapers - You May Need To Change http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/comment-page-1/#comment-1698 fly at night » Blog Archive » Newspapers - You May Need To Change Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:00:59 +0000 http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/08/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/#comment-1698 [...] My Ideal News, uh, Thingy It is great to see some newspapers are catching on and are willing to try something new or go in a different direction. At the same time, it’s frustrating to see the industry as a whole belly aching about its problems. Face the facts–not only are the rules of the game changing rapidly, but the game itself is evolving. [...] [...] My Ideal News, uh, Thingy It is great to see some newspapers are catching on and are willing to try something new or go in a different direction. At the same time, it’s frustrating to see the industry as a whole belly aching about its problems. Face the facts–not only are the rules of the game changing rapidly, but the game itself is evolving. [...]

]]> By: Dave Mastio http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/comment-page-1/#comment-1687 Dave Mastio Wed, 09 Jan 2008 14:48:57 +0000 http://www.itfrom.us/2008/01/08/my-ideal-news-uh-thingy/#comment-1687 This is dead on: "Instead of viewing local bloggers as competitors and hacks, find a way to leverage them as a way to drive traffic. Become the place that the community uses to find local blogs." I quit my newspaper job and I am building a company around it at www.blognetnews.com . Jack Lail was the first daily newspaper guy to jump on what we offered with the Knoxville Blog Network. The folks behind NashvilleisTalking.com really deserve a lot of credit. They were the first to do it really well and they started years and years ago. An organization that can jump that far ahead of the pack is incredibly rare. This is dead on:

“Instead of viewing local bloggers as competitors and hacks, find a way to leverage them as a way to drive traffic. Become the place that the community uses to find local blogs.”

I quit my newspaper job and I am building a company around it at http://www.blognetnews.com . Jack Lail was the first daily newspaper guy to jump on what we offered with the Knoxville Blog Network.

The folks behind NashvilleisTalking.com really deserve a lot of credit. They were the first to do it really well and they started years and years ago. An organization that can jump that far ahead of the pack is incredibly rare.

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