5 reasons why newspapers WILL survive

Talk of the death of newspapers today, in my mind, is very much akin to doing the post-mortem on a patient that is still alive and kicking. Ouch!

I've read a lot of interesting material lately that would suggest that, yes, newspapers even today will be very different two, three or five years from now - but they would always be around.

I am a firm believer in this (I have to be - otherwise I could be out of a job!) - but not just because I am in newspapers and I have a vested interest in their survival. I think so because of a number of reasons - each of which demonstrates newspaper survivability.

1. Internet is a tool - not a medium

I love the Internet as much as the next person; I Facebook, I Twitter, I surf for vacation deals and yes, I even check the headlines on major newspapers around the Globe. What I NEVER do, is sit on the computer to read long copy of stories. I get headlines (Kind of goes against the idea of you reading this garble) and I get a quick hit, then I move on.

The second thing I NEVER do, is click on advertisements. Since the dawn of the Internet, I may have clicked on a handful of ads in that time - most of the time because the mouse click accidentally clicked on the ad when I wanted to go somewhere else. It's not really a viable advertising medium.

Advertisers can never guarantee an audience like they can with newspapers. Therefore it is a MEDIUM by which people gather information, and that by which people will see ads. You don't see people carrying their desktop or laptop around to show you an article at a dinner party, or to show you an advertisement for a new sale or a course they could take a the local college. It's easy to do that with a newspaper. And what do you get? More eyes on the paper (If you've read any of my past posts, I talk about eyes on the paper.)

The Internet is a tool - a powerful tool - that allows the quick access and dissemination of information. It's very nature doesn't really allow for long looks and careful thought - it's quick and easy information for people to get to. It's not a vehicle for nuanced articulation, either by word or by graphic (advertising).

2. Onerous costs of Internet, with little financial gain

Google is considering the possibility of unloading ultra-popular YouTube, simply because it costs far too much to run. There's a link to an interesting article below:

YouTube losing money article

OK, if today's Internet cult video icon is losing $400 million per year - when it gets hundreds of millions, if not BILLIONS of hits per year - what makes people think Internet is a viable option for newspapers?

Popular site Digg.com is also reported to have lost $4 million in 2008, on even with revenues of over $6 million.

The model doesn't work for advertising - and advertisers know it.

3. Advertisers still see newspapers as viable and cost-effective to get their message across to the masses

This flies in the face of the fact that newspaper revenues have dropped off considerably in recent years. Couple that with bloated newsrooms, marketing departments and administration - and "Houston, we have a problem."

Still, several sources have indicated newspapers will survive because they are still one of the most cost-effective methods to guarantee an audience. See the link below:

Newspapers death is exaggerated

4. Who says print newspaper is dying? People who rely on the Internet

I loved reading the article linked below:

The Fallacy that print is dead

After reading it, I realized that more often than not, it's those who utilize the Internet for pretty much everything from making their morning coffee to regulating their bathroom times, who diss the print news biz.

It's all over blog sites, social media - sure. But look at who is making the comments. I would say you could whittle it down to what amounts to a handful of vocal people who truly do believe that the Internet is THE way and THE ONLY way to do news in the future.

Still - in cities like Toronto - of the 5 or 7 million people who live in, or come in and out of the city daily - nearly 2 million of them read a newspaper on a daily basis. And Toronto is considered quite cosmopolitan.

Recent NADbank (Newspaper Audience Data) statistics in Canada show that less than 4 per cent of Canadians get their news solely from Internet sources. That means only 1.2 million people (of course not everyone has or uses the Internet, or has access to or is able to read a newspaper) out of the entire country rely solely on Internet for news.

Small number, if you are trying to reach a large audience with a message (advertisers, are you listening?)

5. Death or life - which do you choose?

I have the utmost faith that once the old guard is ushered out of the newspaper publishing business that new ideas and new blood will take hold and pioneer the delivery of print news in North America.

Media execs will soon realize that newspapers must be run vastly different if they are to survive and flourish well into the future. They must realize that the Internet is a tool to help further their print product - not a medium that should compete with it.

It can be done - and it will be done - if not for the reasons I have outlined above, then for the sheer purpose of saving an industry that still does the best job at delivering to people the information they need to know everyday.


FdS