Some of you reading this will automatically think, "Oh, he's an editorial guy, of course he thinks that you need more editorial than ads...", but really, I'll prove to you that more editorial will actually save newspapers rather than kill them.
What Readers Want
I almost choked on my lunch when my publisher and I had the discussion about editorial and advertising and he had the nerve to tell me that readers actually WANT to see the advertising on the page, because it's a change of pace. I may have snorted, realized my salad was going down the wrong hole and then just smiled and nodded, making sure not to die with a piece of lettuce lodged in my throat - but I digress.
Preface: I get that we need strong advertising support to do a few things:
1. Pay the bills - and ultimately pay for the pages we print
2. Provide variety and a change of pace
3. Add extra value for readers
But is it what they really want to see? Let's approach it this way:
* Why do we have PVR (and VCRs of the past)? To record our shows, and? That's right - to fast forward past the commercials.
* What do we do when we're listening to the radio and our station goes through its three or four minute run of 'paying the bills'? Thank God for auto-presets on the radio dial, because we often change the station to avoid the commercials.
* What's the advantage of listening to music on an iPod? No commercials between songs.
* Why has satellite radio taken off? Fewer commercials!
I think you get the point. While advertising has its place as a fundraising tool, and as a medium for companies to get their message out to the public, it should not be the primary reason for printing a newspaper - or for that matter running a television or radio station.
NOTE: One of the competitor papers in our city has substantially diminishing revenues because the biggest knock on it that it has become an 'advertising rag' with little content to appeal to readers.
Perfect seg into the next section.
What Advertisers Want
I could really sum this up in one word: EYES.
But, I'll expand slightly - though, I don't think it needs much explanation.
Advertisers make their 'buy' with the express intent that they are reaching the most number of readers - often within their target demographic. Some advertisers don't care as much about demographic as they care about sheer numbers. EYES, EYES, EYES.
The more people who read the newspaper or watch the television program the BETTER the advertiser response. The laws guiding response advertising act in correspondence with the volume of people who actually see the ad. So numbers are everything.
That's it.
What Newspapers Want
Profit. But, that's not a bad thing. I'm as capitalist as many - and certainly don't believe in state-owned media (yeesh, conjures up bad images of TASS).
The funny thing is, newspapers want to have their cake and eat it, too. They want profit. How do they get profit? Advertisers. What do advertisers want? EYES? What do readers want? LESS ADVERTISING? But, what's a newspapers solution for profit? Cut pages and make them tighter - so each page more than pays for itself.
What does that do?
It alienates readers, because they are bombarded with MORE ads and LESS of the editorial package they enjoy readers. The result is double-pronged. First - fewer readers. When you have fewers readers - You end up with less advertising. Therefore, newspapers are forced to make more cuts - at the expense of editorial.
The Problem
Readership has been sacrificed by those in control of newspapers, at the expense of editorial, in order to make profits. Advertisers have been given ultimate control of a newspaper's size and in some cases content - because it's about appeasing those who give you money.
But, in the end, if money isn't being made, those who create the package that attract the EYES always seem to get the cut.
I'm not for a moment suggesting all half-baked, sit-on-their-ass journalists deserve a job (in fact, MOST newspapers are bloated with staff who aren't worth the newsprint they write on) - but I am suggesting that the last place you want to cut is editorial space.
YES, editorial can do with fewer journalists on staff and they can work harder. We can knock most of them off their prima-donna ivory towers and back to the reality of working a long hard day to get a story.
But - don't sacrifice the space. The space - complete with compelling copy, fantastic layout and images that draw the reader in - needs to be preserved. Trust me - it's for the sake of advertisers and for the sake of the readers.
By increasing the amount of editorial space you provide, you will be paid back 10-fold in reader loyalty. And we've already established what that means for advertising revenue.
The Solution
I believe it's simple. Be judicious about it - but more space needs to be opened up to aid in the creation of a more dynamic product that draws readers.
The collars of our publishers are getting tighter and sweat is starting to bead on their respective brows. And they hack up the question: "But what about the bottom line?"
The answer seems to make sense to a non-business person like me. Charge more for the valuable EYES you are attracting to the newspaper. There is a reason why National Geographic can charge low to mid 5-figures for a full-page advertisement. They are seen by millions.
Be seen by hundreds of thousands in your respective market and advertisers will want to be a part of your newspaper. Increase the line rate a little more so you can make up for the extra pages that you are opening up for editorial.
I know it seems like a stretch - but the model that's being used right now isn't working. Newspapers are being threatened with extinction (and it's not because of the Internet - though if you read my previous blogs, you'll read my thoughts on that).
We aren't creating an attractive reader package. So why would anyone pick it up? If no one is picking it up, then you have no advertisers. If you have no advertisers, than you certainly can't be making a profit.
And, if you aren't making a profit, why are you in business?
FdS
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