fltsfshr

I was invited to participate in a workshop yesterday along with 11 other people by the local daily newspaper. They're a subsidiary of Scripps. They're trying to reformulate their business plan and redetermine their position in the community.

Their paper has shrunk in size, paper quality print register and staff. Their ad revenues are sinking. They are trying to establish like most newspapers an online subscription presence and co-ordinate the two.

I've been invited to a second workshop in a couple weeks. I'm sitting in there with the perfect opportunity to trash my morning liberal rag but instead I find myself kind of interested in their plight.

Any reader thoughts you have regarding your daily snooze would be appreciated. What aren't they doing? What are they doing you don't like?

fltsfshr

MsPerky

All print papers are in big trouble. Lots of chats about the Washington Post, and other well known papers have gone bust. Sad, really. Online news has taken over. The WaPo is trying to merge it's print and online versions - it's difficult since the two are completely different animals. Also, charging for online content is a big issue these days - as in how to do it when so many expect it for free. Many, many long-time columnists/writers/editors have taken buyouts.

tonybell_57

Sorry, I'm part of the problem. I stopped reading newspapers alltogether when I discoverd this funky fresh new thang called the interwebnets

dlq04

We canceled our local paper a couple months back. Strange as it seems, it is all on the Net for free - and I'm talking local news, not national. I honestly, do not know why they would put everything on their web site but they do. One has to dig more as it's subject listed but still ....

Frankly, I think papers and magazines are pretty much dead unless they are very nich directed. What the nich should be . . . that is the million $ question.

Lainey

I still subscribe to our local paper. I still live in the area I grew up in so local news is still something I'm interested in, I still might know someone in the obituaries.

The paper used to be an evening paper. Now it's a morning paper so the national news is all old news.

They do have a website, and most content was free. As of mid-January, they will be charging a subscription fee. Like most publications, subscriptions are down, and they need revenue.

fltsfshr

That was one of the things the editor pointed out Lainey. In local news, the two most read areas are the Obituaries and the Classifieds.

I don't know if that's a "vintage effect" of old schoolers just hanging. I also found it interesting that a large block of people prefer their stock quotes in print.

fltsfshr

plantpixie

I have been getting the Wash Post for about twenty years. I really like the solitude of reading it in a comfortable, quiet, relaxed setting. I discontinued it when we traveled to Italy ... once back, they offered me a deal that I couldn't refuse plus a $15 gift card. So I am back to daily plus weekends. I will cancel again after this six month period is up. Maybe my yard will be more important than the paper this summer. An early morning gardening secession is invaluable in the heat of the season.

Lainey

I have to tell you, I didn't know any of those departed people listed in the obituaries, but there were some young ones today. Way too close to my age, which is young, compared to say, Jerry.

Legal Bill

Flts, suggest they feature a daily "hot body" pictoral spread. Flesh always sells.

fltsfshr

Here's a tidbit. In their online edition, they publish the daily county arrest records complete with mugshots. It's the most clicked thing on their website. We never get any hotbodies but everybody picks out the hot mug shots.

Hot Gator Poacher

fltsfshr