Blogging Killed the Newspaper Store
OK, that was a terrible attempt at a “punny” title (get it?), but there’s been so much talk lately about whether or not the newsprint industry will be able to survive the next 5-10 years. The Internet coupled with a changing user base, plus a dated business model, may just be enough to overthrow the reign of the well-loved newspaper. But what will come next? And will newspapers become a second-thought novelty item or remain strong as an “intellectualy” alternative to the racy, incredulous “blogosphere” content?
First of all, it’s pretty well understood that the business model is highly flawed. People aren’t willing to pay for the “convenience” of having a paper delivered to their front door anymore, because it’s now more convenient to stay in their pajamas and read the same news headlines on their computer. RSS syndicates of their chosen news source show up at the click of a button whenever there’s an update, and further opinions and expansions can be found as primary, secondary, or bullshit sources via personal blogs.
Overhead for printers cannot currently keep up with the shrinking amount of money rolling in for subscriptions, and payroll for specialized reporters and photojournalists is escalating. Market equilibrium has been reached a number of years ago, and now the supply and demand curves are showing that if newspapers are to succeed, competition must be eliminated.
But is there something else?
What about the fact that newspapers haven’t ever tried to reach people on their own terms? Churches, private institutions, and other organizations that are often associated with the “elitist” mentality are guilty of this as well. The large papers have always been able to run what stories they (or Rupert Murdoch) want, and have not had to suffer the consequences when people turned up their noses at the medium through which it was delivered. If you wanted the news, you could 1. turn on the TV and wait for a story that interestes you, or 2. read the paper.
The publishing industry is also suffering from a similar crisis (revelation?), though not as pandemic. Would-be authors are showing up in hoards to online publishing houses where their crappy poetry can turn them into the next “author unknown.” Likewise, would-be journalists are creating free “newspapers” at places like WordPress.com, Blogger.com, and TypePad, where their egocentric need for outside acknowledgement of their existence can be satisfied.
I believe for every blog that’s read, hundreds of millions more sink into oblivion.
Why is this fact key to the problem at hand?
Newspapers exist(ed) because people needed to read.
Blogs exist because people need to write.
The status quo hasn’t just shifted, it’s turned itself completely upside down.
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