Newspapers Compulsory Video Viewing

Class Notes – Newspapers

Compulsory video viewing:

Top of Form

Top of Form

Roy Greenslade: can journalism survive the death of newspapers

17:54 / 1:22:10

Roy Greenslade: can journalism survive the death of newspapers

Facts

• In the USA on average 10 newspapers are closing every year
• Main reason is the decline in ad revenue through print and the digital versions have not caught up as well as was expected
• Newspapers are cutting down staff

Things Newspapers tried to survive

• Many went digital
• Set Paywalls
• Digital ads- don’t pay much. Even lesser with ad blocks

Pakistan

• The censorship era till the early 2000s
• Most newspapers income was tied with ad revenue from the government which affected their editorial policies
• Print readership in Pakistan has always been low due to illiteracy
• Took a further hit when broadcast media became the main source of news for the masses with the advent of private news channels in 2000’s
• Though brute force is not exercised regularly, the state and the establishment have found a new way to control the Press. By targeting their business.  Example, Cable operators asked to stop airing GEO when they mentioned the involvement of a branch of military in Hamid Mir’s attempted assassination.
• The digital ad spend of Pakistan is expected to grow by at least 40% in 2018 from the current $20 million. As per market estimates, it can reach to 30% of the total ad market by 2020, up from the current 15%,
• Most print owners have gone into broadcast, helps cut costs

Conclusion

Is Journalism in danger?

• Newspapers are in trouble journalism is not.
• Newspapers need to think beyond subscription and ad revenue business models. They have to find other ways of making money
• Reposition their brand identity. They are content creators not papers.

Models that seem to be working

• The Indian Case study - Local languages, localized news coverage

• The Texas Tribune : A case study : events, data and news 
• Front- Page Exchange: Pools of newspapers exchange their content rather than spending money on sending their staff to cover the news or buying it from associated press
• Repackaging the newspaper: Can design save the newspaper?
• Newspapers are not papers but content creators. The sooner they embrace it the better. Example Vox . They have to stop thinking of themselves as “paper”, as in newspaper. They have to start thinking of themselves as digital content creators.
• Printing kiosks rather than printing presses. on  demand print newspaper
• Read : 18 ways to save the newspaper industry