Newspaper: News on Paper

Newspaper: News on Paper

I have an idea on how I would run a major newspaper.

Earlier this year, McClatchy bought Knight Ridder in a move that rattled the newspaper industry. The acquisition was called upon as an anathema by many stock analysts who continued to depress the industry outlook by acknowledging a shrinking circulation, especially by readers under the age of 30. The bears besmirched the bulls by bickering that the up-and-comings are copasetic getting their news on the internet or their PDAs instead of print.

Maybe I’m different than most people but I need my news in print. I don’t like the computer screen as the primary medium for in-depth, lengthy news. This is because the following scenarios have become “news time”:

• Scenario #1: The morning bathroom.
• Scenario #2: The morning kitchen table.
• Scenario #3: The Metro, bus or airplane ride.

Also, I’ve started to become increasingly irritated with the current newspaper format. First, they’re less of newspapers and more of adpapers. Seriously, you’ve got a front section that is 75% ads. I don’t care about the ladies’ fall shoe liquidation sale at the outlet mall. I don’t care about the new line of patio furniture. I care about the news, which happens to be stuffed into the upper corner of A4 while ads cover the rest of the double-spread. Secondly, I hate the type of paper. The paper is this drab grey with ink flecks that looks like it was put through the washer before laid out on the press. Furthermore, what’s up with the bulk? An unfolded paper takes up the size of an adult torso.

Here’s my idea, which I’m culling from an experience I had during s stay last year at an overseas hotel. It’s called the New York Times Digest idea. When visiting the Caribbean I woke up the first morning of the trip and found a copy of the New York Times Digest deposited outside my room. This thing was slick. It was a stapled printout of fifteen 8.5”x11” pieces of paper carrying slenderized, columned versions of the full daily’s top stories. It even included the crossword puzzle on the last page. I don’t care where you are in the world, you cannot escape Will Shortz!

Anyway, this got me wondering why it couldn’t be done with subscribers back on the mainland? I would much rather receive a fax or email in the morning with this version attached because I’m someone that wants to conquer the entire news on paper in 20 minutes and not feel as though I missed anything important. As a subscriber, I wouldn’t mind printing it out from a home printer each morning. I would also feel comfortable knowing that an online version is available for deeper coverage.

From a news operator’s standpoint, this layout and delivery tactic would lessen the large daily costs of maintaining a massive print, delivery and ad insert infrastructure. I would still keep the Sunday edition in print. Maybe a couple other issues a week as well? Actually, I would let readers select their mix and tier pricing that favors receiving a digitally-delivered digest edition.

Thoughts?