Alan Mutter is all about journalism, and I’m glad the self proclaimed Newsosaur [perhaps others called him that before he did, I don't know, I should ask him] is posting some information about the industry he knows well. He’s a former CEO of start-ups, an educator in Journalism currently, and based on what I’ve read, a level headed person.
So, I read the Reflections of a Newsosaur with interest because I have commented here about the idea that a pay wall will increase revenue for newspapers. Frankly, I don’t see that happening. Mr. Mutter wrote the most interesting statistic and I think he was just as fascinated: Publishers believe if they capture revenue using a pay wall, they’ll be able to preserve print media. And it simply won’t work. The internet is moving too fast, and print media will become a niche market. It may take several years longer now due to the economic turn, but with the cost of digital readers coming down, users who see the benefit of the digital press will force the hand of print media. Music, Movies, Television in general, and a whole host of other services and products are seeing the benefit of the Internet and technology. Print media is slow, expensive, and massive in size. Another stat that is mentioned is that 50% believe it won’t work, and in another question, 50% of internet poll respondents said they would find it hard to find a replacement. 50%? I can’t believe that internet savvy people think it is difficult to find a replacement for news.
I fear it is too late for print, even if I do like reading a good paperback, and my wife reads a book every week or so. Since libraries exist, it has saved the family hundreds if not thousands of dollars. The Kindle is a great platform, but falls short of what I think is a smart device, well rounded device.