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Billy Dennis, the Peoria Pundit ran this headline today:

Itâ€™s official: Newspapers are doomed

Dennis was referring to this story about New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger and his vision for the future.

Sulzberger says the New York Times is on a journey that will conclude the day the company decides to stop printing the paper. That will mark the end of the transition. It’s a long journey, and there will be bumps on the road, says the man at the driving wheel, but he doesn’t see a black void ahead.

Asked if local papers have a future, Sulzberger points out that the New York Times is not a local paper, but rather a national one based in New York that enjoys more readers from outside, than within, the city. […]

Media groups can develop their online advertising business, he explains. Also, because Internet advertising doesn’t involve paper, ink and distribution, companies can earn the same amount of money even if it receives less advertising revenue.

Really? What about the costs of development and computerization?

“These costs aren’t anywhere near what print costs,” Sulzberger says. “The last time we made a major investment in print, it cost no less than $1 billion. Site development costs don’t grow to that magnitude.”

It’s not that newspapers are doomed, but news print may be doomed. I don’t remember the last time I bought a news print version of a newspaper.

To the QUESTION: Would you like to see newspapers shut down their print versions? And, do you think it will eventually happen regardless of what you want?

Bonus question: How often do you buy a hard copy version of a newspaper?

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 9:57 am

Comments

I buy a copy of the Wall Street Journal everytime I fly. I just flew in January… before that I hadn’t flown since February 2001….

Comment by Lovie's Leather Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 10:19 am
“Would you like to see newspapers shut down their print versions? And, do you think it will eventually happen regardless of what you want?”

I wouldn’t like to see it. There would be no benefit in doing that. What they should consider doing instead is making it easy to print their websites for those who want paper. Instead of having two newspaper designs - one paper the other net, they should have one - net, which would be printable and useful as a printed newspaper. They would be able to save money doing that and keep the print versions around too.

What Sulzberger seems to be saying in my opinion, is that he sees the NYT as another USA Today or Wall Street Journal. Sure, it that keeps his family wealthy - why not? It could be done. But for him to claim that the NYT is not a local paper is rather insulting and he doesn’t even see it as an insult. That selective blindness is going to bite him in the butt.

What print newspapers need to do is provide news that is not available but extremely useful. That means LOCAL news. The strengths in local papers is an interest people have in their neighbors. We want to know who is getting picked up for DUI. We want to know who died. We want to know who is selling what, where, and when. We like to read about people we know, or would like to know. A paper will be able to survive by going SMALL and LOCAL.

Right now, the opposite is happening, isn’t it? You have chains that regurgitate AP stories and use a template to report the same crap in different little towns and cities. There is no value in that anymore. I want the Springfield Journal Register, the Peoria Star, the Chicago Sun-Times, Tribune and the rest of these papers reporting on LOCAL news.

Perhaps it isn’t glamorous for those who enter journalism to chase ambulances and hearsts, but it beats not working at all. And after all, that is where journalism started - on the streets.

I have not bought a paper in over a month, then it was for coupons, obits, local news and for my MOTHER. I took a look at the paper and it was full of old stories I read days ago. Old AP and UPI stuff. Useless. But I found great want ads and great garage sale information!

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 10:23 am
I read whatever paper they shove under the door at the motel.

Comment by Mr. Ethics Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 10:45 am
I last purchased handcopy in 1995. When I want the news, NEWs is important. (I do pay for an online subscription to two papers.)

I subscribe to many magazines to read analysis and fluff.

There is a role for hardcopy dailies in the future but they will be much smaller and deal with very local stories (and a lot of sports).

Comment by RBD Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 11:03 am
For the past 8 months, Mr./Mrs. Little Egypt have been taking the SJ-R on line only. I don’t miss throwing papers in the recycle bin. And I don’t miss the overabundance of ads. However, I’ve come to the conclusion that we are biting off our nose to spite our face. What we don’t get are flyers with discount coupons that we would use. Of course, this is mixed in with all the other crap but we have come to the conclusion that until the SJ-R begins printing a COMPLETE version on line of their daily hard copy AND coming up with a way to make supplements available on line, we will soon go back to the hard version of the paper. We usually do buy the Sunday version. What we have found out though is that the on line version of the SJ-R is not an identical version of the hard copy. The local stuff like People in the News, Student of the Week, Personnel File, etc. are not on line. We do, however, love the opportunity to blog on different articles. With a hard copy subscription, you also get the free on line version and still blog. Goes to prove you CAN have your cake and eat it too.

Comment by Little Egypt Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 11:07 am
I subscribe to my local paper. I read the headlines online at work and then read the rest when I get home. I also like getting the ads on wednesdays and sundays.

I agree with VM that papers should focus on local stories instead of just being a mouthpiece for the AP. I can get plenty of news today about Anna Nicole Smith on the internet, I don’t need the newspaper wasting inches on the story.

Here’s my conflict though. We still have a lot of people that don’t sit on the internet all day like we do. My mom doesn’t know how to work a computer. Seeing the AP story about A.N.S. might actually be good to her because she hasn’t seen articles plasterd all over the web like we have.

As society gets more technilogically proficient it will become a lot grayer area, but I personally feel we are nowhere near being able to rely solely on the internet.

I also disagree with RBD about the sports. That is the quickest section for me because all my sports section is is a bunch of AP stories I have read on the web. My experience from my local paper has seen less local coverage and more AP stories filling pages.

Comment by Robbie Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 11:11 am
I’d rather have a newspaper to read perhaps instead of having to get everything online.

Comment by Levois Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 11:31 am
I but the New York Times every morning…I love having a print copy on my all day, staring glances at it whenever a free moment opens up.

Comment by Will Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 11:36 am
I start every morning with coffee and the Chicago Tribune. Lounging in bed with my wife, coffee, and the paper? It is just about the best way to start a day that I can imagine.

I also read the on-line versions of the NY Times and Washington Post (headlines available by e-mail free from their websites) but it isn’t the same. You can’t sit in bed with a laptop like you can with the physical paper.

Comment by Skeeter Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 11:40 am
Only buy the Sunday Sun-Times (read it daily on line) and have the NY Times and Trib delivered. Last Saturday’s NYT business section had the following bit of interesting information: “newsprint consumption in the United States has fallen 26% since 1999 because of declining circulation and publishers’ attempts to lower costs with narrower newspapers.” Be happy you’re not a print journalist …

Comment by jaundiced eye Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 11:48 am
Fifteen years ago I subscribed to three daily newspapers at once, leading to a massive recycle stack. Other than a brief period two years ago when my wife wanted the paper to play sudoku, we haven’t had a daily paper this century. Now I read newspapers exclusively online and have far more storage space. That said, I would hope print editions stay around for those readers who (and they do exist) do not have regular access to a computer. Or like playing sudoku and the celebrity jumble.

My bigger worry with newspapers and broadcast media is the consolidation of many outlets by a few owners. I hope the Tribune Company chooses not to sell to Murdoch for that reason.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 12:19 pm
I think the real savings are in personnel: printers & assistants, laborers, distribution personnel, etc. Following the trend, more Americans out of work. Damn this glorified barter economy we live in1

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 12:20 pm
I buy my local paper weekly.

On a daily basis with one click, IE7 opens, Capital FAx Blog, The NY Times, the Washington Post, the Sun Times, the Tribune, The Post Dispatch, the Los Angels Times, as well as the SJR and the PJStar web sites. I haven’t bought any of those papers in over a decade.

Comment by The Horse Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 12:27 pm
PS: I do subscribe to the wall street journal

Comment by The Horse Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 12:28 pm
I would hate to give up my hard copy of the two daily papers I read as I commute. They weigh far less than the laptop I don’t own would, and are easily shared. I, like Little Egypt, like having both. I can access the headlines when I’m traveling, but I get all the “small town” stuff when I’m home. And let’s not forget that there is still a good sized segment of the population that doesn’t have computers and/or internet access.

Comment by gotta be anonymous Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 12:29 pm
I get the weekend only of the Pantagraph and a weekly local paper. I like receiving it in those intervals for the weekly ads and read daily stuff online.

Comment by 105th Blues Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 1:44 pm
Out in the sticks, I get home delivery of the Chicago Tribune for the comics and the crossword puzzle. I buy the SUn Times for Chicago news & a chuckle. I read the State Journal Register, Peoria Journal Star. NY Times and the Bloomington Pantagraph on line.

I am not sure that the print newspaper will ever fully disappear. People have a need the tactile feeling of a piece of paper in their hands.

There has been research that says that people learn much better with the piece of paper in hand rather than off a computer screen.

Personally, I like the newsprint on my hands.

Comment by Huh? Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 2:19 pm
I buy the hard copy of the Tribune (home delivery) for the Metro section. I also buy the local paper. All the national and international news I read online.

Comment by Way Northsider Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 2:23 pm
For bare-bones, real *news,* online is at least as good, and you don’t miss anything. By this I mean the big stories, the things that make A1 and the section fronts.

What I feel like I’m missing by not taking a print edition are the little extras you never notice unless you happen across them in print. Like the wonderful travel section feature on some obscure island you’ve always been curious about, or a great feature on the best ice cream stand in the city.

You never just happen to stumble across those articles online, and somehow, they don’t work as well.

Having said all that, how often do I really actually read those pieces? Maybe twice a month I really sit down and read a newspaper article for pleasure… Whatever it is, it’s not enough to justify the subscription.

I hate to say it, but the online method of news delivery fits just fine into my pragmatic media consumption world…

Comment by extras, but do I really use the extras? Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 3:13 pm
Get the local rag everyday to make sure my kid’s friends are not in the crime column. Sunday Trib and SJR are the only other hard copies. I find reading stuff on the computer a bore and I tend to wander off on some topic of interest. Rich’s right hand column here do not help. Have developed a mild, hard copy Sudoko habit. I simply like the texture of a paper. Paperless news is like the paperless office. Haven’t seen one yet.

Comment by zatoichi Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 3:22 pm
Reading the paper over a cup of coffee and perhaps a smoke is a way of life all over the world. People on mass transportation find it an excellent way to catch up while traveling back and forth to work. Little by little newspapers will scale back, and consolidate, but I donâ€™t expect them to disappear until about the same time as real currency is no longer used. Change is difficult for us creatures of habit. Our paper is delivered every day and we so look forward to finding it in the bushes, stuck in the trellis, or on the roof. We occasionally are surprised and find it by the front door, usually around gift giving season. What would we do without the intrigue?

Comment by Justice Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 5:05 pm
Still get a paper at home everyday and WSJ about three times a week — that is a great looking paper.
But the industry in paper form is fading away.
People will get used to paying for on-line

Comment by Reddbyrd Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 5:29 pm
I must be part of a dying breed. I subscribe to a local paper and buy the Chicago Tribune every day. I do not have access to on-line info at work all day. I cannot sit at lunch and read things on-line, but I can read the newspaper and do so. Nothing will ever replace hard copy papers or books. They can go everywhere with you. Plus, on-line you may see headlines, but little else. Not to mention the headaches from staring at a computer.

Comment by anon Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 5:56 pm
There is just something about putting on the coffee, making a piece of toast and getting the paper from the porch to wander through as you have breakfast. We have the SJ-Rag delivered daily and the Trib also on the weekends. I love the Sunday editions, a thick pile of news just like an onion, waiting to be peeled.

I do read other papers online at home and at work but it’s very hard on the eyes when you work on the computer all day also.

Of course, as a printer’s offspring, I’m all for the smell of printer’s ink.

Comment by Disgusted Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 8:48 pm
Crap, I forgot. We get the Stark County News. So I guess I get a paper every week.

Comment by Lovie's Leather Friday, Feb 9, 07 @ 9:53 pm