Newspapers 5 Ways to Avoid Extinction

8/14/2019 Newspapers 5 Ways to Avoid Extinction

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Special Problems in Journalism

Convergence

E. Aguilar

Bicol University

College of Arts and Letters

Newspapers: 5 Ways to Avoid ExtinctionBy Woody Lewis

Woody Lewis is a Social Media Strategist and Web Architect. He authors a blog at

woodylewis.com about social media strategy for newspapers.

In a post titled “Newspapers and Thinking the Unthinkable,” Clay Shirky, who teaches

interactive telecommunications at New York University, makes what many would consider a

heretical statement: “Society doesn’t need newspapers. What we need is journalism.” It’s clearthe newspaper business will never be the same.

Here are five best practices publishers should consider to increase their odds of survival:

1. Embrace chaos

The first step in managing uncertainty is to admit its influence. In the context of business,

particularly in a mature industry, this means preparing for a wide range of outcomes, including

the very real possibility that revenue will shrink, not grow. Chaos can be traumatic for the

unimaginative, but abandoning the center of gravity can be a lifesaver. Believing in the sanctityof newspapers will not improve their chances. Random events, driven by technology and social

use patterns, will shape the future.

Shirky says “With the old economics destroyed, organizational forms perfected for industrial

production have to be replaced with structures optimized for digital data.” Newspapers will not

survive without adapting, a process that starts in the executive suite. Each publisher must find

an advocate, in-house or brought in from the outside, who has no investment in the status quo.

That person must be empowered to suggest and help implement radical change. This is no

longer about cute Web projects. Newspapers are in a Darwinian free-for-all, and only the fittest

will survive.

2. Devise a new strategy that emphasizes alliances and collaboration

The New York Times had to sell a stake to a Mexican billionaire, and it now rents an office

building it used to own. These are traditional partnerships that some would call shotgun

marriages, but the private sector might not be the best place to find an alliance. Foundations





At the other end of the scale, the New York Times has opened its APIs to a grassroots network

of software developers. The NYT Explorer, one of the first applications to access the Times

database, was written by the co-founder of a two-man company in Cambridge, MA.

4. Create a Twitter taxonomy

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, but for the moment, establishing a hierarchy of Twitter

accounts comes close. Twitter offers a reliable channel for topic-driven interactive messaging

between a newspaper and its readers. A tree of accounts covering specific sections, as well as

op-ed, community, and other features, can promote citizen reporting and drive user-generated

content.

The Chicago Tribune has created a Twitter taxonomy that features Colonel Tribune, a virtual

man-about-town who offers political commentary, weather reports, and even an occasional dig

at the rival Chicago Sun Times. He shares the News branch of this information tree with more

than two dozen editors and reporters whose personal bylines resemble Twitter profiles. The

Life & Entertainment branch contains an even wider range of online personalities, and there is

even a branch called “The Colonel’s friends,” a group of ordinary citizens whose Tweets have

landed them in the spotlight.

5. Explore micropublishing solutions

Projects like The Printed Blog, which offers aggregations of selected blog content in

downloadble PDF and limited distribution print formats, might not be the wave of the future,

but they’re examples of the hybrid approach that might work in local markets.

Personalized editions bundling RSS feeds, and limited-run aggregations of book reviews and

other endangered sections, are two ideas worth pursuing. The economics of printing are brutal,

but there’s room for innovative thinking if the unions will cooperate.

Doing nothing is not an option

Following these five business practices may not solve all the problems. Each newspaper has its

own personality, formed by the relationship between its journalists and readers, and governed

by forces that extend beyond the marketplace. It’s up to each publisher to consider the options

and make decisions. Doing nothing is not an option.

Documents

Newspapers 5 Ways to Avoid Extinction