Local Newspapers Reboot
I spent an hour yesterday morning with Brian Tierney, former PR man, now publisher of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News. Earlier this week, at an Edelman University class, I moderated a discussion with three senior journalists, John Fund of the Wall Street Journal (a national paper), Ellis Henican of Newsday and Robert George of the NY Post. Here are a few of the most important trends:
1) Newspapers remain “the best way to get ideas across,” according to Henican. Most bloggers are linking to stories that originate in mainstream media, he added. But Henican acknowledged that “newspapers are no longer a sufficient platform for journalists who want a voice in the public conversation.” He appears on Fox (as George does on CNN and Fund on Sunday morning public affairs TV) because “people think I am a better writer when they see me on TV battling Bill O’Reilly (a conservative anchorman on Fox) “You cannot have a career on the talent side of idea-driven media without being on multiple platforms.” Fund especially likes going on radio because “you have to listen to the content; people are more likely to retain the key facts.”
2) Newspapers see themselves as offering news analysis. Fund noted that, “In almost every story that has a headline, the facts are already known. We add the interpretation. We are no longer in the Olympian objective authority role.” Mr. George suggested that this trend was “back to the future” in that 19th century American journalism was highly opinionated. “Hearst even got America into the Spanish American War,” he noted.
3) Newspapers are finding new ways to make money on the advertising side, to fill the large hole left by the demise of classified employment ads. An example is the sponsorship of the PhillyInc column, a gossipy take on business, by Citizens Bank or the Inquirer Express back page summary of the news sponsored by Commerce Bank. In both cases, these were new editorial products.
4) Publishers are following the example of their magazine brethren in developing campaigns for advertisers. An example is an upcoming promotion for Miller Beer in which the Inquirer Media Lab did the creative work, Tierney said. Advertising revenue from auto dealers, retailers, real estate and cinema is somewhat diminished from peak levels of year 2000 but not significantly so.
5) There is still large pass-along readership so that the true numbers for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News total audience is 1.2 million (about 2.5 multiple on the 370,000 Inquirer circulation and 3 multiple on the 150,000 Daily News circulation). One important statistic to remember: 52% of Americans pick up a newspaper every day, about 70% of those over age 18, even more on Sunday (Inquirer circulation is twice as large on Sunday)
6) Within 18 months, there will be printers on the market that will allow a bound personal version of a newspaper, according to Mr. Fund. “People love the idea of choice; your newspaper, with the stories you want at the length you want them.”
7) The web versions of local newspapers are seeking to create micro-communities (Tierney is particularly excited by the potential of Philly.com, which offers content from both of his papers but also consumer generated content) around music, food and health.
This emphasizes to me that media plans should be anchored by local media. My father, Dan Edelman, recognized the power of local media by creating the media tour in the early 50s, taking the show “on the road” by booking spokespeople in markets around the US. In fact, many of the local columnists are seeking stories that are national in importance but have a local angle (note my interview with Cheryl Hall of the Dallas Morning News on the Edelman Trust Barometer from earlier this week). I would appreciate your comments as always.