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Future of newspapers is free: survey

KATE HOLTON

Reuters

Latest comment posted at 4:48 AM EDT 08/05/08

Editors around the world still optimistic but believed they must adapt publications further for digital age ...Read the full article

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  1. Trevor Ouellette from Canada writes: Yup, that's what most people were thinking five years ago. News is a commodity. You can get it anywhere from hundreds of sources. It's the same story regardless of what newspaper carries it.

    Local news is nothing but soft news stories anyway. Pumpkin festivals, high gas prices, etc. Garbage.
  2. Albin Forone from Canada writes: The NYT went free to keep itself number 1 in national and international influence. Subscriptions ate into readership of even its name columnists - it's the risk the G&M hasn't had to confront because its only national competitor is even stingier with content. Even so, I'd be interested in comparison of the total readership and potential effects on public recognition and standing of the top G&M 'insider only' writers, say the estimable Simpson or Ibbotson as compared with Chantal Hebert or James Travers of the all free TStar. I'd guess the latter have been gaining in the punditocracy.
  3. Randal Oulton from Canada writes: >> Trevor Ouellette from Canada writes: Local news is nothing but soft news stories anyway. Pumpkin festivals, high gas prices, etc. Garbage.

    I used to be as smug about life as that writer is, but not anymore, so I disagree. The more I hear of world news, the more important that kind of local stuff gets now.
  4. Gordon Murray from Canada writes: Bill Gates, perhaps in "The Road Ahead" suggested that advertisers would one day have to pay a price to be read in email Inbox.
    Those rates were supposed to be negotiable.
    That was a long time ago.

    As newspapers envision FREE editions outside of the email headlines that link to the 'limited' (but certainly for the Globe, sufficient regardless) online editions, perhaps there might be ads enough within the emails to some day command conformance to some minimum for some other basis.

    What are those editorial 'outsourcings' that might comprise up to two thirds of the work?
    Any newly 'ex' editors motivated to write on that one?
    How about some disgruntled reporters/writers?
  5. m. r. from Canada writes: I subscribe to one paper,now, and several interest magazines(paid).
    I find the net more usefull than papers but I still like the printed page of magazines. given technology today, the paper is getting less important. yet, it is much easier to search than the web and the layout is
    much better. if papers dont change to reflect reader needs they will lose further readership and revenue. the only constant is change!

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