With respect to my first point, I’m surprised that NAA did not first do a beta testing by researching how many of its current customers would switch to an e-edition only. NAA could have set up a hybrid model that offered an “express” Presstime edition. It would have short blurbs/summaries of articles and other pertinent information. If subscribers wanted more in-depth information, they could sign-up to receive it through e-mail or go online to naa.org. This option, would in effect, cut down on paper and distribution costs. My thought as to why this came so abruptly is charitable endowments are down and they can only afford to operate in the red for so long.

On to my second point; newspapers can differentiate themselves online. In the past, they have been successful differentiating themselves through their print versions. In today’s environment, newspapers are attempting to do the same thing as they have done in the past, but in a fluid and less static environment. As Marshall Mcluhan pointed out, “the medium is the message.” Without getting into too much detail, it’s about capturing the non-reader and the non-advertiser.

Newspapers must be made relevant. They need to redefine their approach to both their core business and disruptive innovation opportunities to realize long-term prosperity. There is currently no compelling reason to read the print versions of large, metropolitan newspapers, let alone a monthly, non-profit pub. A general-interest daily newspaper and its affiliated website do not reach consumers drawn to resources that focus on narrow, specialized content. However, like many urban, general-interest papers, they are the only genuine mass media outlet throughout their region and many consumers continue to turn to these newspapers regularly for information. For many advertisers, the local paper is still the most efficient way to reach the largest number of people. Ignoring this core business would be a mistake.

In addition, urban newspapers have the added challenges associated with urban decay. There is a
general failure of education at all levels. In a rapidly evolving society in which both students and the
general public are being forced to rely on superfluous information gathered elsewhere, local newspapers should be seen as an economic platform for community development.

News is a commodity happening around us all the time, always has, always will. The internet makes distributing that content easy and almost free. The problem is that revenue will now come in line with those costs. In other words, news revenue is falling to nearly nothing.

Distribution is costly, and thus allows those who do it to charge a premium for it.

I like the idea of innovating the physical distribution side of newspapers.

If that is it’s greatest asset, we are really in trouble.

And if “there is NO WAY to differentiate a newspaper online,” doubly so.

“Things like magazines, catalogs, coupons, flyers, samples, and probably many other things an ad or marketing executive would jump at the chance to drop on a subscriber’s doorstep.”

They do already — and they go directly into the trash in my household.

Print publishers are in the information business, not the United Parcel Service business. Print should be, and is being, abandoned in favor of consumption via netbooks and handheld flat-panel devices. This would include new single-copy sales, via short-range on-premise wireless at the newsdealer without the need for subscription.