New Media, Newspaper News - Friday, March 13, 2009 23:07 - 2 Comments

The Newspaper Industry, The Dip, Seth Godin

Seth Godin’s book, The Dip, is all about quitting.  It’s about learning WHEN to quit and WHEN not to quit.  It’s also about learning WHAT to quit, and WHAT not to quit.  As one of the many examples he gives for quitting, he gives the following common scenario currently unfolding in the American newspaper industry.

If you work at a big city newspaper, you can see that there’s no light at the end of that career-choice tunnel. Circulation is dropping, and it’s going to drop ever faster. Most papers have little chance of replacing their traditional business with an online alternative.  As a result, every day at most papers is going to be just a little bit worse than the day before. Every day you stay is a bad strategic decision for your career because every day you get better at something that isn’t that useful-and you are another day behind others who are learning something more useful. The only reason to stay is the short-term pain associated with quitting.  Winners understand that taking that pain now prevents a lot more pain later.

I was reminded of the above passage while flying home after covering NAA’s mediaXchange in Las Vegas.  I won’t be back.  There were maybe 4 good speakers at the event.  Perhaps worse though was the crowd, a listless mob staring into a dark tunnel hoping to see the light at the end (but was there even a light to see?).  People weren’t asking good, tough questions, they were just kind of.. there.  The annual convention used to be a place where equipment manufacturers showcased their new products and where newspaper execs. came to make sweet deals.  That pretty much fell apart in 2008 because of cost cutting in the industry (and finally a realization that equipment doesn’t manufacture customers) and so this year the name was changed to something more EXTREME! like mediaXchange and a more digital spin was put on the entire proceedings.  They should have served Brawndo.

How the hell does NAA get away with scheduling Lee Abrams to talk about redesigns for the closing session?  And how the hell does no one in the audience ask him a tough question, like “why is a redesign so good if your papers are still failing”?  or “is it any bellwether that your only growing print product is the FREE METRO TABLOID, Redeye”? or “do you see a fundamental problem with the newspaper industry operating in an internet paradigm”?   Lee Abrams by the way is a retired old man/ radio executive who helped drive XM Radio into the ground and is now the Chief Innovation Officer for the Tribune Company.  Are you kidding me Tribune?  Employees and stakeholders in that company should be livid at his appointment.  Are you kidding me newspaper industry?  This is what you “gathered” everyone up for?  I wish I had the ability to print out Clay Shirky’s latest blog post Newspapers and Thinking the Unthinkableand stuff it in everyone’s free tote bag.  WTF?!

For all the time and money I spent on attending mediaXchange, I leaned a minimum amount of good, new information.  I hoped to see sessions on paradigm shifts and accepting new realities, but instead heard mostly product pitches.  Hell, I should have been there TALKING to these people.  I wanted to bum rush the stage at the closing session and say, “WAKE UP.  NEWSPAPER REDESIGNS ARE DEAD.  LETS TALK ABOUT NEW MEDIA”.  But the problem was that the audience seemed fine and even INTERESTED!!!! in hearing about redesigns from Lee Abrams.  Jeez!!!   As social media session speaker Kurt Greenbaum (one of the good speakers) followed up on his blog, “5.8% of NAA attendees cared about social media“.

I should have skipped mediaXchange, I should have quit, I should have went to SXSW.  That’s where the innovation is happening, and that’s where you’ll find me next year.  I hope to find news media execs. there too but I doubt it.  Godin says quit a loser, well I just quit mediaXchange.