Denver just lost a big paper and newspapers seem to be in trouble all over the country, so here's my plan to save the business. I keep thinking somebody is going to do it without me telling them. It just seems like the next logical step, but nobody has so far.
What they need is a newspaper reader, like a book reader but simple and durable. I know it doesn't sound appealing but offering subscriptions online didn't work for them. Think about what you like about the paper and what you don't like about getting the paper. Here's my list.
Like:
1. Turing to my favorite section.
2. Sitting at the breakfast table or in front of the fire with the Sunday funnies.
3. Reading the news over coffee in a coffee shop.
4. Clipping out my favorite stories.
5. Clipping coupons.
Dislike:
1. All that paper.
2. Feeling bad as the old issues pile up that I didn't have time to read.
3. The paper deliver person ignoring my requests and pealing out of my driveway at some ungodly hour.
The newspaper reader I have in mind would get plugged into your computer, before bed if you leave your computer on at night or first thing in the morning if you are like me (I don't want the internet gremlins in there while I sleep). It will be thin and lightweight and simple. I think it should open up to be bigger than a paperback and taller than it is wide so that the front page can still look front-page-like. When you open it you will see the top of the front page. The controls at the bottom or along the side someplace would be very simple. No touch screens or anything that might break easy.
There should be a wheel or something to allow for scrolling down, some arrow keys, some kind of select button, a button for each section of the paper and one for the store fliers at the middle so you can still check out the loss leaders at your local grocery. I could simply click "Lifestyle" and go to that section. The sports button would remain in very new condition on my reader. If you want to clip a story or a coupon then you select it and hit the clip button. Next time you plug in the reader to the computer it will put the files there for you to print later and completely rewrite its memory with the new edition.
You would have to sign a contract for a year or longer in order to get a reader but that would allow the paper to keep the price low and they would be saving all kinds of printing costs. The part I'm uncomfortable with is that there is no way they would do this without collecting all kinds of information about what you actually read and using it to sell advertising. If you think about it though, the internet is already doing that. I think this would save the papers.
7 comments:
so, like a Kindle for newspapers, eh?
I always thought that the way they did newspapers on Babylon 5 was perfect - you go up to a kiosk, and insert your newspaper card, that has all your selections.
Like mine would be "entertainment, comics, and coupons" and it prints out ONLY what you selected! Genius!
That's not a bad idea but I think the kindle idea sort of goes easily along with the way we already live. But then, I rarely ever buy a paper when I'm out but prefer to have it delivered. Maybe both ideas have merit.
With the kindle thing you could maybe pay fifty cents or whatever to the coffee shop owner for the use of the reader. Each paper would have its own reader so a coffee shop would have to actually subscribe to the New York times AND Wall Street Journal to offer both. The reader would be basically the same but adjusted with features that appeal to its clients.
It works for the advertisers too because by making it so simple you can ensure that readers have to scroll past your adds to get to the second page of "entertainment" and finish reading the story, just like they do a real paper.
I am sorry to see the papers go. It's awful. They didn't quite reinvent themselves, and here we are.
I never was a newspaper reader but always loved the romantic idea of waking up on Sundays and spending the day in pj's and a robe and a huge cuppa joe reading the paper. I don't like the way the paper feels though and all of that info bombards my brain.
I am trying my darndest though to purchase and read the Sunday paper. Last week I read it from cover to cover, including the inserts. I was actually surprised at how much I already knew-which made me feel smart.
This has nothing to do with your post really, I just realized...except that it's about newspapers. Sorry for that.
I used to work for a publishing company who published used car magazines. They were a paid publication-which meant people had to buy them-and sales slowly diminished. Just a couple of weeks ago my good friend who still worked for the company left because they are closing their doors for good in June. Everything is online now-no more books.
It's sad...
Mags: I actually think it does have something to do with my post. I think newspapers need to pay attention to what consumers like about them and capitalize on that. There's no substitute for the a Sunday with the paper and when it's gone some of us are really going to miss it. If they can get rid of the things we don't like along the way, so much the better.
Sandy: I wonder if they need a total reinvention or just a reality check. There's a lot good there that we'll miss when it's gone. I love the political cartoons, editorials, columns, Dear Abby, This Day In History, even the horoscope. You can get it all online but it isn't nearly as nice as having it it one package at the breakfast table.
I haven't taken the newspaper in quite some time. I remember the Sunday paper when I was a kid, getting the comics spread out on the floor.
Sadly, there are so many free and instant ways to get our news.
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