Moving Newspapers Online, Amid a Downward Spiral

Steve Outing goes where newspapers hope others will travel: their websites. How’s this for an opening paragraph:

“…most newspaper executives understand the gravity of their situation, as the outlook for continued growth in the core business is dim, and decline is in the cards no matter what they do to improve or revamp the print product. Just about everyone — finally — is on board and working to address the big problem: How to transition a significant part of the newspaper business to online and new media — how to make the newspaper online experience compelling enough to attract the modern media consumer — while keeping enough money flowing in during the transition period to fund quality journalism, and prevent newspapers from entering a downward spiral (in terms of audience as well as financially).”

He reviews their websites, touching upon several conclusions:

  • Where’s the video?
  • Better blogging still needed
  • Classifieds still (too often) stink
  • Interactive … Not!
  • Progress, but not enough

In related news, Kevin Maney asks some bright techies what they would do with newspapers to bring them online.

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