Stop the Presses: Reinventing the newspaper industry

via posterous.com

Like with all sarcasm and parodies - there is always a bit of truth hiding behind the sarcasm and the jokes. What struck me in this beautifully edited little piece is the fact most newspapers actually seem to think like this - if not act like this.

Newspapers are loosing readers. Fast. Some of them realize this and are acting on it. Wired will be issuing an interactive, ipad enabled version and that's really nice. But the truth is I find it hard to believe newspapers will actually go out of production. Maybe I am a romantic or just a nostalgic...

And yes, I do realize technology is becoming ubiquitous and increasingly, generations born into "the connected and online-oxygen" world will maybe not want to hold a newspaper in their hands, lest the smell of the pages boher their sensitive nostrils and the freshly printed ink rub off on their fingers - come to think of it, the entire concept of a newspaper might actually seem or be foreign to them.

...But to me, holding printed pages is still highly enjoyable. I just wish newspapers would realize their content needs to become more relevant, and be tweaked to reach new audiences.

I believe newspapers have been so used to living in a world where they monopolized opinion and information that it is hard for them to even consider they may have to radically change their way of thinking. The way I see it, they need to look for a radically different business model. Radiohead (the band) offered people to pay as much as they wanted for their last Album (which was by far the most successful of all). Rihanna or Keyes (at least I think it was one of them) raised capital for the launching of her new album by offering people a role in her new album (you could be a backup singer or better yet she could dedicate a song to you). The examples are irrelevant. What is important is that if the music industry can reinvent itself time and again by trying out new and innovative business models - why can't the newspaper industry?

Posted via web from trendspotting's posterous