The Proposal to Reinvent Journalism
May 12, 2009
The generally accepted idea is that the Internet is the successor to newspapers. Whereas this may ultimately be true, newspapers and their websites must work in collaboration until a definitive business-model is discovered. Websites must serve as a supplement to newspapers, rather than a replacement. At this stage, the two mediums rely on one another as a form of cross-promotion. The key to capitalizing on news websites is to customize.
Rather that having one general website, each news organization would offer multiple sites aimed at meeting that particular readers interests. When the consumer signs up for a subscription they will answer a variety of questions regarding the news topics they are most interested in. They are then classified into a grouping based on age, gender, their personal interests and other demographics and receive a customized news website where the stories that pertain to those topics of their interests are more prominently displayed than others.
During the subscription sign-up, consumers will also be questioned on their buying habits and personal interests in order to group them into a target market for advertisers. Along with the customization of stories, the advertisements will also be strategically placed to meet the interests of the consumer. Doing so will ensure advertisers that the ad has more potential to reach the attention of the reader because the ad pertains to their needs and the stories were customized to be of interest to them in hope of sustaining their attention span and forcing them to spend a considerable amount of time on the site.
The next step will be to preserve print editions by balancing content between newspapers and websites. The paper should contain some exclusive content that will sustain its relevance and keep the market alive.
It is possible for the two outlets to co-exist. I don’t believe the Internet alone can provide the revenue necessary to fun quality journalism. Until a definitive model that proves otherwise is discovered, changes must be made to capitalize on the news websites while preserving the revenue generated from print editions.
