How newspapers can survive

Friday we talked about my Rx for your newspaper’s survival.
This week we’ll talk about what other experts predict.
You’ve seen the bad news. Almost all metros are cutting staff.
The giant Gannett Co. just announced it’s cutting 1,000 jobs.
That’s 1,000 newspaper families looking for the next paycheck.
What about the rest of the industry? Is it this badly in trouble?
Over the weekend, seven of us met in Atlanta to plot the future.
Bob Bobber reports circulation at his Florida newspapers is up.
Sure, the metros are hurting. The days of 40% margins are over.
And we can expect dailies to drop less profitable publishing days.
Many are already dropping Mondays. Is Thursday next?
An NNA survey found 83% of adults read a community newspaper.
If yours is a community newspaper, don’t feel smug.
None of us are out of danger. But the future is not as bleak.
Circulation expert Phil Hanna is betting on community newspapers.
Keep reporters on the street, he advises, and you’ll have readers.
Without strong local reporting, you’re irrelevant.
I was glad to hear Phil say that. I’ve preached that for years.
Get more names and faces into your newspapers.
Have readers saying, "I saw your picture in the newspaper."
That’s the kind of buzz you won’t hear about other media.
Tomorrow we’ll talk more about what the experts say.
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