Take a look at the article, How News Happens by Journalism.org (a Pew Research Center Project).  It is an interesting read and in my view simply underscores the need for the revenue generation model of newspapers and other traditional media outlets to change.  The study cited in the article finds that newspaper is still the primary source of original news and other channels simply repeat it (at least in the locality examined in the study).  I would like to see newspapers not just survive, but thrive.  I believe they can if they change their model for revenue generation.  I don’t believe they can continue to rely on advertising as the primary source of revenue.

When given the opportunity, I still enjoy sitting down and flipping through the daily paper and have heard others say this.  I just can’t say it is the primary vehicle I would use for making purchasing decisions and do not believe it can ever again be the best choice for this role.   The model has simply changed.  The Internet now allows us to peek behind the curtain and see the people behind the brands and as social beings we enjoy the opportunity to be able to interact.  If newspapers and other forms of traditional media are to survive I believe the revenue generation must shift from the advertisers to the consumers.  It is the content they can offer that makes them valuable, not the advertising.

You know the old saying, “there is nothing new under the sun”?  My take is this is largely true and the differences are just in the delivery.  Where marketing is concerned people still like the concept of the “old general store”.  An opportunity to trade with a person they know and make a social occasion of it at the same time.  I submit this is why the Internet offers such promise for marketing products and services.   We can find what we want, get to know all about the people behind the products and all without a middleman.

As the Internet and social media options grow, the need for traditional media to bring us messages and opportunities to get to know companies goes down.  We can now go directly to the companies at no charge when we are ready to hear the message.  The longer these new channels exist and improve, the more people will discover and use them.  The larger audience will be online and reaching it will be more cost effective.

So what do you think?  Is newspaper dying with no hope of survival?  Do you want to see it survive?  Do you believe it is a sound investment for marketing purposes?  I invite you to share your thoughts by commenting here.