Anyone in an independently owned small business knows that if you’re under attack, commercially, you fight back with a better product backed by better service. It’s a no brainer.
In the case of newspapers and the challenge they face from new media, one immediate defence would be to aggressively work on their product. They need to make newspapers relevant again. Not as advertising delivery mechanisms but as newspapers. Next, they could work on their existing supply chain and through commercially respectful co-operation reduce and possibly even reverse the trends we’ve seen in recent circulation figures posted by dailies across the globe.
Yes technology will impact on newspaper sales and it’s logical publishers get into the new media pit. However, wise professionally guided investment aimed at improving the content of newspaper news and analysis and delivering this only through the physical product will make it more valuable.
Newspapers could try and stop the tail wagging the dog. The problem is that many newspapers have cut their investment in creating content. Newspapers are not as respected today as some years ago.
The me too strategy being pursued by some publishers will not help them long term.