How people consumer news and information has changed yet too many publishers are running things the way they used to – with fractional coverage over the peak summer / holiday period. Newspaper publishers especially. Thanks to the immediacy of online and the accessibility of mobile, people consume more by grazing and doing this almost real time as opposed to after the event. While sales of newspapers may dip at this time of the year, to publish a product which is but a shadow of its usual self is only a turn off and demonstrates a lack of regard for consumers. I see it in my retail situation – customers comment that they should be charged less for a thin newspaper.
Newspaper publishers are demonstrating daily why online is more important for news stories and advertising this summer.
I’d prefer them to embrace summer and either use the different traffic to attract new readers – they are there – or, offer summer pricing in recognition of the different summer offer.
But then I look at their websites and it’s business as usual so maybe they do get it.