In Sydney on Monday night this week I saw, again, the distribution of mX on the streets in the city and at railway stations. There’s no effort necessary, commuters step up for their free newspaper. While mX is not a patch on the daily paid for newspapers, it’s popular.
Some commentators wonder if the free daily model will become the norm. Certainly in the US and Europe, in major cities, it’s popular and many of the free daily newspapers are almost as substantial as paid for product.
While I don’t know the future of free dailies here in Australia, I do know that free dailies are something newsagents ought to think about and discuss. Do we see a role for ourselves if the free daily model expanded? Some newsagents are involved already but only a few. How would we react if a publisher asked us to be a pick up point for a free daily in our newsagencies? Some of us participate already permitting free local newspapers to be collected from our shops. Do we open a conversation with a publisher before they start to think about these things? We have a track record for reacting as opposed to leading on issues of change.
I don’t know where free daily newspapers will end up nor do I know their impact on the newsagency model but I’d sure like to engage in active discussion on the issues.