If you have less newspapers and more of these [iPads] … it may well be the saving of the newspaper industry.
That is Rupert Murdoch quoted in plenty of news outlets this morning including Fast Company. He called the iPad a glimpse of the future. Murdoch was speaking at the National Press Club in Washington. The Australian also runs this story today – read it here. Their report also reports that Murdoch expects 8 or 9 competitors to the iPad within a year.
This is a very strong endorsement of iPad type technology as an alternative channel to print by Rupert Murdoch, an endorsement which newsagents need to read and understand.
There are two interesting points in this.
1. The newspaper industry needs saving. Murdoch has basically admitted what everyone else knows, paper is dead or soon to be dead.
2. The way forward is not via traditional channels.
What this means is that in the coming years, maybe not next year, but in the 5-10 year period, newsagents are going to have to start radically rethinking their model or become totally irrelevant.
The problem I can see with killing off, or not trying to save, the newspaper industry is that what will replace it? Not everyone can afford to purchase one of these devices and not everyone wants to use one. Admittidly we have an older demographic and most of them shudder at the thought of using eftpos, let alone reading their paper on the internet or one of these devices. Ok, the oldies aren’t going to live forever and the technology will eventually get cheaper but is this really the way of the future? Not that long ago they were talking about “paperless” offices, anyone who has worked in an office recently would know that is certainly not the case. Infact I would say with the invention of email the paper consumption has doubled due to all the print outs – have you ever tried to revive a back up and had it work???
B,
Mass media won’t, in the future, cater to the shinking market segment that doesn’t access digital media.
Paperless offices do exist. The reason most companies don’t employ the paperless office concept is because of the initial capital, training and time required to set it up. I have a ready to go plan for a paperless office in a greenfield retail store. In our current office we’ve significanty reduced the amount of paper we use over the past 2 years. Implementation of smart, accessible, integrated technology has meant that we can use far less paper and become more efficient at the same time.
Yes – this is the way of the furture!
Yes but my point is that it will never successfully be completely paperless in every sense of the word. The reduction of paper use may be possible however there will always b some need for paper use.
Similarily with newspapers, the problem is the feasability of them however I believe there will always be the need for them Whether people will be willing to pay for this privilege and how much they are willing to pay remains to be seem.
B,
I disagree. I think a completely paperless office is achievable.
Major newspapers are based on mass market models that require significant curculation numbers for them to be feasable. Even if people are willing to pay more the model won’t support it.
I was always under the impression that advertising in papers was the money maker for these companys (i know it is for the local paper anyway )how will this be achieved with am ipad . not sure woolies would place a pamphlet on the ipad .
They can place their television add or make specific product add’s. Shaun you will find that woolies will jump at this as if it hits the popularity that the media are building it to be all majors will have add embedded within. Ninemsn is an example of this. On the homepage if you roll over an add it starts playing. Also if you want to see a story that has a clip you must see the add first.
All the more reasons why Brad, you would buy a paper or mag then fill the ipad up with junk.