From the Herald Sun today. Someone in News Corp. wrote the headline and multiple people in the editorial and production process decided it was okay to use it. It is a headline that pitches digital over physical, a headline that makes the brick and mortar newsagency channel less relevant in the minds of readers / shoppers. Shame on them.
While I am sure News Corp. management will say nothing was meant by this, such words would be hollow. They did it, deliberately, against the newsagency channel. As I noted, shame on them.
While I don’t see newspapers as relevant to my retail businesses, they are relevant to many of my colleagues, people who have been good and faithful servants of News Corp for decades. The same people accepting falling margins and actively promoting the News Corp special offers of books and the like that are loss making for newsagents.
This story is something newsagents may point to as they retreat from the shingle.
To be clear, I have no quarrel with News Corp offering content on Apple. It makes sense. My issue is with the headline for this article.
Shocking Heading it’s more like NewsCorp is moving in a direction it must take for survival.
Mark you know more than most it is self interest that is the pathway to survival.
newsXpress is no exception.
Those that choose to stock newspapers for whatever reason espescially the ones that are News Agents have not much alternative than to use the dewindlng sale of newspapers with the remaining incredible momentarily residual customer base to recreate the transistioning of their business to a “new” model.
newsXpress did this years ago. was it ‘turning your back on publishers?”
No, it was your vision to take a business model into the future. Some saw it immediately, others a bit later, and some not yet, or maybe never.
The result is many have benefited by your presentation of survival. I value your vision and exceptional work in making this work for you.
News Corp are doing just that.
And within this industry sadly we are all adjusting individually to the changes that have been thrust upon us.
our business as Newsagents is over however our business isn’t over it’s got got individual connection with community built up over years of newspaper consummers plus othe products we have promoted.
We will be like News Corp and be self interested for future survival, this is not unlike any other industry it’s just survival through adaption.
let’s go fot it for we have the foundation to move forward as you so often promote so well.
Graeme, this post has nothing to do with newsXpress. The blooper-dates my involvement in newsXpress. My engagement with newsagents is far far more than newsXpress. But since you went there…
newsXpress as a group has never turned its back on publishers. Indeed, it has engaged in many cam pains with them.
I do not begrudge News Corp, Bauer and Paccific selling their content through Apple. It is a smart move and a natural extension.
My core issue is with the headline of this article. With less than 50% of over the counter newspaper purchases in newsagencies, why would News Corp target our channel? Because they can. we are nothing to them.
On a secondary point, News Corp and Nine profoundly disrespect newsagents financially, and we let them get away with it. More fool us.
The headline should be a kick in the guts, a wake up call, for newsagents. Unfortunately, for too many it will not be.
Mark, you cannot separate newsXpress from your posts.
I don’t have a problem to with that and for many it’s great and well supported on your Blog.
It is a kick in the Guts..that’s what the economy is-a great spectrum of society for retirees and first home buyers across the spectrum some are gaining some are losing. the reatailers job is not to blame but to service their current customer base and increase it by innovation-pure and simple. Don’t play the separist game when you have evey right to mutli business orientated and within that to be successful.
Keep going with the positives and the different ideas they are necessaryand encouraging howver “knocking and playing lefty politics as well as any other politics such as business with partnerships has no future for those that want support form what you have to offer.
No bullying in my post Graeme.No lefty politics either. Thanks for the labels.
News Corp. chose to headline the article in a threatening way agains newsagents. Shame on them.
Leaders in our channel have bowed down before publishers for decades and achieved nothing for newsagents.
Mark they signed a Principal and Agent Contract
This is the past -by the way I didn’t even think “bullying” was your message “lefty” is a generalisation used in today’s media referring to polorisation of society, especially in certain publications of politics, which respectfully in either category reatailers should not embrace as it indifferent to the goodwill of their thier consumers.
Not a single one.
Sorry Jason, I can’t make you see what you don’t want to see. Maybe go visit other blogs.