09-22-2009, 11:26 PM
Rolando has it right. Readers aren't customers for the business. Advertisers are. The News divisions within a news organization (major distinction there) will cater to readers, sure, because the News Dept. isn't the Advertising Dept.
Publishers have far more than news on their minds because news organizations are far more than news. There's Advertising, Business, Marketing, IT, various hourly workers, union workers, real estate too.
News production and the craft of journalism costs money. Most things cost publishers money. Advertising and precious else brings in money. Revenue from readers (newsstand sales or subscriptions) have NEVER been sufficient to offset costs-not even in the glory days.
Newspapers are dying because advertisers are going away, fast. Normally, advertisers go away after readers do-and so that's been the assumption here. But the opposite is what's happened to newspapers.
Publishers have far more than news on their minds because news organizations are far more than news. There's Advertising, Business, Marketing, IT, various hourly workers, union workers, real estate too.
News production and the craft of journalism costs money. Most things cost publishers money. Advertising and precious else brings in money. Revenue from readers (newsstand sales or subscriptions) have NEVER been sufficient to offset costs-not even in the glory days.
Newspapers are dying because advertisers are going away, fast. Normally, advertisers go away after readers do-and so that's been the assumption here. But the opposite is what's happened to newspapers.