Trends on the usage of print and online media
First of all millenials (age 14-25) and Generation X (26-42) spend less hours reading newspapers in print format (1.1 to 1.4 hours per week) but old generations, baby boomers (age 43-61) spend 2.7 hour a week and matures (age 62-75) still use 4.3 hours a week.
However the millenials and generation X are not reading news from newspapers online. They only spend 0.7 and 1.0 hours per week reading newspapers online. Other generations, boomers and matures spend more time reading newspapers online then youngers, 1.3 hours per week (1).
Both newspaper readership, print and online, are declining and Internet surpassed newspapers as the source of information. Content and quality of the news provided are important for our democracy and liberty of thinking. If newspaper industry fails to atract these younger generation to their contents, most of the professionals and specialized journalists and opinion makers will not have access to express themselves and share with the community. Of course they can blog and use other social media network but do they succed in atracting also advertising to sustain their living standards?
Too many publishers are still restricting access to their online content, only to subscribers. This business model has to change. Publisher´s sources of revenue should come from advertising and content should be free and accessible for online search. Online search is a major advantage over print, but content should be discovered by searchers, otherwise it will have no value at all. With valued information the advertising expenditures would come. Newspaper publishers have been used to produce information and sell it to readers. What they will have to improve is to create a social network around them, allowing readers to discuss and comment the news and contents, challenging journalists to go into more depth in certain investigations, giving tips and ideas and that will have a multiplying effect, atracting more readers, more bloggers and so on.
If advertising will be enough to maintain the business, that is something we will see in the future. But if it is not enough, publishers should be creative, developing other products, specialized products, premium products, sponsorships and so on.
At the end, the quality of content, the ethics and professionalism of the editorial teams will be the key to success.
(1) The State of the Media Democracy, mentioned on the Seybold Report of February 5, 2009, pg 5-8.
However the millenials and generation X are not reading news from newspapers online. They only spend 0.7 and 1.0 hours per week reading newspapers online. Other generations, boomers and matures spend more time reading newspapers online then youngers, 1.3 hours per week (1).
Both newspaper readership, print and online, are declining and Internet surpassed newspapers as the source of information. Content and quality of the news provided are important for our democracy and liberty of thinking. If newspaper industry fails to atract these younger generation to their contents, most of the professionals and specialized journalists and opinion makers will not have access to express themselves and share with the community. Of course they can blog and use other social media network but do they succed in atracting also advertising to sustain their living standards?
Too many publishers are still restricting access to their online content, only to subscribers. This business model has to change. Publisher´s sources of revenue should come from advertising and content should be free and accessible for online search. Online search is a major advantage over print, but content should be discovered by searchers, otherwise it will have no value at all. With valued information the advertising expenditures would come. Newspaper publishers have been used to produce information and sell it to readers. What they will have to improve is to create a social network around them, allowing readers to discuss and comment the news and contents, challenging journalists to go into more depth in certain investigations, giving tips and ideas and that will have a multiplying effect, atracting more readers, more bloggers and so on.
If advertising will be enough to maintain the business, that is something we will see in the future. But if it is not enough, publishers should be creative, developing other products, specialized products, premium products, sponsorships and so on.
At the end, the quality of content, the ethics and professionalism of the editorial teams will be the key to success.
(1) The State of the Media Democracy, mentioned on the Seybold Report of February 5, 2009, pg 5-8.
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