This video is worth watching--if you have not seen it already.
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Showing posts with label newspaper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label newspaper. Show all posts
Friday, April 3, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Missing the Point with Print Media
Here is a related article to our discussion of the newspaper industry and a fine example of your elected representatives comprehension of the changing world we live in. The AP reports that a senator has suggested making the newspaper industry tax-free in an attempt to help them survive. Other than the obvious fact that taxes are paid on profit, which newspapers are not making, there are additional issues that touch on where newspapers will place themselves within the layers of the industry. One glaring example is how papers continue to focus on their editorial content or will use editorial content as one area in which they will be able to extract value. Non-profit status will greatly limit the types of editorials they can run due to campaign finance regualtions [the non-profit info is down towards the end].
To add one final point, notice where I found the article, Google News. Though this is probably no surprise since the industry's own advocacy association shows 67% of subscribers are over the age of 45, which in my opinion will only increase in the future.
Legislation like this will not help a failing industry.
To add one final point, notice where I found the article, Google News. Though this is probably no surprise since the industry's own advocacy association shows 67% of subscribers are over the age of 45, which in my opinion will only increase in the future.
Legislation like this will not help a failing industry.
Monday, March 2, 2009
What recommendation to offer Hearst as they launch a rival to Kindle?
On the heels of Amazon launching Kindle2, there is a news item that Hearst Corporation is planning to launch an e-reader. It raises interesting questions from an IT strategy point of view.
According to the article,
1. Hearst has "developed a wireless e-reader with a large-format screen suited to the reading and advertising requirements of newspapers and magazines." So, what technology-based functionality could they introduce to differentiate from Kindle2?
2. "The device and underlying technology, which other publishers will be allowed to adapt, is likely to debut this year." Will other publishers embrace the underlying platform offered by one of their competitors?
3. "Kenneth Bronfin, who heads up the interactive media group for Hearst, told Fortune in an interview for a forthcoming magazine story that the publishing company has a deep expertise in the technology. "I can't tell you the details of what we are doing, but I can say we are keenly interested in this, and expect these devices will be a big part of our future," Bronfin told Fortune." The origin of this idea goes back to a project done at MIT. If Hearst Corporation truly develops best-of-breed expertise, it will signal that the executives have recognized the importance of IT in their business strategy and have responded appropriately. Will see how it plays out.
4. "Insiders familiar with the Hearst device say it has been designed with the needs of publishers in mind. That includes its form, which will approximate the size of a standard sheet of paper, rather than the six-inch diagonal screen found on Kindle, for example. The larger screen better approximates the reading experience of print periodicals, as well as giving advertisers the space and attention they require." Is the newspaper industry using technology to preserve their historical business model and revenue stream against new models of web-based search and advertising? How will it fare against news integrators like Google? and other multi-purpose devices like netbooks?
5. "Given the evolving state of the technology, the Hearst reader is likely to debut in black and white and later transition to high-resolution color with the option for video as those displays, now in testing phases, get commercialized. Downloading content from participating newspapers and magazines will occur wirelessly. For durability, the device is likely to have a flexible core, perhaps even foldable, rather than the brittle glass substrates used in readers on the market today." How will other e-readers such as Sony, Amazon (and others) evolve their design and functionality as this technology becomes more cost-effective?
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What recommendations can you offer to Hearst as they embrace this initiative? Some newspapers will decide to partner with Amazon while others may experiment with Hearst's e-reader and some may do both. How can Hearst make a success of this initiative? Any lessons from the music sector or television sector that you can draw upon as you develop insightful recommendations?
1. Hearst has "developed a wireless e-reader with a large-format screen suited to the reading and advertising requirements of newspapers and magazines." So, what technology-based functionality could they introduce to differentiate from Kindle2?
2. "The device and underlying technology, which other publishers will be allowed to adapt, is likely to debut this year." Will other publishers embrace the underlying platform offered by one of their competitors?
3. "Kenneth Bronfin, who heads up the interactive media group for Hearst, told Fortune in an interview for a forthcoming magazine story that the publishing company has a deep expertise in the technology. "I can't tell you the details of what we are doing, but I can say we are keenly interested in this, and expect these devices will be a big part of our future," Bronfin told Fortune." The origin of this idea goes back to a project done at MIT. If Hearst Corporation truly develops best-of-breed expertise, it will signal that the executives have recognized the importance of IT in their business strategy and have responded appropriately. Will see how it plays out.
4. "Insiders familiar with the Hearst device say it has been designed with the needs of publishers in mind. That includes its form, which will approximate the size of a standard sheet of paper, rather than the six-inch diagonal screen found on Kindle, for example. The larger screen better approximates the reading experience of print periodicals, as well as giving advertisers the space and attention they require." Is the newspaper industry using technology to preserve their historical business model and revenue stream against new models of web-based search and advertising? How will it fare against news integrators like Google? and other multi-purpose devices like netbooks?
5. "Given the evolving state of the technology, the Hearst reader is likely to debut in black and white and later transition to high-resolution color with the option for video as those displays, now in testing phases, get commercialized. Downloading content from participating newspapers and magazines will occur wirelessly. For durability, the device is likely to have a flexible core, perhaps even foldable, rather than the brittle glass substrates used in readers on the market today." How will other e-readers such as Sony, Amazon (and others) evolve their design and functionality as this technology becomes more cost-effective?
--
What recommendations can you offer to Hearst as they embrace this initiative? Some newspapers will decide to partner with Amazon while others may experiment with Hearst's e-reader and some may do both. How can Hearst make a success of this initiative? Any lessons from the music sector or television sector that you can draw upon as you develop insightful recommendations?
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