Comments on: The news is bad news http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/05/20/the-news-is-bad-news/ by Jeff Jarvis Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:43:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: BuzzMachine » Blog Archive » Everybody’s a network http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/05/20/the-news-is-bad-news/#comment-51235 BuzzMachine » Blog Archive » Everybody’s a network Sun, 21 May 2006 18:43:02 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/05/20/the-news-is-bad-news/#comment-51235 [...] On the business side, the old networks have no end of new competition. The scarcity economy is over; networks cannot continue to raise their rates even as their audiences shrink, because they no longer control the clock; there is always somewhere else to reach audiences — somewhere more efficienct and less expensive, by the way. The upfront buying season for commercials is going on now and the only way the networks can save themselves from the inevitable shrinkage Warren Buffett predicts for newspapers is by coming up with blockbusters. But as Umair Haque points out often, the blockbuster economy is not a longterm winner and it is getting riskier and riskier. See also Seth Godin: “If your marketing strategy requires you to hit #1 in order to succeed, you probably need a new marketing strategy.” [...] [...] On the business side, the old networks have no end of new competition. The scarcity economy is over; networks cannot continue to raise their rates even as their audiences shrink, because they no longer control the clock; there is always somewhere else to reach audiences — somewhere more efficienct and less expensive, by the way. The upfront buying season for commercials is going on now and the only way the networks can save themselves from the inevitable shrinkage Warren Buffett predicts for newspapers is by coming up with blockbusters. But as Umair Haque points out often, the blockbuster economy is not a longterm winner and it is getting riskier and riskier. See also Seth Godin: “If your marketing strategy requires you to hit #1 in order to succeed, you probably need a new marketing strategy.” [...]

]]> By: sam http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/05/20/the-news-is-bad-news/#comment-50469 sam Sat, 20 May 2006 19:04:13 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/05/20/the-news-is-bad-news/#comment-50469 Newspapers have themselves to blame. Look at the lead story in today's NYTimes that the UN says the US should close the Guantanamo prison camp. Why is this the lead story, considering how discredited the UN has become? Not until the 10th paragraph is there a comment from a US representative who talks of an extensive presentation made by this country--with no further discussion of what the US said. Also, no mention of the fact (seen elsewhere) that the UN commission never even went to Gitmo. But hey, if it makes the US (and Bush) look bad, it leads. Newspapers have themselves to blame. Look at the lead story in today’s NYTimes that the UN says the US should close the Guantanamo prison camp. Why is this the lead story, considering how discredited the UN has become? Not until the 10th paragraph is there a comment from a US representative who talks of an extensive presentation made by this country–with no further discussion of what the US said. Also, no mention of the fact (seen elsewhere) that the UN commission never even went to Gitmo. But hey, if it makes the US (and Bush) look bad, it leads.

]]> By: Grokodile http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/05/20/the-news-is-bad-news/#comment-50318 Grokodile Sat, 20 May 2006 17:02:09 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/05/20/the-news-is-bad-news/#comment-50318 Interesting. As a dedicated netizen I have to agree that the newspapers appear to be in decline. Throwing on the thinking cap, I think that one area that newspapers and other traditional publications shine is in the areas of professionalism and quality control. As I'm sure most people realize the Internet is full of stuff which really would never have seen the light of day if publishing hadn't become so cheap and available. What I'm hinting at is a lack of quality. Maybe traditional news can survive if they accept the fact that they can no longer be first, or on top of everything we need to know, but that they can provide additional analysis and fact checking. They might be able to live if they maintain some additional credibility perhaps. Regardless, at the current time, I wouldn't be putting money into them unless they represented a synergistic opportunity. Interesting. As a dedicated netizen I have to agree that the newspapers appear to be in decline.

Throwing on the thinking cap, I think that one area that newspapers and other traditional publications shine is in the areas of professionalism and quality control. As I’m sure most people realize the Internet is full of stuff which really would never have seen the light of day if publishing hadn’t become so cheap and available.

What I’m hinting at is a lack of quality. Maybe traditional news can survive if they accept the fact that they can no longer be first, or on top of everything we need to know, but that they can provide additional analysis and fact checking. They might be able to live if they maintain some additional credibility perhaps.

Regardless, at the current time, I wouldn’t be putting money into them unless they represented a synergistic opportunity.

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