Comments on: The plummeting value of newspapers http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/05/15/the-plummeting-value-of-newspapers/ by Jeff Jarvis Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:40:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Smalltown newspaper guy http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/05/15/the-plummeting-value-of-newspapers/#comment-380721 Smalltown newspaper guy Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:25:24 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3613#comment-380721 The big dailies and their corporate owners may be suffering from not making budgets (and those budgets have been set ridiculously high to please stockholders), but small town weekly newspapers are still thing thriving - making as much money as ever - and still maintaining circulation (at least they are here in the Midwest). In print and online, we are still the only media that our local advertisers can reach directly their target audience. The big dailies and their corporate owners may be suffering from not making budgets (and those budgets have been set ridiculously high to please stockholders), but small town weekly newspapers are still thing thriving – making as much money as ever – and still maintaining circulation (at least they are here in the Midwest). In print and online, we are still the only media that our local advertisers can reach directly their target audience.

]]> By: 4 Ways To Save The Newsroom | Social Media Explorer http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/05/15/the-plummeting-value-of-newspapers/#comment-375876 4 Ways To Save The Newsroom | Social Media Explorer Wed, 28 May 2008 10:01:16 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3613#comment-375876 [...] you look, traditional media outlets are dying off. Okay, not dying, but laying off staff, being devalued at sale, cutting budgets, trimming corners and falling all over themselves trying to figure out web [...] [...] you look, traditional media outlets are dying off. Okay, not dying, but laying off staff, being devalued at sale, cutting budgets, trimming corners and falling all over themselves trying to figure out web [...]

]]> By: The Valuation of Blogs Vs Newspapers: No Wonder I’m So Depressed. « Media Junkie http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/05/15/the-plummeting-value-of-newspapers/#comment-375183 The Valuation of Blogs Vs Newspapers: No Wonder I’m So Depressed. « Media Junkie Sat, 17 May 2008 08:14:25 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3613#comment-375183 [...] in valuation and ambition was highlighted by Jeff Jarvis a few days back in his post “The Plummeting Value of Newspapers”: Now there’s a second huge writedown of the value of a recent newspaper [...] [...] in valuation and ambition was highlighted by Jeff Jarvis a few days back in his post “The Plummeting Value of Newspapers”: Now there’s a second huge writedown of the value of a recent newspaper [...]

]]> By: Jeff Jarvis http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/05/15/the-plummeting-value-of-newspapers/#comment-375139 Jeff Jarvis Fri, 16 May 2008 08:49:47 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3613#comment-375139 Joseph, Oh, come now. I still work for newspapers and I teach journalism. There is no glee in this. There is, instead, a desperate call for newspapers to wake up and reconstitute themselves for the future. If they don't, they will kill themselves. Joseph,

Oh, come now. I still work for newspapers and I teach journalism. There is no glee in this. There is, instead, a desperate call for newspapers to wake up and reconstitute themselves for the future. If they don’t, they will kill themselves.

]]> By: Matthew http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/05/15/the-plummeting-value-of-newspapers/#comment-375132 Matthew Fri, 16 May 2008 04:42:53 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3613#comment-375132 Ken, Good response, and your point is taken (David Robinson is always an excellent resource as well), but I think I address this in my initial comment. The point being the companies are providing information one way or another, and they are grabbing significant market share while doing so, thus bringing advertisers quickly into the game. It's symbiotic for both the publishers and advertisers to work together, and less so in any company where readers are leaving. Ken,
Good response, and your point is taken (David Robinson is always an excellent resource as well), but I think I address this in my initial comment. The point being the companies are providing information one way or another, and they are grabbing significant market share while doing so, thus bringing advertisers quickly into the game. It’s symbiotic for both the publishers and advertisers to work together, and less so in any company where readers are leaving.

]]> By: ken http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/05/15/the-plummeting-value-of-newspapers/#comment-375130 ken Fri, 16 May 2008 03:19:14 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3613#comment-375130 matt, those companies aren't valued based on the information they produce, but on the share of people's attention they command, which unlike information is a scarce and relatively fixed resource. (i extrapolated that idea from a talk David Robinson gave at Princeton this morning). the information they produce is getting cheaper, since anyone can start making it. even if its lower quality, as with my current pathetic contribution to Jeff's comment section, like flooding a market with cheap chinese manufactured goods it will reduce the value placed on high-quality professional news. hopefully it will prove to be good, even if we occasionally get a bit of lead paint in our news. matt, those companies aren’t valued based on the information they produce, but on the share of people’s attention they command, which unlike information is a scarce and relatively fixed resource. (i extrapolated that idea from a talk David Robinson gave at Princeton this morning). the information they produce is getting cheaper, since anyone can start making it. even if its lower quality, as with my current pathetic contribution to Jeff’s comment section, like flooding a market with cheap chinese manufactured goods it will reduce the value placed on high-quality professional news. hopefully it will prove to be good, even if we occasionally get a bit of lead paint in our news.

]]> By: Joseph Hayes http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/05/15/the-plummeting-value-of-newspapers/#comment-375128 Joseph Hayes Fri, 16 May 2008 03:08:21 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3613#comment-375128 Jeff, we don't know each other, so I'm not aware of the horrors you may have endured in the newspaper business, but I'm going to have to stop reading your blog. Most of my friends work in newspapers, and I freelance for several ... there's an overwhelming feeling of glee every time you write about the plight of papers that I find disturbing. Jeff, we don’t know each other, so I’m not aware of the horrors you may have endured in the newspaper business, but I’m going to have to stop reading your blog. Most of my friends work in newspapers, and I freelance for several … there’s an overwhelming feeling of glee every time you write about the plight of papers that I find disturbing.

]]> By: Joe Zekas http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/05/15/the-plummeting-value-of-newspapers/#comment-375125 Joe Zekas Fri, 16 May 2008 01:10:21 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3613#comment-375125 You need to do the math again. Starting ipoint: Avista wrote off 75% of its $100 million equity investment, not 75% of the value of the Star Tribune. You need to do the math again.

Starting ipoint: Avista wrote off 75% of its $100 million equity investment, not 75% of the value of the Star Tribune.

]]> By: Ed Kohler http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/05/15/the-plummeting-value-of-newspapers/#comment-375124 Ed Kohler Fri, 16 May 2008 00:35:57 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3613#comment-375124 The next round of layoffs are about to begin here in Minneapolis. 10% newsroom cuts, among other slashes. The next round of layoffs are about to begin here in Minneapolis. 10% newsroom cuts, among other slashes.

]]> By: Matthew http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/05/15/the-plummeting-value-of-newspapers/#comment-375120 Matthew Fri, 16 May 2008 00:03:00 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3613#comment-375120 @Ken: I think it is hard to argue that the value of information had dropped tremendously, if there is such a precipitous decline in value we wouldn't be seeing the valuations of MySpace, Facebook, and today's CNet bomb that we see. The weak content providers may be decreasing in value, but innovative delivery vehicles can attract eyes. Eyes attract ads. Ads attract value. Oil is a poor analog because I'm not sure a short-term inelastic product compares to any form of information. For example, if Google started charging 2 cents a search Google fails, very quickly. If BuzzMachine cost a nickel to access, it would be done (which I believe played, in part, into Jeff rejecting his blog as part of the Kindle package -- information is free, let's not require payment for it!). This brings us to an interesting question though, how elastic is information? I may not use Google at 2 cents per search, but if my ISP charges me a dollar more a month, I'm probably not going to switch providers (all else being equal). If it charges me 5 bucks more a month, I'd scoff, but probably still stay with them. Above that, I don't -- Vote WiMax? What do you think? @Ken:

I think it is hard to argue that the value of information had dropped tremendously, if there is such a precipitous decline in value we wouldn’t be seeing the valuations of MySpace, Facebook, and today’s CNet bomb that we see. The weak content providers may be decreasing in value, but innovative delivery vehicles can attract eyes. Eyes attract ads. Ads attract value.

Oil is a poor analog because I’m not sure a short-term inelastic product compares to any form of information. For example, if Google started charging 2 cents a search Google fails, very quickly. If BuzzMachine cost a nickel to access, it would be done (which I believe played, in part, into Jeff rejecting his blog as part of the Kindle package — information is free, let’s not require payment for it!).

This brings us to an interesting question though, how elastic is information? I may not use Google at 2 cents per search, but if my ISP charges me a dollar more a month, I’m probably not going to switch providers (all else being equal). If it charges me 5 bucks more a month, I’d scoff, but probably still stay with them. Above that, I don’t — Vote WiMax?

What do you think?

]]> By: Tansley - addendum http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/05/15/the-plummeting-value-of-newspapers/#comment-375118 Tansley - addendum Thu, 15 May 2008 23:41:39 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3613#comment-375118 Having worked for Lee in the past, this comes as no real surprise. Most of us (former Lee employees) realized long ago that the company was largely comprised of imbeciles... Having worked for Lee in the past, this comes as no real surprise. Most of us (former Lee employees) realized long ago that the company was largely comprised of imbeciles…

]]> By: ken http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/05/15/the-plummeting-value-of-newspapers/#comment-375116 ken Thu, 15 May 2008 22:34:14 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3613#comment-375116 the value of information has dropped tremendously, due to a substantial increase in the supply, and the number of channels that can deliver it. sort of like what might happen to the price of oil or natural gas if we developed desk-top fusion generators and put one in every house. the value of information has dropped tremendously, due to a substantial increase in the supply, and the number of channels that can deliver it. sort of like what might happen to the price of oil or natural gas if we developed desk-top fusion generators and put one in every house.

]]> By: Matthew http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/05/15/the-plummeting-value-of-newspapers/#comment-375112 Matthew Thu, 15 May 2008 21:44:50 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3613#comment-375112 But what is the value of <b>news</b>? Is the value of information dropping or rising? But what is the value of news? Is the value of information dropping or rising?

]]> By: Jeff Jarvis http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/05/15/the-plummeting-value-of-newspapers/#comment-375110 Jeff Jarvis Thu, 15 May 2008 20:41:33 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3613#comment-375110 Thanks, Paul, that's why I issue such caveats. Well, duh. Corrected. Pesky zeroes. Thanks, Paul, that’s why I issue such caveats. Well, duh. Corrected. Pesky zeroes.

]]> By: Paul Zieke http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/05/15/the-plummeting-value-of-newspapers/#comment-375109 Paul Zieke Thu, 15 May 2008 20:06:01 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3613#comment-375109 not sure about this math: By my calculation, that’s a drop from $1.2 billion to $130,000 — essentially a drop to 10 percent of its value only a decade ago. i think you mean $130 million. it's still a big plunge not sure about this math:

By my calculation, that’s a drop from $1.2 billion to $130,000 — essentially a drop to 10 percent of its value only a decade ago.

i think you mean $130 million. it’s still a big plunge

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