The Rapid Shift of Newspaper Marketing

The newspaper industry has been reeling from the impact of the Internet on a market it had cornered. The past few years have been rocky for print media in all forms. Companies had to rethink how to do business, how to deal with technology, and how to market themselves. There were forums, conferences, and round-table discussions about how to keep print from being a victim of the Internet revolution.

What conclusions did all the great minds of the newspaper industry reach? EMBRACE THE INTERNET!

Newspapers have rapidly taken advantage of technology. News outlets traditionally in print have set-up camp online with their own website. They have even embraced the mobile technology being used by so many these days. In a single day, my Twitter feed consists of about 300 tweets mostly from news outlets. About one fourth of my feed is taken up by The Washington Post, another fourth by The New York Times, another fourth by ABC, and the final fourth by friends and various others.

What does this say about these news outlets? It says that they have utilized social networking. These news outlets have recognized the value of giving the news directly to those who want it through social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. They recognized that if they wanted to try to influence this generation, like they did with previous generations, they would have to go where the the new generations gather.
News outlets are continuing to explore technological advances including the iPad. The Washington Post and several other newspapers have released their iPad application that gives a user access to the stories and interactive media they offer online. Recently, Rupert Murdoch announced his partnership with Steve Jobs to create an iPad-only newspaper. Murdoch’s Daily is expected to be available in early 2011 and will cost 99 cents a week. It is expected to combine the tabloid feel with the broadsheet content. Is the iPad-only newspaper the future of journalism? Has Murdoch saved the profession from the Internet as some have suggested?

The future of journalism is as uncertain as the predictions about economic recovery. What is certain is that the dissemination of news, in one form or another, will always be necessary for our society to continue. The utilization of social media and technology will help to make the importance of news even more concrete.

—–

Today’s guest post is by Jessica Huffman. I am a junior at Tiffin University majoring in Communications with double concentration in Journalism and Electronic Media. I hope to enter graduate school or join the Peace Corps after graduation next May.