How Newspapers Are Killing Themselves

Collusion could avert disaster—but it won't happen

(NEWSER) - The newspaper industry is in dire straits, and to fix it, its bosses must “hold hands and jump off the following cliffs together,” writes David Carr in the New York Times. First, end free web access; it will drive away some readers, but they're not paying for quality reporting anyway. Second, aggregators like Google and Newser shouldn’t get a “free ride”—though that could mean angering the search king. More»

(NEWSER) - Newspapers are doomed, and if they’re looking for someone to blame, they should start with themselves, writes Bill Wyman for Splice in the second part of his industry critique. The "garrulous" Luddites working at newspapers—from managers to reporters—never considered the implications of technology. “They were out of their depth, lazy, and arrogant,” accustomed to having a monopoly on information. Accordingly, their web products are terrible, with little thought given to user experience. More»

Papers will print as normal as company restructures, it claims

(NEWSER) - The owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily News has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to restructure as ad revenues plunge, Reuters reports. Company spokesmen insist operations are "sound and profitable," and managers plan to continue publishing regularly. The announcement came a day after the 20-newspaper chain the Journal Register Co. also filed for bankruptcy as the economy continues to batter the industry. More»

(NEWSER) - Rumors of the New York Times’ demise are greatly exaggerated, reports... the New York Times. “Despite some published alarms to the contrary, the company has positioned itself to ride out another year of recession, maybe two,” Richard Péréz-Peña writes in a review of his employer’s finances. The Times hopes to "fill the void" left as other papers fold or cut back, a so-called last-man-standing strategy. More»

Journalism faces a challenge, but hardly a disaster

(NEWSER) - We know it’s coming, that day when print newspapers cease to exist, but it won’t be this year, right? Maybe, maybe not, Michael Hirschorn writes in the Atlantic, and it wouldn’t necessarily be a disaster. The New York Times is in trouble—it could default on $400 million in debt come May. “Sooner than most of us think,” the Times will be digital-only, Hirschorn predicts. More»