The oldest paper in Colorado...

[OregonDuck1989]

is gone.

The Rocky Mountain News was unable to find a buyer and tomorrow is its last edition.

Personally, this is sad. The death of the newspaper will be slow...but it is eventual...

Final edition tomorrow...

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/feb/26/rocky-mountain-news-closes-friday-final-edition/

[TheNamelessPoet]

mail me a copy of tomorrows paper

[boomboom]

THe Seattle PI, will be be closing soon, as well as the San Francisco Chronicle..both owned by the Hearst.

[OregonDuck1989]

THe Seattle PI, will be be closing soon, as well as the San Francisco Chronicle..both owned by the Hearst.

Sad days for the newspaper industry. It's all but over though, the internet has killed it. There are too many ways to get your news now, its incredibly sad...but a changing of the times.

[Alloutwar]

Uh oh, bad time to be dating a Hearst executive.

::runs away::

[acetoolguy]

Both Philly papers files for chapt. 11, Philly could be the first major US city with out a daily paper.

[boomboom]

What is funny is that they provide the newspaper for free online.
www.seattletimes.coim
www.seattlepi.com

If they want to sell there newspaper, it shouldn't be free via internet. People will become more internet savy and read it online. No content should be free.

[Arctic Blast]

What is funny is that they provide the newspaper for free online.
www.seattletimes.coim
www.seattlepi.com

If they want to sell there newspaper, it shouldn't be free via internet. People will become more internet savy and read it online. No content should be free.

They're hoping to pull in enough web traffic that they can sell ad space, making up for their lost ad revenue as newspaper circulation numbers drop off. If they dropped the free online edition, they'd lose any revenue from online advertising.

[OregonDuck1989]

They're hoping to pull in enough web traffic that they can sell ad space, making up for their lost ad revenue as newspaper circulation numbers drop off. If they dropped the free online edition, they'd lose any revenue from online advertising.

True, but they could do something similar to ESPN where some articles are only available through payment. That way they still have ad revenue (which, since the .com bust hasn't been that profitable to begin with) and revenue from subscriptions.

[BINGLEBOP]

What is funny is that they provide the newspaper for free online.
www.seattletimes.coim
www.seattlepi.com

If they want to sell there newspaper, it shouldn't be free via internet. People will become more internet savy and read it online. No content should be free.

Yeah, I always found that funny when I would be contacted by one of the Minneapolis/St. Paul newspapers to talk about subscribing. After they tell me about their "great rates", I tell them that I can read it for free on their website and that it's more convenient (for me) to be able to do that (especially on my BlackBerry) than carrying the newspaper around.

[Arctic Blast]

True, but they could do something similar to ESPN where some articles are only available through payment. That way they still have ad revenue (which, since the .com bust hasn't been that profitable to begin with) and revenue from subscriptions.

A lot of them actually DO do it that way, or they offer expanded coverage online for more.

[OregonDuck1989]

A lot of them actually DO do it that way, or they offer expanded coverage online for more.

Yep, some do do it this way (The New York Times is a prime example). And I think it's the smartest way to do things when it comes to LOCAL news on the internet.

People can get their world news anywhere so offering that for free isn't a big deal but they can't get their local news anywhere so unless its breaking news or a big deal (a wildfire or something) I would charge for local news.

[Pete4256]

I am sure the blacksmiths feel the pain the newspaper are going through today.

You have to keep up with the technology or get left behind.

Recording Artist are also getting a wake up call now as well.
Movie Stars are next in line. I can see within the next 10 years animation putting a lot of Stars out of work.
Examples are comedy movies currently being made with one actor playing all the parts. It's a joke now, but it is the way of the future.

Once the animation can catch up to the audio technology we now have today it will happen. You can make a man sound like a woman and/or a woman sound like a man (examples of this has happened in cartoons for years). So, once the animation can be digitally enhanced it will cut the budget for making films big time.

[Jeffy25]

Sad news. wild thing: My father owns a ton of newspapers throughout the midwest, but mainly only rural area papers

[OregonDuck1989]

Sad news. wild thing: My father owns a ton of newspapers throughout the midwest, but mainly only rural area papers

Those might make it through. I can see rural area papers making it easy. People in those areas desire local news and can only get it from that one media. (Denver has television, the internet, etc.)

[Pete4256]

Here's a thought.

Why doesn't the newspaper sell commercial ads in the paper. These could then cover the cost of the paper and they could give the paper away for free.

That's right they do that now. But they want to spend more than what the ads can bring in income. Point is you can't spend more than you make. The trick worked for awhile be not forever.

The car makers have done the same type of game. You can't afford a new car ... no problem lease it. Now in this economy .. You can't afford to lease ... they go out of business.

People,you have to cut cost and be more productive... you can't just keep raising your prices.

[OregonDuck1989]

Here's a thought.

Why doesn't the newspaper sell commercial ads in the paper. These could then cover the cost of the paper and they could give the paper away for free.

That's right they do that now. But they want to spend more than what the ads can bring in income. Point is you can't spend more than you make. The trick worked for awhile be not forever.

The car makers have done the same type of game. You can't afford a new car ... no problem lease it. Now in this economy .. You can't afford to lease ... they go out of business.

People,you have to cut cost and be more productive... you can't just keep raising your prices.


Free Papers are losing more then regular papers at this point.

Grand Junction, Colorado is an example of a free paper (The Grand Junction Free Press) unable to live on ad revenue. Why? Companies are cutting corners, if a paper runs strictly on ad revenue they charge more for advertisements yeah? Someone who has subscriptions will charge less because they are making profit not just on ad revenue. Also, your ad team is mostly based off people working on commission. If your selling a lot of ads...your ad team is making a lot of that money too.

In a world of two newspapers per city you are consistently competing for the best paper, and if you run it to strictly make money off of ad revenue you will lose readers because you won't cover everything the paper that charges subscriptions will. Your not only competing against your own debt, your competing against another paper. (Example-Free Press vs. Grand Junction Daily Sentinel)

A paper like the Greeley Tribune, or a rural area paper that has no competition locally can afford to cut some corners on national news because they must make a profit.

But world of media is cut throat. If more people are reading your competitor...your screwed ad wise.


As much of a good idea a free paper can be...it doesn't solve much.