The plight of newspapers is written about all of the time.  Because the new media/internet is taking over, sales are down..advertisers are going elsewhere…what are they going to do??  I saw one recent article about how newspapers will survive if they make the transition over to web/new media.  Something will have to happen, someone will have to move away from the old and be a little creative to maintain readership. 

I read a story recently about Rupert Murdock.  His Senior level guys were sitting with a consultant talking about this very subject…the future.  The consultant said they needed to blog, podcast…get on the web.  The senior guy said, “oh no, we can’t do that…that is impossible!”  Just then Mr. Murdock walked into the room and said, “we are doing it, nothing is impossible!”  Don’t you love that?

Had a recent go around with a local paper.  The business editor says no to so much that I wonder what she actually says yes to.  She and the paper don’t understand the new media, she especially doesn’t understand it impact (the paper might but I doubt it..they claim to have a blogging section but it is a web page with advertisements last time I checked).  If she writes about a business it must be no futher than Norwalk, CT (they are based in Bridgeport) because they can’t afford to go further South even though the paper distributes to Fairfield County.  If she covers a meeting or conference the attendance fee must be $100 or less because she supports the struggling business organizations despite the subject matter.  She won’t accept a story written by the organization/company, the paper must write it themselves but they can’t write the stories because they have no money to pay reporters.  They will feature stories from around the country to the exclusion of local stories because they can pull them from the wire and save money.

Now, does the Connecticut Post Newspaper sound like a publication full of life and good ideas?  Does it sound like it has a strong future because they are thinking outside the box?  Do you think they are going to make it?  Only time will tell! 

Good luck!!