With all this talk about the looming demise of the newspaper and print industry, it was refreshing to read about what one paper in northeast Pennsylvania is doing to stay ahead of the curve. Beatblogging.org reports that the Pocono Record has gone from the traditional way of reporting to assigning each staff reporter a virtual beat–thus, requiring every employee to publish online, while virtual beat managers are responsible for placing content on a variety of platforms (i.e. print, online, email, mobile, etc.). With virtual papers, breaking news is covered in real time–not on a print deadline. This doesn’t mean, however, that print is pushed to the way side. As the Pocono has shown, integration of both mediums are possible: Time sensitive news is allotted to the Web, while features and in-depth analysis items go to print.
Ultimately, Pocono believes the industry’s survival is contingent on providing the kind of content that readers want, rather than offering content solely based on its own agenda. For all the juicy tidbits, read the full article here.
As for me, I think the idea of integrating the two mediums as described above has huge potential. There’s also been talk of micro-payments/subscriptions from the major papers as another solution, but obviously in implementing this, there would have to be universal consensus.
I’m not a huge fan of letting readers’ demand be a major driving force that determines what’s on the front page. Call me an elitist, but I think there’s some validity in having “gatekeepers” in the industry telling you what’s newsworthy–especially in this cheap celeb-obsessed society.
It’s difficult for me to envision the print industry dying off completely. I just can’t imagine the vast majority of readers preferring to hold an austere electronic device over a malleable form of print. There’s something organic about having a newspaper or book at the palm of your hands; it gives avid readers that ritualistic opportunity of licking their fingers to turn a page, scribbling a few notes in their own handwriting or underlining a great quote. Owning a worn and torn print copy of something is kind of like owning the wrinkles on your face. It’s a badge of honor. (But never you mind that this blogger is all about erasing her wrinkles!)