Proposal for a Magazine’s Survival

The future of the magazine industry is uncertain. In recent years ad revenue has declined and circulation numbers have been left to dwindle. The one thing that rings true is that the current magazine business model is flawed and needs to undergo modification to ensure the survival of the industry.

In one of my journalism classes I wrote a proposal that addressed some of the problems magazines face today along with a few possible solutions. In order to illustrate my proposal I created a fictional publication called ‘Buzz Magazine’ and discussed the steps it would need to take to reach success.

The following are some of the key points in that proposal.

-Become an online entity with a quarterly print supplement.

-The print editions would consist of 50% to 60% advertising and would entice readers to register to the online version.

-The magazine would employ a full editorial department and would hire staff on a volunteer basis to save on cost.

-Online subscriptions would become mandatory for readers wishing to view original online content.

-Taking its cue from social-networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, the magazine would offer online users the option of creating personal profiles to interact with one another. Forums would also be implemented to engage readers in discussion.

-Promotional items (i.e. t-shirts, hats, buttons) would be created and used for the benefit of the online site.

-The magazine would also sponsor live events to attract readers and to promote the company message.

So, these were some of the suggestions I offered to keep a new magazine publication afloat. Of course, no one person has the right answer to the industry problem. Several working solutions need to be interwoven into one great big remedy for the industry’s woes and that has yet to be seen.

Signed,
Chris Mellides

US Government Says ‘No’ To Newspaper Industry Bailout

Graphic courtesy of David Gibson

During a press gathering on Monday, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters that while the administration is saddened by the newspaper industry’s plight, a government bailout will not be issued.

This news comes at no surprise, considering the general relationship newspapers have had with the United States government since the founding of this country.

For months now, newspapers have been subjected to cost cuts and company layoffs resulting from losses in print advertising and dwindling circulation numbers.

Perhaps the biggest thorn in the industry’s side, is the new method of news consumption most readers have turned to, namely, free online access to national and global news.

For more info click here.

Signed,
Chris M.

New York Times To Issue Price Increase

In a bold move to increase profits and balance a loss in advertising, the New York Times has decided to increase its newsstand prices.

Monday to Saturday editions will see an increase from $1.50 to $2.00 and the Times’ Sunday edition will likely jump from $5 to $6, according to wholesalers.

While the newspaper industry continues to experience tanking advertising revenues and circulation figures, the New York Times’ print edition price increase is expected to rake in close to $40 million a year, which is a tempting prospect for a growing body of beaten newspapermen.

While this may seem fine in theory, price increases for print newspapers have often been met with a decrease in circulation numbers, which indicate a following decline in local and national advertising.

It’s far too early to tell whether this price hike will benefit the Times’ financial standing, but coming months will likely reveal the answer to this stipulation.

Read more about it here.

Signed,
Chris Mellides

Clear Channel Axes 590 Radio Employees

Clear Channel Communications announced additional staff cuts Tuesday.

This action serves as the second round of massive employee firings and not even on-radio personalities are immune to it.

Clear Channel is the largest owner of American radio stations and its parent company, CC Media Holdings Inc. also stated that it would suspend its 401(k) plan for employees for the remainder of the work year.

The latest cut directly affects 2.7 percent of Clear Channel’s total workforce, which amounts to the loss of roughly 22,100 paid positions.

The previous cut to the radio division came during the month of January, where 1,850 jobs were lost.

Read the Associated Press story here.

Signed,
Chris M.

Twitter Gains Speed

Since its launch in March 2006, Twitter has become something of a cultural phenomenon. Even celebs, like Oprah and Ashton Kutcher are embracing this crazed message alert/ social networking site at racing speeds.

While it’s true that most Twitter members make use of the site’s services to spew trivial messages that range from their favorite colors to what they ate for breakfast, some major publications and even politicians use Twitter to engage their audiences and to promote their own brand of messages.

Put simply, Twitter is a micro-blogging website that allows for the transferring of short messages between users over the Internet. Additionally, members can opt to receive Twitter messages on their mobile phones and scarcely use the website unless they wish to tweek their individual profiles.

Whether this Twittering phenomena is just a simple fad is yet to be seen. For the time being though, expect it to remain stamped in everyone’s conscious minds for at least a little longer.

Read more here.

Happy reading!

Signed,
Chris M.

The Demise of Finnish Paper Adds Perspective to US Newspaper Industry Debacle

Courtesy of dallasobserver.com

Newspapers may find themselves losing additional capital by ditching their printed products for web-only publication, according to a study conducted by researchers from the City University in London.

In December 2007 a Finnish newspaper called ‘Taloussanomat’ abandoned its print version and went online-only. This move was put into motion after the paper had undergone countless loses, but this wasn’t enough to save the publication from a brutal termination.

Using this foreign newspaper’s demise as a working model for today’s newspaper industry plight, researchers believe that before a paper kills its print edition it “would need its costs to significantly outstrip its income.”

Neil Thurman, senior lecturer in electronic publishing at City and one of the study’s authors proclaimed that he severally doubted that a significant chunk of US newspaper titles are doing so poorly that a web-only future is the only solution to current industry fears.

He and others believe that newspaper publications must not act hastily in their decisions to move online, lest they take a gamble in turning into the next  ’Taloussanomat’.

Here’s the story in full. Click here.

Happy reading!

Signed,
Chris M.

YouTube to Launch Premium Movie and TV Show Section

Recently, Google announced plans to create a premium section for YouTube, which will include a growing list of hit movies and television shows to be viewed for free by the public.

The catch is that advertising will creep its way into the viewing experience and it’s in this respect that Google and those studios interested in supplying YouTube with film and television show content are hoping to turn a buck.

So far, this arrangement has sparked the interest of MGM, Sony and a several other content suppliers. This site feature is limited to the US and it’ll be a while before foreign web surfers can gain access. YouTube will continue to support user-generated content, but this new adaptation to the site is what’s believed to garner the most cash by those in charge.

Wow.

This might actually mean that (gasp) YouTube will start making money. One can only hope that this is the case.

Generally speaking, this seems to be a good move and the right step for Google to take in light of growing concerns over a hurt economy and online profit woes.

Click here and happy reading,

Signed,
Chris Mellides

Journalism School…Now That’s Comedy!

In her article titled, “Who the Hell is Enrolling in Journalism School Right Now?” Sarah Lacy brings up several interesting and painfully obvious points.

She starts by briefly discussing her writing background. She states that 10 years ago she graduated with a mediocre GPA and a Liberal Arts degree and landed a writing job almost immediately. She wrote business news shortly after she graduated and the kicker is that she knew nothing about the business field and had zero journalistic training under her belt.

Everything she learned about the field and all of her professional knowledge came from her work experience, which grew after each passing year.

Meanwhile her idiot friend enrolled in J School at around the same time and was promised the world. These instructors informed Lacy’s friend that her schooling and the contacts she would make along the way would give her a competitive edge and would lay the foundation to warrant a great career in journalism. Sound familiar?

Well, after graduating with a degree in journalism, Lacy’s friend never stuck with it. Meanwhile, Lacy was living comfortably and doing her best work in the business field. To this day, she’s still doing well.

Lacy closes her article by saying, “…you’re not going to learn how to exploit it (the current media industry) in a stuffy classroom taught by people who got there by working at newspapers.”

The point that this author is trying to make is that yes, there is hope for young journalists looking for some footing in the industry. However, enrolling in journalism school is a senseless act because it’s a journalism degree that might end up hurting you when it comes to landing a gig fresh out of college.

Now, I’ve known this for quite some time. Not a day goes by that I don’t question why it is I’m continuing my studies in journalism. How counter-productive. The truth is, I’d rather cover a real beat than be forced to learn the fundamentals of “covering a beat” in some stupid classroom.

You could say that I’m being taught by dinosaurs who are on the verge of extinction. They’ve had their careers in journalism and have either failed or retired. Either way, I get the feeling that I’ve been lied to in just about every journalism class I’ve ever taken.

Surely, these professors must know that what they teach is easily outmatched by real life experience and that a decent chunk of their students will not make it in the industry.

I think that the sooner journalism students come to this understanding and start asking themselves the right questions, the better off they’ll all be.

-Chris

LA Times Ad Blunder

The Los Angeles Times displayed an ad on its front page Thursday that looked and read like a real news brief.

This unconventional advertising method is the first of its kind to hit newspapers and may signify the beginning of things to come.

The one-column advertisement was for a new NBC cop program that read as a reporter’s first person account depicting what it was like to follow the show’s star on patrol.

This piece of writing was written under an alternate type face that differed from the rest of the front page content and was accompanied by a traditional ad for the cop drama at the bottom of the page.

This ballsy move was heavily scrutinized by industry people and deemed to be in poor taste by journalists on board the LA Times. Some of these staffers even suggested that the advertisement be pulled from the front page, but it was Times publisher Eddy Hartenstein who approved the ad thinking that it would help the publication financially.

Adam Stotsky, president of NBC Entertainment marketing, claimed that the Times ad concept was “innovative” and a “breakthrough.” See here

It’s unknown as to whether or not this advertising concept will be copied and used elsewhere. While it is possible this writer hopes that journalistic integrity and concern for readers outweighs such a thing from becoming commonplace among newspapers.

Signed,
Chris Mellides

Boston Globe To Fold Or Will It?

In 1993 the New York Times Co. acquired the Boston Globe for approximately $1.1 billion.

This move strengthened the popular news organization’s national influence and by seizing another stable and altogether profitable news entity there was no telling just how powerful the Times would become.

Some 16 years later, the New York Times sees itself drifting closer and closer to the possible abandonment of it’s print efforts for a chance at a purely online existence.

The recession has not been kind to the Times, which is now $1.1 billion in debt, according to the Associated Press.

Faced with a crippling recession with trying times still to come, the New York Times is now threatening to fold Boston’s premier newspaper unless $20 million in union worker compromises are made.

Some industry experts are quick to cite the many layoffs and buyouts the Globe has seen over the years and claim that there’s a pattern there. They view the Times Co. as an entity that has announced the closing of the Boston Globe just so that they can assume a favorable advantage in negotiations of the paper’s future. This of course is just speculation.

The whole story can be read on editor and publisher dot com. Follow the link for more in-depth information.

Signed,
Chris Mellides