The sweet solution to the Newspapers’ problem…
Yesterday, we reported that newspapers are now making a big move into the world of video.
Good for them.
Not that they haven’t been there before.
But there is potential.. if….
If they have the courage to go ‘all the way’ and seize the future instead of recreating a past that is already dying.
The future is in non-linear, on demand and online TV. I don’t even know if we can call it TV anymore, but let’s just for convenience sake.
Soon, the large plasma monitor in your living room is going to have broadcast, cable and the web – and you won’t be able to tell, nor will you care, what you are watching. All content, all the time.
This is the ‘space’ of the future – although many early adapters are there already.
Who is going to own this space?
It’s virgin territory – for those with the courage  to make the ‘big leap’ and seize it first.
And what is the ‘big leap’?
Newspapers have all that they need to move into and own this territory – or at least a good part of it.
For years, when it came to video, newspapers were (and still are) intimidated by their broadcasting cousins. If you ever worked in a TV newsroom, you know this is crazy because every TV newsroom starts their day the same way – they open the newspaper to find out which storiesy they should be covering.
Newspapers have the opportunity to cut out the middle man – the TV station – if they have the courage to move.
Right now, even the  most aggressive of the newspapers is busy putting a few videos on their newspaper look-alike website.  This is also crazy.  People don’t watch video the way they read the paper. (Why not put radio on your paper as well???)
By making their staffs video literate and with the addition of a few VJs (really a few, but well trained and well run), the papers can start producing content for cable. Why not? What, exaclty, does it take to produce content for cable? A few good ideas (the papers are filled with them), a few good people (likewise). A few good writers (where else would you look), and presto – instant cable production company.
And were is the money in cable (TV, online -call it what you want)… well…
You have a machine in your livingroom that is giving you real time data – up to the minute on what people want to see on TV and advertisers are willing to pay for. Â Turn it on! Watch it! What do you see? Â Cupcake Wars. Â Hey, Washington Post Company. Do you have anyone in your newsroom who can make Cupcake Wars? Â Yes… go ask the janitor and the intern. Â OK. You’re done. You’re in business. You have an income. Now you can pay for the news in whatever format you want.
2 Comments
Casimira Blue April 27, 2013
Cable television is a system of distributing television programs to subscribers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables or light pulses through fiber-optic cables. This contrasts with traditional broadcast television (terrestrial television) in which the television signal is transmitted over the air by radio waves and received by a television antenna attached to the television. FM radio programming, high-speed Internet, telephone service, and similar non-television services may also be provided through these cables..
My favorite website
<http://www.caramoan.co
Ken Boff February 09, 2012
Great perspective on the directions journalism is taking as it tries to find its way through the uncertain waters of the digital revolution. I guess they think newspapers will ultimately look like Harry Potter newspapers–newsprint with moving pictures.
On a side note, here’s a great piece of video on CNN iReport on a chocolate shop in Atlanta that only uses fair trade chocolate. The video show a high level of sophistication and media literacy–and it was done by a student at Grady High School in Atlanta.
http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-743699