7 big mistakes killing newspapers

When quarterly circulation figures next ping the email boxes of newspaper publishers, it is likely to be another sea of red.

I am old enough that I recall those days as an editor when you could experience the adrenalin rush of a circulation spike. No such thing today. In the past five years, moderate decline, say negative one to three per cent, is as good as it gets.

The romantic in us wants to believe newspaper decline will plateau. There is no evidence of this.

However, there are seven big mistakes that newspapers regularly make that are killing them. Avoid them, and you can make print stronger for longer.
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TAKE 3-MINUTE NEWSPAPER SURVEY

​“Didn’t you get the email? Print is dead!”

Newspaper circulation globally, aside from China and India (60 per cent of the market), continues to nose-dive. Australia and Oceania (including New Zealand) has experienced among the steepest declines, a loss of towards 25 per cent over five years, according to the last WAN-IFRA World Press Trends survey.

The response from publishers has been to move news to online products. But digital ad revenue has proven a mirage, not the least because Facebook and Google have taken almost all of the new sales volume. Some media companies have responded by rewiring  their business models and leverage their subscriber base for new sources of revenue, selling them other products and services.

But what about those publishers who still have significant newspaper properties, who are still making a buck? How can they make print stronger for longer?

The three biggest problems I find common to media owners and managers are:

1. They are overwhelmed by the general media landscape and what the future will bring;
2. They are under enormous pressure because of declining revenue, fixed costs and unsympathetic market forces;
3. But they are stuck in the headlights. They do not know what to do next.

When I sit down with those facing this perfect storm, I first offer reassurance.

As a former editorial director and newspaper editor, I think the print industry deserves a break. For the past 10 to 15 years, newspapers have responded as best they could to full-frontal assaults from the internet and social media - and many have weathered the storm, albeit a little beaten and jaded.
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Newspaper people are smart people - and they have had a crack at a range of initiatives to improve their products and sales.

The second thing I do is try and help them learn from the mistakes of others. Certainly, I have come across some common themes in working for and with publishers over three decades. 

I would distill these mistakes down to seven big ones:

1. Not niching: Newspapers can blame the internet and social media for all manner of things, but nothing will hurt them more than forgetting their sole mission - to serve an audience. Long gone are the days that newspapers could be all things to all people. Today, they need to define their patch and cover it better than anyone.
2. Protecting print to a fault: This argument still gets an airing - “if we do online and social we will cannibalise print”. For many companies, print can have a comfortable place in the product eco-system alongside a subscriber or member website, email newsletter, social media and other channels. Even in markets where print has primacy, digital media can be used in a smart way to retain and grow audience and reach. ​
3. Lacking strategy: Not having a plan is worse than having a bad one. Without a business strategy, staff have no compass. Around content, be clear about the target audience and how various channels and media will be used to craft superb storytelling.
4. Talking print down: It is no wonder that many in the community believe print does not have a future when the industry’s communications have for the most part been a real downer. Situationally, print still makes an impact - and for some companies more than 80 per cent of their revenue. I devour local and trade publications and regularly come across ones that are stacked with ads and first-class content. When I see these titles, I feel like storming down to their offices and demanding to see the editor: “Didn’t you get the email? Print is dead!”
5. Being production heavy: Despite new technology, some newsrooms work the same way they did generations ago, with a factory line that pumps out content at the end. Successful modern newsrooms are flexible and journalists are empowered to self-publish. To focus on content, newsrooms need to eliminate or automate as much production as possible.
6. Going lone ranger: Making change in any business is hard. Making it in a newsroom, where there are extraordinary pressures, is almost impossible as part of the day-to-day. Editors typically start the day with good intentions but are soon sidelined by operational demands. Treat change like a project with dedicated resource and planning - otherwise it will not happen.
7. Taking too long: The pace of change is going to quicken - so if things are trending south around revenue and circulation then every month that floats past without a commensurate response will be costly. I have seen publishers only take action, despite thinking about it for a long time, after trading falls off the proverbial cliff.
8. Not having fun: Okay, I said seven mistakes, but here is a bonus tip - enjoy. Producing newspapers is hard work but they are great fun too. They serve a strong community purpose and are cherished by billions of people around the world.​

 

• Are there other mistakes we make in newspapers? Email [email protected]

* Stuart Howie is the Executive Director of Flame Tree Media, a media and communications consultancy. He consults to media in Australia and New Zealand helping them to transform their newsrooms and operations.​