- The Cat

jerryofva on January 7, 2009 at 3:05 PM

This is precisely what is wrong with the current business model of most TV station websites, particularly at the local level. It’s unfortunate b/c I think TV more than newspapers is in a better position to profit from the shift to Internet, simply because they can provide video. They are also in a position to learn from the mistakes that newspapers have made in their online business models, since newspapers have been far ahead of TV in that respect for many years. Still even in spite of all of this, in the face of eroding on-air revenues, this golden goose known as the TV station website sits in their newsrooms unembraced, underutilized, and understaffed. It’s a shame really — I think Internet is the only way TV news can hope to survive in the future but TV seems stubbornly or ignorantly unable to marry the two media.

Personally I think Pajamas TV is exactly the direction that TV news will take in the future. Instead of being centralized into a single station or network, it will be a looser network of individuals each producing their own packs and uploading them to a website where they can be viewed on demand. It will no longer be spoon fed to us; we won’t have to sit through a boring story about the city council in order to get to a juicier one (or to the weather report which, other than local sports scores, is the REAL reason people still watch TV news). We can choose the stories we want to watch. Reporters with the chops and the ambition to go out and consistently get the good stories, to really INVESTIGATE, will get more streams and will (ostensibly) get paid accordingly for their effort. We might actually get some quality news instead of some of the slop that passes for it today. It will be capitalism at its finest.

Finally: Internet overtakes newspapers as primary source of news

FTFY

My collie says:

No need to thank us. Just bein’ neighborly.

The field has expected convergence for a decade.

Sign of the Dollar on January 7, 2009 at 4:09 PM

Yet, up until recently most big-ass-papers were afraid, if not unwilling to scoop their print editions with their websites.

This is only an opinion. Sites like RealClearPolitics during elections and fantasy leauge/sports fanatics helped them see the folly of this.

The field has expected convergence for a decade.

Sign of the Dollar on January 7, 2009 at 4:09 PM

People expect babies for 9 months. Still, some have no name at birth.

All this means is people are reading CNN and The New York Times (15th and 25 most-visited websites in the United States, respectively) online, rather than watching the same content on television or buying the newspaper.

benny shakar on January 7, 2009 at 3:28 PM

You keep whistling past the graveyard with that thought. I was privileged enough to spend time with some of the founders of and early contributors to Newseum. These are very bright men — much more fair minded than you might presume. These guys were making an earnest attempt at saving papers through technology. They admitted openly that they were all late to the game.

Newspapers document history. It was impossible for many to believe that they could be victims of it.

The problem with newspaper culture at the top of the food chain is not so much the bias. (I believe bias is much more prevalent among editors and reporters.) Rather it is the absolute inability to adjust to technological changes. Many papers profit margins were so high for so long basically because they didn’t pay for new technology.

When I was in reporting, my boss and editors were floored when I was using digital recorders and files, instead of tape, to transcribe interviews. The computers upon which I would file articles were older than my kids. The focus on newsprint was tragic and unwavering for so long. There were actually arguments about whether or not to allow interactivity on the paper’s message boards? WTF? What is a message board without comments? If typewriters were feasible, they would have used those.

That being said, Tribune, Gannet and other papers are successful online, but that success does not outweigh the hemorrhaging taking place in their brick-and-mortar outfits.

Pretty soon, NYT, LAT, WP, etc will be losing thousands of readers to sites like HotAir, Politico, HuffPo, even Yahoo…and the aggregate king Drudge. If Craigslist ever starts delivering news…forget it.

Presumably Benny, you have no say in how papers address their current plummet. That’s good. Because I don’t want to see the demise of the press. Our founders thought enough of a free press to protect in our First Amendment.

Here’s a newspaper guy who just might get it.

Look at that trend.

The talking head dopes on network tv will be toast in 3 to 4 years, thank god.

We can’t let MoronicMarkos be the alternative.

I know Hope ain’t do it.

Pardon, Hope ain’t doin’ it, and won’t do it.

pannw on January 7, 2009 at 3:15 PM

Yes, of course, you and I know of media bias and many people don’t. I might have to go 2 search pages deep in order to get what I’m after. But the opportunity is there. If I had to rely on the NYT or the NYDN from the guy on the corner, I’d be in a world of hurt.

Which means that right reputable sydicators and bloggers have nothing but the opportunity to grow.

I know Hope ain’t do it. Misery won’t, either. Thus, I comment here.

I don’t frequent lefty blogs or papers. Why feed the Monster?

jp on January 7, 2009 at 3:49 PM

I’m sure Huck can trot out a few bible-approved “knock knock” jokes.

He could wear jeans too.

That wouldn’t be lame at all.

So I’m with the majority! Yay!

All this means is people are reading CNN and The New York Times (15th and 25 most-visited websites in the United States, respectively) online, rather than watching the same content on television or buying the newspaper.

benny shakar on January 7, 2009 at 3:28 PM

So everyone who has eschewed the NYT hard copy has switched to their website, and nothing else? Pfft.

You are amusing, bunny shaker.

I’d rather have ABC, CBS and the NY Times a 60/40 liberal split on thew news than DailyKos and Jon Stewart giving 100% liberal tilt.

This might be one of those situations where we got what we wished for – the death of the Old Media – and will wish we hadn’t wished for it.

benny shakar on January 7, 2009 at 3:28 PM

Of course people view the sites of the ‘big media’, but they’re also exposed to far more alternative sites that present better information. The old guard has lost their stranglehold on the information stream.

There are “reform the GOP” websites that basically say all GOP leaders are evil neocons and its only Ron Paul and his policies that are “true conservative” and in the mold of “Reagan and Goldwater”. Upside down world, but these guys will go out of their way to bash Republicans and either praise Obama OR softly criticize him and say “He’s really just like the neo-cons’