Is Globe & Mail Going Way Of Do-Do Bird?

[Einar the Dagger]

Newspapers should become more net oriented. Many news sites are cluttered, hard to navigate and hard to read. Stories in convetional newspapers however generaly follow a logical flow, are eaiser to read and work with. Considering the high rate of growth on the web it would be assumed that all newspapers could die out and only thouse with online will survive.

Einar the Dagger

[geoffrey]

I have the Globe and the Post on my desk in the morning, read the Herald at home. I enjoy alot of perspectives from the Globe, I feel like I'm back in Ontario reading it. Then I read the Post and bring myself back to reality.

I had a boss who had his secretary print out all his emails because he was used to memos.

In Italy, you can see how the Bible was transcribed in the 11th century. No doubt some 16th century monks preferred the elaborate hand drawn folios.

Which is odd. I'm a young guy, grew up my entire life with computers and my entire adult (and high school) life with internet access being an obvious taken for granted type thing.

I understand people are used to papers, but I grew up with the internet. There is still something refreshingly different about the newspaper in that form.

One thing that makes me angry about news websites is the tons of annoying ads. It's hard to read at times.

I check the canada.com headline pages every few hours at the office just to make sure something really big isn't going on, I also use various financial news websites throughout the day work related.

So ya, it's nice. But it's not the same.

I can't imagine curling up with my laptop in front of the fire to read The Great Gatsby. Online news is a fantastic compliment to traditional papers.

[Big Blue Machine]

I grew up with the Globe at home, but when I went to university, the business faculty got the National Post for free. It was free, so I read it.

[margrace]

Interesting comments, my family still seems to get a lot of their info from the radio as they drive wherever.

In 1980"s we were at a conference where we toured a large Univercity Library. The librarian was asked if the concept of books was going to disappear as had been predicted with the advent of computers. He said that there was no way that the Univercity libraries could even begin to affor to put all thier books on tape. And it has been my experience that books have become even more popular than they ever were.

[Charles Anthony]

I worked in a public library during the 1980's and we routinely threw out old one-of-a-kind books because there was not enough space for the new trash fiction that the library continued to acquire. The filtering process for deciding which books to throw out was horrifying and shameful enough to make any literate person cry: librarians were checking the little paper Due Date stamps at the back to see the last time it was borrowed.

He said that there was no way that the Univercity libraries could even begin to affor to put all thier books on tape.

Archiving text is not easy nor cheap but there are tons of more options now than before. Why would they put books on tape? That sounds like a lame excuse for a librarian. Microfiche archives have been around for a long long time and they still work well. If a library wants to properly call itself a "library" I think it behooves them to consider microfiching.

With the advent of optical text recognition and computers/scanners becoming cheaper and cheaper, all of the previously printed books can eventually become part of the Gutenburg project. The internet and free markets will make knowledge more affordable and accessible world wide.

There is still something refreshingly different about the newspaper in that form.

The comics, the crosswords, the classifieds, page 3 and the nasty stuff at the back. More seriously though, the introduction of all these new free daily newspapers is peculiar. I think the newspaper industry is flailing around frantically trying to stay afloat. Over the past few years, I have dealt with advertizing sales reps for local papers. The latest rep was trying to convince me of the multitudes of people who constantly read their paper and I said: "-- but they also read other things too. My potential advertizement in your paper would be drowned out." She disagreed and insisted that I was missing out on a great way to increase business. Good luck to the papers. I doubt they will survive. I have seen tons and tons of free newspapers come and go in my city. The only ones that survive are the old ones and the ones that have exclusive content or cater to exclusive audiences.

I can't imagine curling up with my laptop in front of the fire to read The Great Gatsby.

Neither can I. I would curl up and turn on speech synthesis instead.

[August1991]

Despite his personal fortune and impressive lineage, Arthur Sulzberger, owner, chairman and publisher of the most respected newspaper in the world, is a stressed man.

Why would the man behind the New York Times be stressed? Well, profits from the paper have been declining for four years, and the Times company's market cap has been shrinking, too. Its share lags far behind the benchmark, and just last week, the group Sulzberger leads admitted suffering a $570 million loss because of write offs and losses at the Boston Globe.

As if that weren't enough, his personal bank, Morgan Stanley, recently set out on a campaign that could cost the man control over the paper.

All this may explain why Sulzberger does not talk with the press.

But perhaps the rarified alpine air at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, which ended last week, relaxes the CEOs of the world's leading companies. And what began as a casual chat ended in a fascinating glimpse into Sulzberger's world, and how he sees the future of the news business.

Given the constant erosion of the printed press, do you see the New York Times still being printed in five years?

"I really don't know whether we'll be printing the Times in five years, and you know what? I don't care either," he says.

Sulzberger is focusing on how to best manage the transition from print to Internet.

Link

Heck, maybe it'll work.

[Charles Anthony]

This is an exciting find. Like you said above, they still do not see what is happening.

Will it be free?

No, Sulzberger says. If you want to read the New York Times online, you will have to pay.

Big mistake. My advice: do the opposite and figure out a way to make it CHEAPER than free.

"We are curators, curators of news. People don't click onto the New York Times to read blogs. They want reliable news that they can trust," he says.

"We aren't ignoring what's happening. We understand that the newspaper is not the focal point of city life as it was 10 years ago.

"Once upon a time, people had to read the paper to find out what was going on in theater. Today there are hundreds of forums and sites with that information," he says. "But the paper can integrate material from bloggers and external writers. We need to be part of that community and to have dialogue with the online world."

No, he IS ignoring what is happening -- or maybe he has little choice.

In Sulzberger's olden days, people had to read the paper to find out what was going on in theather because THEY WANTED THEATER -- not because they wanted the paper. He must think that people open a phone book because it is the most enjoyable way to find a phone number.

[PolyNewbie]

Mainstream media is losing ground to internet based media that is beyond corporate control. All mainstream media is losing market share. The 30 % of people or more that now believe 911 was an inside job of course knows mainstream is lying all the time because they do not give the truth movement the attention it deserves. Mainstream reporters are really nothing more than government apologists.

[M.Dancer]

The 30 % of people or more that now believe 911 was an inside job of course knows mainstream is lying......

[August1991]

Overall newspaper readership edged up slightly in Toronto's census metropolitan area last year, driven in large part by the growing popularity of free commuter dailies, an industry study suggests.

The Newspaper Audience Databank Inc., or NADbank, a group representing newspapers, advertisers and media buying agencies, conducted the survey. The findings, released yesterday, reflect readership results for 2007.

Among the bright spots, the number of Toronto adults reading a printed edition of any daily newspaper on the average weekday increased by 1.8 per cent to 1,999,300. Known in industry circles as the benchmark "read yesterday" category, a further breakdown of that measure shows the city's free dailies were driving most of the gain.

Metro's readership jumped 16.6 per cent to 434,600, making it the second leading paper in this city behind the Toronto Star.

Torstar Corp. publishes the Star and owns half of Metro. Rival freebie 24 Hours, owned by Quebecor's Sun Media Corp., mustered a 0.8 per cent increase to 348,500 readers.

The trend, however, was not limited to Toronto. Free dailies also added to their readership in Montreal, Vancouver and Ottawa-Gatineau.

...

The Toronto Star maintained its "dominant lead" in the number of readers on a daily and weekly basis. The Star, Canada's most read paper, has 2.9 million readers in print and online, on a weekly basis. But in the read yesterday category, reflecting average weekday readership, the Star recorded a 3 per cent decline, to 952,800 in Toronto.

"Given our recent investments in the newspaper, including a major redesign that makes it easier to read and handle, and given the positive response by readers to those investments, we are surprised by this result," said publisher Jagoda Pike. "But given the readership declines seen in most large Canadian markets, the Star is more than holding its own."

The Toronto Sun's average weekday readership sank by 12.3 per cent to 424,100, while the National Post's total slipped by 0.8 per cent to 223,200.

The Globe and Mail, meanwhile, bolstered its readership by 7.3 per cent to 409,300.

While there has been huge growth in the readership of online editions, Crassweller said there is also plenty of evidence pointing to cross traffic between the two mediums. Stories may break on newspaper websites but print editions tend to provide more detail and analysis.

"Do I think that printed editions of newspapers are going to go away? No, I think they will be the foundation of the news business for a very long time to come," she said.

Toronto Star

If the G&M has gained, it is because of its online edition. The freebie papers are hurting tabloids like the Toronto Sun and the Journal de Montreal. Young people don't buy newspapers. Print editions are not a growth industry. It is wishful thinking to believe otherwise.

One columnist sort of gets it:

Last week, the Newspaper Audience Databank numbers were released, measuring readership results for 2007.

I have no idea what they mean. You, reader, will have no idea what they mean. You will especially have no idea what they mean if you were to read news stories about the NADbank statistics in any of Toronto's four major papers. Newspapers are never so selectively spinning as when reporting on their own state of the union.

It does appear grim, however, the prognosis for my business, or at least the core dead-tree product from which everything else – thus far – devolves, all the online bells and whistles, the videography, the blogs, the interactive shunts.

We are endlessly talking at each other but, alas, not reading so much anymore, falling away from the habit of a tactile newspaper experience, or so the doomsayers cluck. And, because everyone who reads a newspaper believes they know newspapers, opinions are thick on the ground about what ails us.

Rosie diManno

Premium pay sites have the same function as the newstand price on a paper...they aren't there to add much to the revenue (and in cases like the Globe which gets over 360,000 copies coast to coast, it doesn't cover the distribution cost......), they subscription fees are to discriminate.

I can sell a newspaper to a marketer for a lot more if I can prove my readers really want my paper as opposed to that free thing they get at one subway stop and drop at another. If I can show my readers pay ....$250 a year for what I give them then I have a product that delivers a market worthy of their attention.......

If a newspaper web site can show that 20,000 people will pay for access to important info...then they can charge maybe 10x as much for advertising on it.

Morris, I understand your reasoning but I think you're wrong when it comes to online versions. If the papers go the free-access online with advertising route, then they'll be able to show advertisers the number of page views. Moreover, in many cases, they'll be able to tailor advertising space specifically both to readers and advertisers. This is an advertiser's dream even if the user is not a subscriber.

Your argument applies to a print edition - buyers show they're serious as opposed to a freebie. On screen however, there's no such need. When you click on a link, you show your interest.

All this poses numerous technical problems for newspapers. For starters, I don't read the Globe & Mail as such anymore. Instead, I let Google guide me to a website that may be the G & M. I have customized my Google News page into reports in different languages and different topics.

Edited March 10, 2008 by August1991

[M.Dancer]

Toronto Star

If the G&M has gained, it is because of its online edition.

Ummm....no or at least, maybe...I don't think online drives circulation, if anything it eats at circulation, but I would say there may be a small percentage who see the online product and then subscribe for the hard copy.

The G&M has an advantage over middle of the road dailies first and foremost because of the Report on Business which is still required reading for anyone who is serious about business, finance, the economy and their personal investments.

And that is the reason why the G&M maintains its lead with C-suite readers.

[August1991]

Ummm....no or at least, maybe...I don't think online drives circulation, if anything it eats at circulation, but I would say there may be a small percentage who see the online product and then subscribe for the hard copy.

The G&M has an advantage over middle of the road dailies first and foremost because of the Report on Business which is still required reading for anyone who is serious about business, finance, the economy and their personal investments.

And that is the reason why the G&M maintains its lead with C-suite readers.

You're right about ROB (although the FP is good too). I think the NADbank data includes online readership/subscriptions. Dunno.

[M.Dancer]

You're right about ROB (although the FP is good too). I think the NADbank data includes online readership/subscriptions. Dunno.

NADbank measures readership which is distinct from circulation. To be honest I don't know if they measure online, but if they did I imagine it would be a separate category for two reasons, namely content is not identical between the two media and so are the advertisers. Globeandmail.com as well as Investorgold and the other sundry sites have become one of the most lucrative websites in Canada with advertisers forced to wait for premium positioning and frequency.

It's true that young folk don't read the papers as much as they used to, but it is also true that young folk aren't the core target for the G&M and specifically the ROB.

[M.Dancer]

And of course another eason why the Globe's circulation climbs and attacts high quality readers.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/National/home

[August1991]

And of course another eason why the Globe's circulation climbs and attacts high quality readers.

The Globe can have its own awards ceremony where it doles out awards to itself, but I think the cash is better:

The newspaper industry has experienced the worst drop in advertising revenue in more than 50 years.

According to new data released by the Newspaper Association of America, total print advertising revenue in 2007 plunged 9.4% to $42 billion compared to 2006 -- the most severe percent decline since the association started measuring advertising expenditures in 1950.

The drop-off points to an economic slowdown on top of the secular challenges faced by the industry. The second worst decline in advertising revenue occurred in 2001 when it fell 9.0%.

Total advertising revenue in 2007 -- including online revenue -- decreased 7.9% to $45.3 billion compared to the prior year.

There are signs that online revenue is beginning to slow as well. Internet ad revenue in 2007 grew 18.8% to $3.2 billion compared to 2006. In 2006, online ad revenue had soared 31.4% to $2.6 billion. In 2005, it jumped 31.4% to $2 billion.

Link

The newspaper business is changing, even for the Globe.

[M.Dancer]

The Globe can have its own awards ceremony where it doles out awards to itself, but I think the cash is better:Link

The newspaper business is changing, even for the Globe.

The national newspaper awards are independant. Globe's revenues are alos up, incuding the online properties. There is a waiting list for rotation on the website as well as for premium positions within the paper.

[August1991]

THE New York Times once epitomised all that was great about American newspapers; now it symbolises its industry’s deep malaise. The Grey Lady’s circulation is tumbling, down another 3.9% in the latest data from America’s Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC). Its advertising revenues are down, too (12.5% lower in March than a year earlier), as is the share price of its owner, the New York Times Company, up from its January low but still over 20% below what it was last July. On Tuesday April 29th Standard & Poor’s cut the firm’s debt rating to one notch above junk.

The Economist

I've always liked the term "junk" status -even though it's entirely wrong.

The national newspaper awards are independant. Globe's revenues are alos up, incuding the online properties. There is a waiting list for rotation on the website as well as for premium positions within the paper.

The Globe Investor Gold is way over priced for what you get. But I'll admit that the Globe has (maybe) the start of a good model for the next few decades.

From The Economist link above:

Mr Murdoch’s enthusiasm is a reminder that not all newspapers are suffering. He bought the Wall Street Journal last year, and is investing in a vigorous expansion of its political coverage and international news. This foray on to the traditional turf of the Times seems to be working: the Journal’s circulation is rising.

The FT and the WSJ might work well as print papers and online. [i shorted Torstar awhile ago and made a few bucks. I don't want this to become a finance/stock discussion forum so please let's not go there.]

[M.Dancer]

The Globe Investor Gold is way over priced for what you get. But I'll admit that the Globe has (maybe) the start of a good model for the next few decades.

Define over priced?

It has strategic pricing. By charging more for subsciptions they can charge more for advertising. If anything they could charge more for subscriptions..as I said, there is a waiting list for advertisers...

[M.Dancer]

The Globe Investor Gold is way over priced for what you get. But I'll admit that the Globe has (maybe) the start of a good model for the next few decades.

Define over priced?

It has strategic pricing. By charging more for subsciptions they can charge more for advertising. If anything they could charge more for subscriptions..as I said, there is a waiting list for advertisers...

[August1991]

Define over priced?

It has strategic pricing. By charging more for subsciptions they can charge more for advertising. If anything they could charge more for subscriptions..as I said, there is a waiting list for advertisers...

I may have this wrong but $150 a year is too much. First, it doesn't even include the G&M itself and I can do everything better outside of the Globe. (BTW, the best stock info/gossip is hidden in discussion forums.)

It seems the Globe is now going free content but I don't know. Like most papers, it doesn't seem to know how to get online subscribers. For awhile, the Globe had a ridiculous pdf download. For all I know, they still show the screen asking me to pay $10 dollar to access an old article.

----

Morris, this is clearly a work in progress and I understand your idea of charging for advertising. The remarkable thing about the Internet is that advertisers can know what users are doing. I notice that BMO is now on Yahoo Finance in Canada. If I were BMO, I'd start to get original since Yahoo is like crack cocaine. The Globe is staid and boring in comparison.

[M.Dancer]

It seems the Globe is now going free content but I don't know. Like most papers, it doesn't seem to know how to get online subscribers. For awhile, the Globe had a ridiculous pdf download. For all I know, they still show the screen asking me to pay $10 dollar to access an old article.

----

Morris, this is clearly a work in progress and I understand your idea of charging for advertising. The remarkable thing about the Internet is that advertisers can know what users are doing. I notice that BMO is now on Yahoo Finance in Canada. If I were BMO, I'd start to get original since Yahoo is like crack cocaine. The Globe is staid and boring in comparison.

1) The G&M has the largest online subscription bases for it's category. I'm sure they could do better and get more but....

2) When selling premium advertising, it's always who many over how many.

I once represented a trade mag that targetted senior investor relations officers in Canada . Their reach into Canada was 1000 yet I was able to get near $7000 a page. Considering that a normal cost per thousand might be between $35-200 dollar.....