For factual and analytical information on the decline of newspapers and the present state of this industry, please visit the smartest folks in the universe of journalism: Poynter Online. I love this site! It just oozes smart, professional and passionate writers.
If however, you'd like to hear from an average Joe who is an above average newspaper reader, online and off, tighten up the circle, throw another log on the fire and listen up.
Once upon a time, about two days ago, I was reading Napoleon Hill's chapter on Initiative in his book, Napoleon Hill's First Edition. Napoleon tells the story about the time he took Tom Edison's Questionnaire. He only got five percent of the questions right. Then he took the list of questions to the library and in thirty minutes he correctly answered ninety-five percent of the questions. Next, he contacted two sources by telephone and within an additional fifteen minutes, had correctly answered the remaining five percent.
My mind began to wander back to a time when I was in tenth grade Woodshop. (Time frame hint: Roberta Flack had the number one hit that year, Whenever I Saw Your Face) We were given half of the school year to complete a project. I was the least talented woodworker in that class. And while a quarter of the students did not complete making their nightstand, I did. Looking back now, I realize this was my first successful experience in managing. I was able to get work done through other people and resources. If I was unsure of a procedure I asked other students. I was unsure of every procedure. Looking back now, I realize this was also my first experience in failure as a manager. While I was obtaining help from others, I detracted them from their own projects, thereby not allowing them to succeed.
Napoleon made me think of this in his tale about Edison's questionnaire. You don't have to know all the facts in the world, you just have to know where to find them. In his article which was written in 1921, Napoleon mentioned three most excellent sources for obtaining information. The public library, any modern university and any modern daily metropolitan newspaper. Here is what he said about newspapers:
Most of the big daily newspapers have on file the pictures of most of the leading men of affairs of the world, and these can be seen or even borrowed by responsible people, as a part of the service the great newspapers are rendering the public.
How often have personal Web site writers been chastised by professional journalists? We are not credible, we do not follow standards and the big one, our sources are unreliable and not factual. I so however, appreciate their point of view. They spent the time and money to become educated. They abide by strict standards and ethics. Their fact checking and sourcing must pass rigorous testing. And they must bring all of this together to meet deadlines.
Perhaps, instead of, like the music industry, worrying how everyone is trying to take a piece of their turf, they should invent new turf. Perhaps they should listen to Napoleon. Perhaps they should get into the service business by providing all of that triple-checked information - for free or use a combination of advertising and nominal annual subscription.
The following is my perception. It is not based upon factual evidence. It is however, what motivates me at this time to not utilize online newspapers for information. Their search engines suck. And when I find anything at all, it is more than seven days old and a fee is required to access it.
Instead of trying to paddle upstream, the newspaper industry should turn the canoe around and put wings on it. Open up their vaults of information, partner with Google and get back into the service business.
The Readership Institute seems to speak of going in this direction, kind of.
