E-Media Tidbits

Slate Slate's Michael Kinsley believes the news will survive, but not the paper.

Yesterday in Time, Slate's Michael Kinsely asked, Do Newspapers Have a Future? (Jim Romenesko already mentioned this, but I think it bears further exploration -- especially since Time doesn't support online comments, grumble grumble...)

Anyway, Kinsley wrote: "The fact that people won't pay for news on the Internet isn't as devastating for the old medium as it seems. People don't pay for their news in traditional newspapers: they pay for the paper, which typically costs the company more than it charges for the finished product. So in theory, giving away the news without the paper looks like a good deal for newspapers, if they can keep the advertising."

I'm wondering, does this ring true for those of you in the news industry? I realize that the capital and supply costs are high for print papers, but salaries are, after all, another huge expense. I'd love to hear from others whether this reflects economic realities for newspapers.

Kinsley also wrote: "The 'me to you' model of news gathering -- a professional reporter, attuned to the fine distinctions between 'off the record' and 'deep background,' prizing factual accuracy in the narrowest sense -- may well give way to some kind of 'us to us' communitarian arrangement of the sort that thrives on the Internet. But there is room between the New York Times and myleftarmpit.com for new forms that liberate journalism from its encrusted conceits while preserving its standards, like accuracy."

I'm glad he said that, since there is ample room for credible, useful news that lies between traditional journalism and a one-way trip to hell in a handbasket. Not to mention that all models of news gathering and reporting can peacefully co-exist.

(UPDATE 11AM MST: On Sept. 23, the Innovations in Newspapers blog covered  predictions offered by Earl Wilkinson executive director of of the International Newspaper Maketing Association at the recent INMA European Conference in Barcelona.)