Stop The Press!

American Demographics, July 1, 2003 by Peter Francese

Several years of experience indicate that what readers crave is a well-designed and content-rich newspaper tightly integrated with an attractive Web site that expands on the printed content. It should not be a surprise that consumers turn to several types of media, broadcast as well as print, for news and information and do not appear to have excluded any of them yet.

A number of newspapers are successfully adapting to today's complex and competitive media landscape. Some are providing different digital content to different demographic or geographic segments within their market, while others are practicing a basic tenet of marketing: Talk to customers as often as possible, and ask them what they want.

Publishers who have done so have found out a profound truth: The changing business environment is an experience they share with their readers. And those readers are willing to pay for compelling stories that help them better understand and deal with the complex world in which they live and work.

Peter Francese is the founder of American Demographics. He can be reached at peter@francese.com.

PAPER CHASE

As younger householders loosen their purse strings for broadband and other information services, older ones are spending more on newspapers.

SPENDING ON NEWSPAPERS AND ONLINE INFORMATION SERVICES IN 2001