Secrets of the City

Guess people aren’t reading shorter, more illustrated stories either.

I’d like to see print circulation numbers compared to online traffic. I bet at least some of the print loss is offset by an online increase (probably not even close to 5% though).

The other figure I’d like to see is the marginal profit of print v. online readers. I’m guessing print is higher because print advertising generates so much more revenue, but print’s marginal cost is a lot higher, too.

I’m guessing print is higher

Much, much higher. If it wasn’t, the newspaper industry wouldn’t be in such a bad place right now.

Actually, the newspaper industry is in such a bad place right now. A big part of the problem is that advertisers won’t pay the same for online ads that they pay for print ads, even if they’re getting the same number of impressions. If they did, Star Tribune would be in great shape.

Regardless, you’d have a tough time figuring out the maginal profit of startribune.com. They get most of their content for free. The print side of the business pays the salaries of all those writers, and the content is just handed to the online side. So the books look pretty good at startribune.com, but it’s kind of an illusion.

All traditional media is in tough shape. Who listens to free radio anymore? I luv my Ipod and Sirius radio. Broadcast TV has been crashing and burning the last 10 years too (gotta love the TiVo). The monopoly traditional media has had over the last 100 years is over.

That being said, I would rather have the Star Tribune around than not. I don’t relish getting my news from bloggers. Many of these so called ‘news sites’ – this one included – steal all their content from the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press anyway.

Newspapers made a big mistake throwing all their content online for free. What the hell do they expect? They need to get newspapers off line.

I too think free radio will be gone sooner than newspapers. It sucks.

“Newspapers made a big mistake throwing all their content online for free. What the hell do they expect? They need to get newspapers off line.”

They do it because not everyone will keep their stuff off line, and they’re so reliant on wire services now that all the papers are 50% the same

I was in Des Moines this weekend and got back last night, and saw the same stories A section Register as A section Strib.

Sounds like Par stole all that ad data in the nick of time.

I refuse to buy the strib – until the fire Katherine Kersten

– former subscriber.

that seems silly, not buying a paper based on one your dislike for one reporter.

tut-tut, she’s not a reporter. she’s a columnist. that excuses her from even pretending to write the news.

Could we add CJ to the list of columnists to fire?

I love reading the paper over breakfast. I hate dragging my computer around. Everyone makes this so damn complicated.