On Newsweek’s going out of print
I suspect many of you could imagine this morning’s news that Newsweek plans to end its print edition after 80 years hitting close to home for a dead-trees journalist like myself. It doesn’t, and here’s why.
I graduated from college in 2001. Although that was right when a lot of print media outlets were making Internet-related mistakes, I was under no illusions that hard-copy newspapers would be around for my entire career. Two more decades of papers hitting driveways seemed about right to me.
About a decade later, I’m not yet prepared to give printed media no more than 10 years to live. But a couple of things have become clear:
1. Digital is not a death sentence: On the contrary, the era of online journalism has seen a proliferation of media outlets. Some are better than others, some have lasted longer than others. Which leads me to …
2. Quality, not the medium, is what matters: Good, relevant, unique content will attract readers whether it’s delivered in print or online. We may still be at a stage where the transition of a longstanding print outlet to online-only says something about whether that publication was producing good, relevant, unique content. (I can’t really offer an opinion about how Newsweek was doing on that front, other than to say I haven’t picked up a copy in a long time …) But at some point — probably not too far in the future — such a change won’t signal desperation.
Media outlets that don’t produce that kind of content won’t save themselves for long in any medium. That will mean the death of some one-time household names (Newsweek?), even as some new players become mainstays (Slate, Politico). That’s capitalism, or at least how it’s supposed to work.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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172 comments Add your comment
MC
October 19th, 2012
10:18 am
With the same tactics he used as CEO of Bain Capital, Tiberius? But wait he was CEO…he wasn’t CEO…I was I wasn’t. I wonder if that will work for him as president. I’m for it but I’m not. I’m against it but I’m for it…..HELP somebody hand him his binders full of women.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 19th, 2012
10:20 am
MC?
Seek professional help.
Still haven’t justified the Sarah Palin / Glen Rice thing.
MC
October 19th, 2012
10:22 am
Where have you been Tiberius? Glen Rice has confirmed that he and Palin bumped uglies back in 87 while he was playing basketball in the Alaska Shootout and she was a sports reporter in Anchorage.
MC
October 19th, 2012
10:23 am
Google it Tiberius….Google Glen Rice confirms. You’ll find it.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 19th, 2012
10:32 am
And what has this to do with either Newsweek going out of print or this year’s Presidential election?
You’re not only pretty random, but you kinda have a Jerry Springer quality to your posts.
WOW
October 19th, 2012
10:34 am
“You’re not only pretty random, but you kinda have a Jerry Springer quality to your posts.”
Exactly. It should remind everyone of the earlier post of liberals not knowing their dads.
No that was distasteful post from a lonely man. Probably no wife, gf or dates.
MC
October 19th, 2012
10:34 am
Well you took the bait hook line and sinker Tiberius so I guess that makes you part of the Jerry Springer demographic.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 19th, 2012
10:34 am
Oh, and I did Google it, and all the stories were dated back in 2011 (a year and 1/2 ago), and she was unmarried at the time.
So what’s your point?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 19th, 2012
10:38 am
Ooooooo-kay, MC. If you say so . . . .
MC
October 19th, 2012
10:38 am
WOW you just wish you had woman issues I have. lol Got a beautiful Mexican wife and a 25 year old Guatemalan GF. But yeah it can be a difficult life at times.
MC
October 19th, 2012
10:40 am
And btw WOW. What is distasteful about that post? Rice confirms it. 2 of her friends confirm it, and she’s being dead silent about it.
WOW
October 19th, 2012
10:41 am
MC
Wasn’t referring to you. Read back several posts.
Hint: it is the other blogger you are discussing Glenn Rice and Sarah Palin with………..
However I was just agreeing your post was Jerry Springeresce, just like his earlier post regarding liberals and dads.
His was trashy and so was yours.
Maybe you are two peas in a pod
MC
October 19th, 2012
10:46 am
Who’s Jerry Springer anyway WOW?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 19th, 2012
10:46 am
So according to MC’s “logic”, every unmarried woman should speak out about every sexual encounter they had before marriage to the media.
Got it.
Once again, MC, seek professional help.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 19th, 2012
10:48 am
“No that was distasteful post from a lonely man. Probably no wife, gf or dates.”
Happily married to the same woman for over 28 years, WOW. Just celebrated our anniversary last week, in fact.
Anything else you’d like to be wrong about today?
GimmeBackMyBullets
October 19th, 2012
10:48 am
Jerry Springer and Rush Limbaugh share a demographic MC. If that tells you anything.
GimmeBackMyBullets
October 19th, 2012
10:50 am
Obviously Sarah Palin doesn’t have the same color barrier that rightwingers do.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 19th, 2012
10:57 am
Rightwingers don’t have a color barrier.
Just a competency one.
Most of us know crap when we see it.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
October 19th, 2012
10:58 am
Palin derangement syndrome (PDS) is obviously a chronic disease among the left, just hope for their benefit it is covered by Obamacare. If it is terminal, what will the death panels say about the benefits of treatment and the cost.
JKL2
October 19th, 2012
11:36 am
gimme- Jerry Springer and Rush Limbaugh share a demographic MC. If that tells you anything
Not even close. The only thing they share is that Jerry has said he wishes he could be doing a show like Rush. He’s fully aware of the mindless drivel he puts out and who his audience is. He’s also smart enough to understand what his meal ticket is and laughs all the way to the back.
As a firm Democrat, I doubt Rush and Jerry agree on very much…
Anne
October 19th, 2012
11:46 am
I was a Newsweek subscriber for years and years. I’m concerned about the trend away from shared sources of reliable information – some common source of verifiable facts from which we can all form our opinions.
Jack
October 19th, 2012
12:30 pm
I cancelled my subscription to Newsweek years ago; it was so far Left that it lacked any credibility.