Print Media Czars Struggle With Digital Upsurge - Page 2
Timely dissemination of print news is often hampered due to procedural delay at the editor's desk in an established newspaper office. The time it takes for a regular reporter's story to be published in a newspaper is 3 to 4 days, whereas in the case of a freelancer, it is usually around 3 to 4 weeks, unless it is political, sports or disaster news. Compare that to a digital version that gets uploaded instantaneously and you get a picture why print media is losing out. This is probably one reason why newspaper management wants nifty digital versions to be popular, newsy and revenue earning.
However the pay wall strategy is a long term game and the sudden decline in online subscriptions can be a temporary loss. The Wall Street Journal, which boasts a million paid subscribers, took a decade to build its following. Besides, like the Financial Times, it has developed a unique mechanism of giving part content free per month to registered users, ensuring that visitors keep coming back to it for at least the part available free to them. It is said that the WSJ has 20 million free online readers for its million plus paid readers. The turmoil in the media world, especially in the print segment, has been ushered in by the coming of age of digital segment and will intensify during the coming decade, as the ad-spend on the digital media is increasing.
Follow Technorati