tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post30240479659317438..comments2024-03-04T17:54:32.559+00:00Comments on Iain Dale's Diary: Job Cuts at the IndyIain Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03270146219458384372noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-15149422296194379522009-03-10T14:36:00.000+00:002009-03-10T14:36:00.000+00:00Filter said... “There's a little bit of the newspa...Filter said... <I>“There's a little bit of the newspaper industry's own doing in this - by making their content free on the web. Who decided that 'web' should mean ‘free’?”</I><BR/><BR/>There were early attempts - notably in the States - to introduce a subscription model. Far too few were prepared to pay to make it viable except with specialist financial publications. Even fewer would pay now. The only way to sustain a mainstream on-line newspaper outside the BBC’s tax model is through (far too limited) advertising.<BR/><BR/>The <I>LA Times</I> has cut and cut staffing to ludicrously low levels and is still doing so. You cannot sustain a proper newspaper-style staffing level on present or foreseeable on-line advertising revenue. The <I>LA Times</I> is not doing so.<BR/><BR/>And to Paul Halsall I stand by my position. The <I>Indie</I> has never been profitable. Many newspapers in the past have been rich men’s playthings. <BR/><BR/>I unfortunately believe that in 20 years there will be no serious national newspapers left. It may be considerably sooner. I say 20 years to be conservative. (And I don’t include the <I>Mail, Mirror or Sun</I> in that; I’m only talking about what used to be called the “broad-sheets” before they stopped being that.)<BR/><BR/>And I say this with no pleasure. I love newspapers and the on-line equivalent is just not the same.Simon Gardnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17189501697856123305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-33337545718773817492009-03-10T14:12:00.000+00:002009-03-10T14:12:00.000+00:00Simon, 10-20 years? I think that's way too optimis...Simon, 10-20 years? I think that's way too optimistic. Many think the Indy will be gone in 6 months.<BR/><BR/>In a year's a lot more will be gone. Have you seen the circ. figures for The Scotsman, The Herald, The Express. And how can the Telegraph hold it's ground when it keeps firing half it's staff?<BR/><BR/>In two years time we will have:<BR/><BR/>The Times<BR/>The Guardian<BR/>Daily Mail<BR/>The Sun<BR/>Daily Mirror<BR/><BR/> and nothing much else.Paul Halsallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01602075031268155220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-13737920966472927652009-03-10T13:39:00.000+00:002009-03-10T13:39:00.000+00:00There's a little bit of the newspaper industry's o...There's a little bit of the newspaper industry's own doing in this - by making their content free on the web. Who decided that 'web' should mean 'free'?<BR/><BR/>The argument about the BBC is a good one too - since when did 'broadcasting' cover the written word? BBC news online is TV, radio and newspaper copy all in one. This does terrible damage to commercial organisations.<BR/><BR/>The real money in online advertising is in search - hence why Google rakes it in on the back of linking to other organisations' free content.Filterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02883501289054592342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-59422590018583368492009-03-10T11:30:00.000+00:002009-03-10T11:30:00.000+00:00Good riddance to bad rubbish. 'Independent' my ars...Good riddance to bad rubbish. 'Independent' my arse.ArthurBeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05689747347609126399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-80494888212506643252009-03-10T11:02:00.000+00:002009-03-10T11:02:00.000+00:00There is no competition for a national Nationalist...There is no competition for a national Nationalist newspaper at present. Indeed there is no competition for a national newspaper which has an unbiased presentation of nationalism.<BR/><BR/>Will any newspaper proprietor put profit before ideology?<BR/><BR/>What might such an independent newspaper be called?Bert Rustlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11603898539529306184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-20557450968200735692009-03-10T11:00:00.000+00:002009-03-10T11:00:00.000+00:00Is it the LA Times which is now earning enough fro...Is it the LA Times which is now earning enough from online advertising to cover the cost of its newsroom. <BR/><BR/>Simon Gardner's comments are an overreaction. Things are changing, that's all.<BR/><BR/>We need to get rid of the BBC.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-37726222640815021452009-03-10T10:39:00.000+00:002009-03-10T10:39:00.000+00:00Will we have any high-brow newspapers at all in 10...Will we have <B>any</B> high-brow newspapers at all in 10-20 years time? I fear not.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7913400.stm" REL="nofollow">Many US cities</A> now have <B>NO</B> daily newspaper.<BR/><BR/>Trouble is, the online advertising income is just not there to sustain the staffing levels to run a “broad-sheet” style service. So we may be left with serious news from broadcasters and their on-line versions only.<BR/><BR/>How long will the big news agencies last?<BR/><BR/>Scary isn’t it? A long tradition of print journalism looks like it’s drawing to an inexorable close.<BR/><BR/>It once again emphasises the greater importance of the continuation of a <B>publicly funded</B> BBC.Simon Gardnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17189501697856123305noreply@blogger.com