Newspaper industry blogger Alan Mutter (hi, Alan!) says in a new post: "The reported plan to cut home delivery to just a few days a week at the Detroit dailies does not merely tweak the classic newspaper model. It eviscerates it, perhaps mortally. While this bold initiative may restore the short-term profitability of the Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News and the joint operating agency that serves them, the experiment in non-daily home delivery could well be self-defeating in the long run."
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Mutter: Detroit plan 'eviscerates' newspaper model
Newspaper industry blogger Alan Mutter (hi, Alan!) says in a new post: "The reported plan to cut home delivery to just a few days a week at the Detroit dailies does not merely tweak the classic newspaper model. It eviscerates it, perhaps mortally. While this bold initiative may restore the short-term profitability of the Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News and the joint operating agency that serves them, the experiment in non-daily home delivery could well be self-defeating in the long run."
7 comments:
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Getting rid of home delivery in an attempt to force people to go online. That will certainly help single copy. At some papers they all but purposely kill single copy sales to prop up home delivery, Fair to say not all papers will buy into that scenario. Wouldn't trying that concept in a smaller area make more sense than in a big city environment?
ReplyDeleteDidn't they just install some monster, state of the art set of presses just a few years ago? And some big "robotic" storage facility and movement system?
ReplyDeleteAs a carrier of the newspapers, I have already received calls regarding the news reports on home delivery service. People were VERY upset(as are us carriers, again the last to hear anything). They all seemed to reflect the same thing. They don't want to read their paper online and resent that the newspapers are trying to force it. They said the same thing over and over. They ALL stated that they'd do away with their News/FreePress subscriptions all together if home delivery is cut to only 2 days and switch to a local paper to receive their DAILY newspaper.
ReplyDeleteAs for us carriers, they couldn't have picked a worse time (although it seems they weren't the ones to pick now), as if the news alone isn't bad enough. After suffering through extreme high gas prices, cut backs, no benefits, increased supply expense, cuts in insert rates of up to 90% and so on...now this. If they decide to cut home delivery by such a large margin, they will, in effect be sinking their already water-logged ship.
It would be nice if the guys on the top could hear first hand from the every day subscribers, like we do. Maybe they would make different choices. As for now, I don't know what to tell my subscribers, as we haven't been told anything. All we can do is sit back and wait to see what they are going to do, customers and carriers alike.
People who subscribe to home delivery are the loyalist of the newspaper customers. To cut them would seem detrimental far beyond most other options.
ReplyDeleteanon 10:12p - here's what you tell your customers - buy a computer and get online. go to the library and get online. go to your son/daughter's house and get online. if they watch television news or listen to the radio, they are already being told to "go online." they will soon learn and adjust. there are people out there who were pulled kicking and screaming into the cellphone era and blackberry (now iphone) world. and now, they love it and can't live without them. this is no different. it's time to change. as for you, instead of complaining about how bad your job is, i'd recommend trying a new occupation - perhaps - teaching people how to use the Internet. think about the opportunities that are coming your way and the $$$ you can make! you can develop training sessions at local community centers. perhaps you can open up an Internet cafe and promote them as places where people can go and socialize, drink tea/coffee and discuss the news. this is the time for new opportunities...grab hold of it and see how you can change your life and the lives of others!
ReplyDelete10:12 PM
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the carrier perspective. Interesting.
I was wondering how many carriers would give up the "job" if the days are pared down. Also, you'd think somethng could be worked out to merge the USAT routes with the local paper routes. Is that happening anywhere---where carrierd deliver both?
Thanks again, and as a mom of a former paper carrier, I certainly don't envy you having to take those customer calls!
Seems 11:58 is part of the problem. Not everyone can afford to go online and to go to the library just to read the news online is ludicrous. People want to read what they want, when they want, where they want. You can't always do that online. They will trudge to the store or nearest rack to buy one first.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, force people online and they might not go to YOUR newspaper's site. They might go to alternative sites and start reading what truth is really out there on a number of topics. Imagine the look on someone's face when they learn the Bilderbergs REALLY run our country, or the world for that matter.
7:42....I believe Brevard delivers both the local and USA for one.