The Newspaper as Specialty Publication

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Tomorrow, I predict one of the best days in newspaper sales in several months. Despite all the stories of woe in the newspaper industry, don’t be surprised if you hit newspaper racks tomorrow to find them all sold out. How can that be in the midst of a recession and with an industry that is circling the drain? Well, it’s one secret to the future of newspapers. The newspaper is becoming a specialty publication.

Tomorrow, newspapers will sell out because they will be a collector’s item. The newspapers featuring big front page spreads of Obama’s inauguration will catch the eye of people walking past newstands and newspaper boxes. They will grab them to save for their children and grandchildren. They will be momentos for pocket change.

Which brings me to a point I have made over and over again (OK, maybe not hear, but I do say this). The newspaper’s future is as the specialty publication. The demographic of readers will be dying. The ones who still read papers were alienated by most newspapers doing repeated redesigns to appeal more to young readers (who aren’t reading newspapers, and don’t plan to) and appeal less and elss to its core customers, the 40-somethings, 50-something, 60-something and 70-somethings.

In the end, the newspaper never appealed to the young readers and it rejected its loyal readers. Newspapers still are reluctant to accept that print is dying and online is the real business model they should have developed. But there is still hope:

Newspaper as specialty publication.

Here are just a few examples where it could work:

• Major events such as the inauguration. Newspapers should consider not just having one print run, but having a few runs (how do you like the idea of getting people to buy not just one, but four, newspapers from a set?). All a newspaper would have to do is create content and reset the front page, maybe a jump page, and redo the print runs.
• Specialty newspapers in large print. Obviously, it would be cost prohibitive to do this daily, but a condensed version of the week’s news in large print is one way to woo back those alienated older readers. It’s also a whole new advertising product to sell to local companies who have that customer base.
• Specialty newspapers by interest or neighborhood. Now, this is one area where I think many newspapers have done well. I think they need to revamp the approach a little, however. Many times, specialty publications by interest become big ads with a dash of copy from unenthusiastic, overworked journalists who consider that type of reporting a joke. Neighborhood specialty publications tend to be treated like rags. Take pride in these specialty publications! Up the level of integrity and journalism. Farm the work out to freelancers or bloggers who are enthusiastic about the topics or neighborhoods.
• Create the future of newspapet boxes, where a reader can select five topics that interest them (maybe travel, sports, stock quotes, their local small town, and editorials), swipe their card or drop in a couple quarters, and a pdf custom newspaper prints. collated and stapled.

One day, the online news will be the primary product. I hate to say this because I know it will upset many journalists, but there really is no reason to be upset if your employers would just get it. But since they don’t, I will say it again.

Your product is the news. It is not the newspaper.

Journalism will always be needed, important, and valuable.

_{Photo of newspaper © Sanja Gjenero}

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