Press release: will newspapers die?

It's a fair question.  They are certainly very sick.  The way circulation and ad revenues are going they are heading for intensive care.

Once powerful regional newspapers are reduced to puppy dogs steering clear of stories that might upset a big advertiser.  Journalists are being laid off.  Hurrah you might say, but whose is going to expose the bad boys in future?

As newspapers wither we lose a bit of democracy.  Yes we might have the all powerful web but newspapers wielded a power that could change policy and pull people into line.

Local newspapers that once sold 100,000 are slipping down towards 60,000.  National newspapers that sold three million are now down to two and the graph is heading down.  Rumours abounded that the worlds oldest Sunday newspaper The Observer was going to be closed down and recently the London Standard announced it was going free!

The internet is taking its toll.  Younger readers don't care about holding a paper unlike oldies like me.  As cost are cut quality goes down.

The market still does not know where its going. The web moves so fast.  News International are threatening to start charging for their web services. If they do others may follow.  But there is still too much free news - the BBC for example.

For the business looking to promote itself the strategy is simple.  Create good news content and get it online as much as possible to point visitors to your website.  The website needs to be up to speed but get them there.

The days of a nice press release in the local paper making ripples are numbered.  It is still worthwhile at the moment but businesses need to have one eye on the future.