Some people don’t get it.
Metro Detroit has a new daily newspaper: the Detroit Daily Press, which is scheduled to be online Nov. 23. Well not online, they don’t have a Web site yet. This new publication will be available in print for daily delivery to Metro Detroit newspaper readers. You’ve got to be kidding me.
I love newspapers. I spent almost 20 years of my life photographing for print media. I wish there was hope for the survival of the industry.
The day I presented my New Media Secrets talk to the Denver Press Club last winter, the Rocky Mountain News shut down. I knew about this before many others. Why? Credit the immediacy of social media. News was coming directly from the Rocky Mountain newsroom via tweets and Facebook status updates from employees who’d just learned it was their last day on the job.
That was the day I declared myself free of my dependence on old media for my income. I’ve not solicited any of the local media for work since. It has been a rough transition, but my career is better off for it.
I know a number of local writers jumping on board this new publishing venture. I sincerely wish them the best. But, all I’ve heard through the grapevine are old attitudes about the need for print media. The investors are outsourcing many of the services and setting up the paper like they would have in the 1970s. I’ve not heard any concern for photography, video, Internet or new media concepts.
In other words, nothing new is being created and there’s little commitment to the growth and innovation of the industry.
I understand the owners have committed two months’ worth of capital to support the project. Even in a good economy, two months of capital is not enough to support a start-up publication. In a declining media market, with few advertising dollars available in the depressed market we have here in Detroit, it appears destined for failure.
According to the recent Razorfish digital brand experience report, 84 percent of consumers get their current information and news online.
This upward trend will continue. The two traditional major daily papers in metro Detroit now only offer home delivery three times a week, which is the impetus for the launch of this new daily paper. This doesn’t even take into consideration all the other newspapers and magazines that have closed this past year in Michigan.
Another concern about the health of this endeavor is the lack of buzz, marketing or community-building strategies. The only reason I knew about the new newspaper is because friends of mine where applying for positions with cheap rates and no benefits. They have only offered a few traditional old school press releases.
Their Web presence seems to be a secondary concern. Their target market goal is the more than 100,000 baby boomers missing their traditional daily paper. Are baby boomers really missing their newspaper? While boomers don’t seem to be embracing the online editions, returning to old-school methods doesn’t seem the answer.
I hear the Daily Press now has a Facebook page. Do they know what to do with it? Do they have a plan? Are these extremely misguided people wasting a lot of money?
Rosh
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Posted: November 21st, 2009 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 8
Comments
Comment from Bec Thomas
Time: November 21, 2009, 9:20 pm
I guess some people are real die hards… This really does seem like and odd business chioce for them, I don’t use newpaper anymore to start the fire in my woodstove.
Comment from Bonnie Caprara
Time: November 21, 2009, 9:59 pm
While the 55+ crowd loves a print newspaper in their hands every day, this is also a demographic that’s resistant to change. They read either The News or the Free Press and maybe The Oakland Press (which recently gained 7.3% in circulation!) or the Macomb Daily. I don’t think they’re going to embrace an unknown start-up.
Comment from Rosh
Time: November 22, 2009, 1:33 am
good points both Bonnie and Bec.
I find this whole thing just crazy. I wish my friends all the best, but I see little good coming of this venture. Just pain for the new employees.
Rosh
Comment from Trudy
Time: November 22, 2009, 11:45 am
This sounds really crazy and exceptionally “late.” I feel really bad for the people looking for employment there. It doesn’t seem to have a future. 
Comment from Tim Marks
Time: November 22, 2009, 1:45 pm
Rosh
I agree that this is not well thought out. If they want to have any hope of success they need to commit, at a minimum, 1 yrs capital and make a concerted effort to include both print and electronic (maybe even try some new stuff). These folks last efforts were strike papers in the sixties (the strike gave me a break from my Freep paper route).
As a 55+, I do miss the QUALITY print press that we used to have. I still spend a couple of hours Sunday morning with the print NY Times and maybe 15 minutes or so with the Freep. I also read the NYT on-line and skim the Freep during the week.
As to photography. I just re-read my copy of Tony Spina’s “On Assignment” (if you can find a used copy, get it). Now that was photojournalism! Currently the Freep begs their readers to send in free pix and the Tribune has their reporters taking most of the shots. No local paper has any even close to Spina.
Sad
Comment from Dominique
Time: November 23, 2009, 12:15 am
I agree with your assessment that 2 months’ worth of capital isn’t enough to support a project like this…even in a good economy. The lack of buzz about this project, as you so rightly point out, is also a concern.
I talked to a couple of print writers a couple of weeks ago who knew nothing about this paper and its impending start-up, but at least one of them was all about trying to find more out about this publication (online) so they could try pitching for freelance work. I don’t like to be unduly negative, but I didn’t encourage the writer to invest too much hope and time of scoring an ongoing gig with this market.
I’m also wondering if the boomer market is nearly enough to support this venture. Many I knew didn’t bother with a daily newspaper when it was available…relying more heavily on TV news (maybe subscribing to just a Sunday paper or picking the occasional newspaper up at the newsstands). Many migrated to the Internet as their major news source as it became more available.
I miss reading my print newspaper, but it is what it is. Time moves on, and so must we. The print product I’m seeing any more is pretty sub-standard at this point anyway.
The Internet presence of the other Detroit dailies isn’t anything to get excited over, either. Try getting a sports score on your mobile device from the Freep an hour or so after a game ends…we’ve tried that several times without success. They’re often no better with breaking news.
Comment from Chris Horner
Time: November 23, 2009, 7:39 am
Wow they’ve committed two MONTHS worth of capital to make this business succeed? Every successful company I know of (and heck even unsuccessful ones) needed more than two months worth of funding before deciding whether or not to call the business success.
Worse, I consider myself pretty plugged into the metro Detroit news community. This is the first I’ve heard of this new paper. I get what they’re trying to do – fill the hole left by the Free Press.
If they pull this off, I’ll be as surprised as anyone else.
Comment from Rosh – New media photographer
Time: November 23, 2009, 8:53 am
I heard/read the two months statement from multiple sources. One source told me in person that one of the publishers said if they lost all of their two months of capital it wouldn’t hurt them financially.
I think the criticism (not mine) has gotten to them. They are now claiming, despite reports, they will support the paper for the foreseeable future.
Rosh
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