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mallorys_cameraAmazing to think The San Francisco Chronicle might be going out of business.
Here’s what I would do if I were them:
1. Fire all reporters except the ones who cover local news
Reportage is reportage. We’re drowning in it. Why compete with CNN? They have a bigger budget and it’s the same goddamn news! In economic jargon, there’s an overproduction of news product.
It’s the news analysis that differentiates one outlet from another; this is the reason why people channel surf from CNN to Fox News, and occasionally turn off their sets altogether to pick up a copy of The Chronicle.
What they’re looking for is not necessarily local news but the local spin on national and international news.
Many years ago Time Inc. separated writing and reporting into two different jobs. When I worked at Time Inc. I didn’t think this was a very good thing – I like to have absolute control over my own projects. But I’ve come around. Use AP wires for the actual news – then use Chronicle analysts and columnists to sift that information for local impact. That’s the only thing worth publishing in a local market.
2. Lay some bets on tomorrow’s platform
I’ve heard a lot of people recently talking about how great Amazon kindles are. (Personally, I think they suck but then I’m a Luddite where print is concerned – I like the way books and paper smell.) There are probably similar products out there too.
Get in with these publishers. Package your product for this distributor.
3. For God’s sake change the name of the website to sanfranciscochronicle.com
Right now it’s sfgate.com. You have a website that isn’t branding the product – that’s just stupid. Yes, yes, I know the history – website started as a collaboration between The Chron and the now mostly defunct SF Examiner. Yada, yada, yada. That was then; this is now.
4. Cover stories from a local perspective and increase local coverage
Unless you’re a news junkie like B – and sure, there are a lot of those around but they don’t buy newspapers, they pore obsessively over Internet sites -- national stories are only interesting if there’s a local angle. Obama’s speech to Congress? Convene a local focus group and get their reactions. Hell, convene three focus groups – one from San Francisco, one from Oakland, one from Orinda. Contrast and compare.
Okay, enough dithering. Time to get back to the sad task of disassembling.
Here’s what I would do if I were them:
1. Fire all reporters except the ones who cover local news
Reportage is reportage. We’re drowning in it. Why compete with CNN? They have a bigger budget and it’s the same goddamn news! In economic jargon, there’s an overproduction of news product.
It’s the news analysis that differentiates one outlet from another; this is the reason why people channel surf from CNN to Fox News, and occasionally turn off their sets altogether to pick up a copy of The Chronicle.
What they’re looking for is not necessarily local news but the local spin on national and international news.
Many years ago Time Inc. separated writing and reporting into two different jobs. When I worked at Time Inc. I didn’t think this was a very good thing – I like to have absolute control over my own projects. But I’ve come around. Use AP wires for the actual news – then use Chronicle analysts and columnists to sift that information for local impact. That’s the only thing worth publishing in a local market.
2. Lay some bets on tomorrow’s platform
I’ve heard a lot of people recently talking about how great Amazon kindles are. (Personally, I think they suck but then I’m a Luddite where print is concerned – I like the way books and paper smell.) There are probably similar products out there too.
Get in with these publishers. Package your product for this distributor.
3. For God’s sake change the name of the website to sanfranciscochronicle.com
Right now it’s sfgate.com. You have a website that isn’t branding the product – that’s just stupid. Yes, yes, I know the history – website started as a collaboration between The Chron and the now mostly defunct SF Examiner. Yada, yada, yada. That was then; this is now.
4. Cover stories from a local perspective and increase local coverage
Unless you’re a news junkie like B – and sure, there are a lot of those around but they don’t buy newspapers, they pore obsessively over Internet sites -- national stories are only interesting if there’s a local angle. Obama’s speech to Congress? Convene a local focus group and get their reactions. Hell, convene three focus groups – one from San Francisco, one from Oakland, one from Orinda. Contrast and compare.
Okay, enough dithering. Time to get back to the sad task of disassembling.
