Daily News & the Decline of Print Media

Anyone employed by a newspaper, magazine or other print media these days is looking over their shoulder. They know that that their boss is heading their way, bringing with them what they would hope would be a plum assignment, but in reality will almost certainly be a pink termination slip.

According to The Wall Street Journal (Newsstand Sales of Magazines Shrink 11%; February 10, 2009; page B9) newsstand sales of magazines plunged in the second half of 2008, the worst drop in decades. Adding fuel to the news that print media is in trouble are the fortunes of America’s newspapers.

Years ago publishers could lay blame on suppliers in Quebec for the high cost of newsprint, but that problem seems minor in comparison to the loss of advertising, particularly help wanted ads, thanks to inroads made online. Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com and other large job sites post that information for a low cost for employers while giving free access to job seekers. Who needs to get their hands blackened by newsprint these days? A bleary eyed scan of the computer screen reveals much.

Google ads have made it easier to line up customers with relevant products as each ad served is almost always a dead ringer for the topic being discussed (or read). MSN and Yahoo are still trying to figure out how to get that right, but Google is a one company killing machine when it comes to making money with ads.

Now back to the WSJ article: ad pages in consumer magazines plunged by 12% in 2008 and are expected to remain down throughout 2009. Discount subscriptions allow publishers to claim larger rate bases, but advertisers aren’t “buying” inflated circulation numbers, forcing many publishers to reduce their the number of copies they guarantee advertisers will be delivered to readers.

The shrinking pool of advertisers is making it all the more difficult for publishers to justify cranking out extra copies and leaving those at hair saloons, physician’s offices and other public places. In good times that cost could be absorbed but those heady times, which now seem like a distant memory, are now gone.

Most certainly inflated circulation figures will be pushed down, with rate base guarantees reduced sharply. At least the shrinking pool of advertisers will get a better ‘read’ on who actually picks up a publication and pay accordingly when they do advertise. Of course, that amount will be less than what they’ve paid in the past, meaning magazine staffs will be cut as well.

Newspapers are also feeling the heat as Macy’s and other big department stores no longer buy page after page to market merchandise customers aren’t buying in newspapers no longer being read. When the two Detroit newspapers announced recently that home delivery would be reduced to three days a week while newsstand copies would still appear all seven days, you knew that a sea change was already taking place.

If they can find a way to not print on Mondays and other slow days, expect that hard copies will be reduced to Sundays and perhaps mid-week. Eventually, will we even see print copies of our favorite publications anymore?

I’m not sure if I like the fast move away from print media nor am I gleeful over the plight of those journalists who quite suddenly have had the carpet pulled out from underneath them and are forced to explore the brave new world of online publishing.

Then again, a world of opportunities awaits those who venture into previously unchartered waters. Wade right in…the water is quite bearable.

Rebounding From 2008, Moving Forward In 2009

I like to use the first few business days of the new year to track my work’s progress, gauging how the previous year went and anticipating what the year ahead holds. Quite honestly, as a freelance writer I cannot offer a rock solid prediction of where I’m heading, but I must say that I’m much more confident about 2009 then I was about 2008.

The first five months of 2008 were a real struggle for me as I found demand for my work to be down. But, beginning in June things began to turn around so much so that for the remainder of the year every month beat my budgeted projection. This, despite a worsening recession, which saw a number of large businesses hit the skids and the federal government coming up with a cockamamy bail out plan.

My customer base remains unchanged from last summer though my work load has definitely shifted more to two clients from three. I still am writing for a pair of print publications as an automotive columnist and I do rely on some ad revenue thanks to AdSense and other arrangements. I am detecting that advertising is down because of the economy, so I certainly won’t rely on that during 2009.

I plan on using the first few weeks of the month to come up with a fresh marketing plan for my work. Not so much for promoting the many sites that I control, rather to solicit fresh business from quality clientele. I’ll probably be scaling back on some of my social media involvement while pitching my work to some interested parties.

During the Christmas break I received an inquiry about my work, but haven’t gotten back yet. With the kids being at home (they’re back in school today) I’ve been balancing my work with their needs while also finding it difficult to work when they’re in the house. Thankfully, my wife keeps them occupied, otherwise I would have gotten nothing done these past two weeks.

In 2008, I was able to take in a pair of auto shows, which are critical to my work. In January I made it to the Detroit show (North American International Auto Show) while in November I visited Los Angeles for that show. In February, I made a visit to Wilmington, NC to cover the Battleship U.S.S. North Carolina, notes of which are part of an unsold article I have developed.

I will not be attending the Detroit show this year, but I am registered for the Chicago Auto Show which will be held next month. However, because of the current state of the economy, I may skip Chicago and wait until April to attend the New York International Auto Show. That latter show is in the vicinity of family, so I have a place to stay. I also would like to go to Las Vegas in November for SEMA (no, not for betandwin or is it bet and win?) as I’m still writing quite a few articles for the specialty automotive market.

In between we have a family trip coming up and I hope to pull in a writing assignment while we’re away. I’ve gotten in the habit of bringing my laptop along with me and as long as I’m not engrossed in all things internet while we’re away, my family doesn’t mind. If they did, they’d tell me!

One area of writing that I would like to pursue in 2009 is a full feature gig with a national magazine or newspaper. This kind of writing is very research intensive, involves 3000-6000 words, and takes a significant amount of time to complete. But, the rewards in the form of pay and exposure are terrific, just the sort of breakthrough assignment that can change everything.