HotTopics: News Execs – Pressing Toward Transformation In Three To Five Years
News executives face a critical period as they grapple with the ongoing effects of the Internet revolution. The current unfolding of the Knight Ridder sale to McClatchy and its aftermath is only the most recent event in turbulent times for news companies, which face flat revenues, flagging interest from Wall Street, and demographic shifts that are leading to dramatic changes in readership. Based on interviews with 10 key decision-makers, this HotTopics provides a first-hand view of how top news industry leaders plan to deal with those challenges. All of them agree that their customers are clearly moving from print to online, especially younger users, and that we are in a time of transition. The HotTopics captures their sense that they have a three-to-five year window to transform their businesses to the new realities. They also offer their strategies for dealing with the transition of revenue from print to online, and the lower rate at which online users are monetized vs print readers. The HotTopics addresses their views of other issues, too, including whether or not to maintain separate print and online news operations; focusing on local vs. national news; where growth will come from; adapting to and exploiting user-generated content and two-way communications; getting costs under control; and working with GYM
- Google, Yahoo!, and MSN.
