Ghost of Midnight

Newspaper and local online

The Local Onliner shared some great tidbits this week from the Inland Press Association (IPA) meeting:

Most newspaper Web sites have been focused on driving new audiences, but McClatchy sees a gold mine in its existing print circulation. How many local media outlets have 40 percent penetration in this age of fragmentation?  [McClatchy] noted that 70 percent of the print audience never touches the Web site in a 30 day period.

And I like this approach to forming strategic alliances:

As for forming partnerships with various Internet players, Hendricks [McClatchy executive] is all for them. You can’t look at these people as enemies, because they are the environment, he says.

Finally, some interesting details from Boston.com about local online:

Also speaking at IPA, and again, fully blogged by Owens, was Bob Kempf from Boston.com. I’ve written extensively about his efforts, but Kempf reveals new details of research showing why Boston.com is focusing on becoming a local information hub (watch out Yellow Pages!). Only one in three users and one of five non-users are happy with their current options for finding local information, he says. But access to local information doubles the likelihood that non-users will visit Boston.com. The research also found that 50 percent of users like the idea of getting all their information in one place.

I’ve heard from many Front Porch Forum subscribers that they love turning to their neighbors for a wide variety of local needs through their forum.