Change is new year's one constant

As we move into the year 2010, we all hope that the predictions we hear from economists and politicians will come true, that this will be a better year than 2009 for many people.

A Los Angeles Times story last week that offered predictions for the media in the coming year soberly reported that “the presses literally stopped at almost 150 newspapers in 2009.”

The story predicts that by this time next year most people reading this information will view it on a computer, a smart phone, an e-reader or a tablet rather than in paper form.
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Possibly forestalling that changeover, or at least bringing positive reinforcement to the newspaper business, is The (London) Times story that says print advertising is twice as effective as television ads for large retailers.

The story was based on a Microsoft advertising survey of “large clothing stores, big grocery retailers, fashion retailers and department stores,” 24 of which were in the top 100 companies in the United Kingdom in terms of advertising dollars spent.

According to the study, every 1 pound spent on print advertisements yields 5 pounds in revenue, as compared to 2.15 pounds for television and 3.44 pounds for online advertising.

Experts quoted in the article dispute the findings and said the results of the Microsoft survey conflict with larger studies of advertising value.
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Among the changes Beaumont Enterprise readers have experienced in the last year is a greater emphasis on local news instead of reports of national news stories, which are available through many different outlets. Some readers have objected to that, but we still strive to focus on our strongest product, which is local reporting.

So consider this: The Washington Times, in announcing a 40 percent staff reduction, also has chosen to focus on its strengths rather than trying to be all things to all people. According to a December article in the better-known Washington Post, “That means the Times will end its run as a full-service newspaper, slashing its coverage of local news, sports and features.”

Instead, the paper, which also will shift to free distribution, will focus on its “core strengths,” which include politics and national security.

I recognize that we’re talking about Washington, but I can say with pretty firm assurance that neither The Enterprise nor any other Texas newspaper will consider the concept of ending sports coverage a good idea in 2010.
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One thing BeaumontEnterprise.com readers have most likely noticed as a growing trend is the use of more videos on our Web site, whether they are stand-alone features or additions to written stories.

This too, is a growing trend among newspapers and now, according to another Washington Post report, is moving into the book publishing industry.

Along with eventually reading newspapers, magazine and books on an electronic reader of some type, consumers also will have more access to something called a “Vook,” a video/book hybrid being produced in part by Simon & Schuster’s Atria books.

Links and embedded videos enhance the reading experience and are, unquestionably, going to become part of our future.

The Post story quotes Bob Stein, founder of the Institute for the Future of the Book, as saying, “As discourse moves from printed pages to network screens, the dominant mode will be things that are multimodal and multilayered ... The age of pure linear content is going to pass with the rise of digital network connect.”

Or, as we in the newspaper business might say, readers will have extra features to enhance the reading experience.
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As we move into 2010, we ask you to come along for the ride. It sounds as though it might get a bit bumpy, but it’s sure to be interesting.