Fort Worth Weekly‘s story on the financial problems being felt at major daily newspapers (“The Incredible Shrinking Star-Telegram,” June 29, 2011) included a rosy prognosis at the end.
After 4,000 words of doom and gloom, the story mentions two bright spots: iPads and paywalls.
“It could be that the next round of technological change will help turn things around,” the story said. “Paywalls and iPads could help newspapers regain some of the ground they’ve lost.”
Today, Poynter‘s Jim Romenesko points out that three Philadelphia newspapers are selling tablet computers for $99 to “readers who buy two-year subscriptions to three apps developed for the Android tablet.”
Sounds like a smart, innovative idea.
… yeah, if you want cops-‘n’-courts coverage or sports, because that’s pretty much all daily newspapers have to offer right now. Investigative journalism and thoughtful, long-form features, the erstwhile hallmark attributes of daily papers, are long gone. Me? I don’t give a shit about cops-‘n’-courts and sports here. But sports relating to the Steelers, Penguins, or Pirates? Yes * hangs head in shame*