Published Thursday, April 5, 2001
The Buzz
BY ANGELIQUE SOENARIE
ASNE Reporter
Today's question: How has online competition cut into your newspaper's readership?
“Our circulation is growing so it hasn’t cut us. Where it has cut us is with mail subscribers. … I think it has attracted younger people to read the paper. I don’t see any loss at all. In fact, it’s the opposite.”
– Jack Moseley, editor, Southwest Times Record, Fort Smith, Ark.
“We
have some studies that show online has been very good for
us. The challenge now is finding ways for readers online
to also read it in print. I see it as getting a whole new
generation.”
– Carole Leigh Hutton, managing editor, Detroit Free Press
“I hope we can make a financial model to make that online customer a paying customer. I think we’ve done a wonderful job producing online content, but we haven’t (done a wonderful job) getting it financed.”
– Scott B. Anderson, director of shared programming, Tribune Interactive
“We found it hasn’t had an effect on us that much. In fact, I think it’s bolstered us. People outside Oklahoma will look at us at different times of the day. I think it’s good for breaking news, and we can post (breaking news) quickly.”
– Joe Hight, managing editor, The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City
“I think circulation departments would say this service on the Web has hurt circulation. We believe they will be complementary to newspapers.”
– Tony Pederson, senior vice president and executive editor, Houston Chronicle
“I think online readership has helped our report by making our report available to people outside our circulation area. As a result, we might get many visits that wouldn’t come to us if they all reached within the area of our circulation trucks.”
– Paul C. Tash, editor and president, the St. Petersburg Times
