Blogging for food

Alastair Duncan

At another well attended and thought provoking MediaTel seminar on the future of newspapers, Lawson Muncaster of City AM came up with a neat summary of the condition of the newspapers, and indeed of all media owners, which is how to handle content production, content packaging and content availability.

He didn't say 'in a digital age', though this is the underpinning theme of change in so many industries, not just newspapers. There are two major influences at work here that we have to be able to 'get' as advertisers and brands looking to find, engage and keep audiences. Social change, and technological change.

They are not mutually exclusive, though often thought about separately by industry commentators. Social change means people don't have time to find newsagents or handle the transaction time of buying one. Technological change means that people listen to ipods on the tube instead of analysing the leader columns.

Both of these trends are here to stay, so adapt or die is the message. The good news is that adaptation is more fun than dying. The newspapers have made significant investment in online properties, and are going through the sometimes painful remodelling required to develop new content in new packaging.

We do have a curious commitment to national newspapers in this country, fuelled by national consciousness and the egos of wealthy men. We will see more innovation on how these media brands develop their commercial models for the future. Call me an optimist, or indeed old fashioned, but I think there is value to be had from newspapers for some time to come.