Wisdom from down under

For four decades, American newspapers have been lulled into complacency by being virtual monopolies. They have grown fat and ossified. During my time with just The Milwaukee Journal and Journal Sentinel, I watched as it went from a lean, tight newspaper with only a few editors to one with layers upon layers of assistant managing editors, senior editors, deputy senior editors, assistant senior editors, etc. (When I started at The Milwaukee Journal its news operations had one editor, one managing editor, one assistant managing editor; today, its masthead lists an editor, a managing editor, a deputy managing editor, six assistant managing editors, and at least six senior editors.)

I strongly believe that we must start looking for solutions in areas where competition has continued -- overseas. Newspapers in other parts of the world have had to stay nimble to keep afloat, and that has led them to reacting positively to changing media winds, not just to wring their hands and lay off more people. As someone who loves and is addicted to newspapers, I can only hope that our leaders will start looking for ways to adapt, not just die. 

The CEO of a major Australian media company -- with extensive newspaper holdings, including in Sidney and Melbourne -- makes the case for why print media will continue to be important, and how it can survive. His speech includes a lot of business jargon, but he makes a case not only for how print must survive but why. 

David Kirk calls himself a newspaper "conservative," who believes that newspapers are a vital part of a healthy society, with a healthy future. He builds his argument around three pillars: strong content, addressing audiences and supporting his newspapers' brands. He isn't talking about cutting staff that his audience wants to read, like the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and, frankly, most American metropolitan newspapers continue to do. Nor is he talking about dropping sections, ignoring portions of the audience, and allowing his readers to gradually drift away. He is talking about aggressively going after them. I'd love to see our newspapers tell their story as well.