And the top media story of the year is . . .

Editor & Publisher lists its annual Top Ten industry stories of the year, and guess what is the top story? Yep, it's the massive cutbacks in the industry. By my count, eight of the ten are bad news for the industry.

Interestingly enough, E&P calls it "Top Newspaper Stories," even though one is only about web sites.  Maybe it should be "print media" stories since the web is print. 

Boston company to offer foreign news

Meanwhile, another web startup offers something different for media junkies. In this case, Boston's Phillip Balboni has hired veteran Boston Globe foreign editors to offer foreign coverage, something that's becoming almost non-existent in American media. Read the Boston Phoenix's story about the new venture, which has a chance of really improving our knowledge of the world. It's called globalpost.com, and is coming January 12.

That's the thing about the changing media landscape. It's costing us lots of jobs and lots of expertise and shaking up where we go for news, but it's also extending what and how we learn about our world. As a journalist, I can't help but be excited about the potentials (as well as fearing about the paychecks). I watch Marquette student journalists using multimedia to bring stories to life in a way that I couldn't when I worked in print media and with more depth than available in broadcast. The potential is what is most exciting. I can't wait.

How about some success business models for newspapers?

PBS's Mark Glaser gives us a wonderful overview of "successful alternative business models" for newspapers. There are many ideas out there, some already successful. Is any one the perfect one? Not likely, but some show great promise.

I've long advocated special, niche content at a premium, the way the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel does with its wildly success Packer Plus magazine and online section (go to this page, scroll down to "Packer Plus Magazine" to see a listing of some of its content). Thousands of Packers fans, from throughout the country, pay at least $45 extra for access to this section -- and most think it's a bargain. It's a model I'd stretch into other areas, and ADVERTISE WHAT'S THERE. For example, you have to scroll two-thirds of the page just to find the listings of what you are missing, and this is already on a Packer coverage page. I'd get those stories higher.

I used to wax poetic about the intelligent way the JS was handling a columnist named Vicki Ortiz. She generally wrote two online-only blogs, then the paper ran a third as a column in the Weekend Cue section. It also ran online. I got hooked into going to her blogs by reading the printed column. I've often wondered why they didn't also cross-market by not putting her Friday column online. That would make me subscribe to the Friday paper if I liked the column. It's a model that works, so why not expand it.

Is the end of home delivery near?

MSNBC and ABC takes a look (and here) at the Detroit newspapers' decision to cut back home delivery to three days a week, and quotes experts predicting that home delivery might be gone in the near future. As someone who has subscribed to home delivery since leaving my boyhood home, it's a hard concept to grasp. But, you know, it makes more sense than just waiting until your costs overwhelm your company. Picking up individual papers on the other four days of the week isn't all that hard, although I'd suspect advertising would really drop off then.

I would predict that home delivery will continue for smaller community newspapers. But, for metro papers, I'm not so sure. Nevertheless, I look for growth in "total market coverage" products as some advertisers realize that their appeal doesn't fit into the narrower and narrower niches that media is targeting. I think of this every time I try to look something up in the Yellow Pages. Once, it was simple to find numbers and addressed. Today an advertiser has to buy niche ads in several areas. For example, a restaurant might have a listing under "restaurants," another under "ethnic restaurants," another under "cuisines," another under "Neighborhood restaurants," and who knows what other areas?

I remember how nice it was to take the Sunday newspaper's listing of open houses (generally the back page of the Sunday classified section), mark the ones I was interested in no matter the realtor (deliberate lower case of this ostentatious word), and drive around to visit them. Today, one has to go to each website, try to figure out where your interest is, then print out a guide. Then go to another company's site and repeat the process. Of course, I'm going to be told there is an aggregator out there somewhere, but I sure don't know where it is.

Pew study reminds us that technology changes are uneven

As our conception of what constitutes media continues to grow, technology keeps expanding our potentials. I'm reminded of this as I'm preparing for a backpack journalism workshop in India, which has me thinking anew of the great tools available for journalists today. The easily used, portable cameras and audio devices have made a new kind of journalism possible. At the same time, the Internet has expanded news consumers' choices exponentially -- even while creating competition that has cost thousands of jobs in the traditional media.

Nevertheless, events and reports keep coming that forces us to rethink many of our assumptions, including those of the immediate demise of one form of media or another. For example, the rise of mobile technology has many proclaiming that 2009 will be the year when mobile media (basically cell phones) overtakes computers for accessing the Internet. Well, Pew Research has come out with a study that points to 2020 as that year. And who can accurately predict what will happen technologically by then?

The bottom line for those studying or practicing journalism, I believe, is to stay loose. Take advantage of what technology exists today, but be alert for potential new venues or technology. And don't forget, good storytelling relies on good techniques -- and they're the same no matter how the end product is delivered.

Washington TV station to switch to backpack journalists only

Gannet's WUSA (Channel 9) in Washington will switch all of its reporting to backpack journalists early next year. It means that instead of the typical two-, three- or even four-person crew on a story, the station will rely on one-person backpack journalists, according to the Washington Post. The backpack journalist -- so-called because they can put all the equipment needed in a backpack -- produces, reports, films and edits their own stories by themselves. It's a cheaper, more personal form of journalism. The station has experience with this kind of journalism, noted backpack journalist Becky Diamond worked there for more than a year in 2006 and 2007. If it works here, look for it to sweep across the broadcast world. It's already made its mark on Internet reporting with several backpack journalist stars.

Detroit newspapers to go part time for home delivery

Word is that the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News will cease home delivery except for the three most profitable days, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. On other days, there would be copies for sale on the street and an online edition every day. It's yet another attempt to hold on to an audience; don't know how it's going to work for NFL Mondays, but since the Lions are headed toward a record 0-16 mark, maybe there isn't all that demand for a Monday sports section. Interesting concept. It's not what I'd do, but it is interesting anyway.

TV viewing up, but advertising is off -- Same for radio

Turner Research reports that television viewing is up -- but advertising is way down. This is yet more evidence that the advertising industry is abandoning old media and going where? (Actually, Media Daily reports all spending for advertising was off 1.7 percent the first nine months of the year.) I'm still waiting for research showing the Internet advertising is doing the job for big companies. Yes, it works well for click-throughs and small, highly-targeted products, but what about institutional advertising? 

It's the same story for radio: more listeners but less revenue. Newspaper readership is off, but not nearly that as the decline in newspaper advertising.  

While mulling over the Turner Research story, I was trying to remember any of the advertising I've looked at this morning in my viewing of eight different media online sites (yes, I'm a news junkie), and I couldn't remember a single advertiser. Maybe my subconscious is picking up data, but I sure don't remember it. This, by the way, fits in with educational research that says retention of information is best from writing on paper. I know from students that if they have something they want to remember, they print it out. 

From Rupert Murdock to Jon Stewart

Tonight's Daily Show with Jon Stewart (online later; replays at 7 tomorrow on the Comedy Channel) had a nice bit on the depressing news  from the newspaper world. Nothing new, but Stewart is always funny -- even on a subject that isn't all that funny.

Rupert Murdock: the savior

Newsweek profiles the changes at the Wall Street Journal -- among others, de-emphasizing financial news in favor of general news -- with a story that comes across as pretty favorable to Rupert Murdock. According to writer Johnnie L. Roberts, the general staff sees Murdock extending, rather than cutting back as is happening at most American newspapers. Still, there's concern with many distrusting the Murdock regime. He's installed an Australian as top editor and a Brit as deputy, both claiming to be "change agents."

Both circulation and advertising are up. The paper is bigger. But, as it looks more and more like other American newspapers (especially the New York Times), many on staff fear the Journal will lose its distinctiveness as it moves more toward becoming the Journal, not the Wall Street Journal.

Tribune, Miami Herald, Rocky Mountain News in the news -- for bad news

Word is that the Tribune Co. has hired bankruptcy advisers in an effort to guide its deepening financial gloom. 

Scripps Howard has put the venerable Rocky Mountain News on the block, saying that if it doesn't get a buyer by next month, it will "explore other options," leading to speculation that the Denver newspaper might be shut down. This AP story outlines other newspapers on the market.

Finally, McClatchy is reportedly shopping the Miami Herald after totally botching its takeover of the once-proud Knight Newspapers chain.

A lot of the problems can be directly traced to the credit crunch. Owners of both the Tribune and McClatchy went heavily into debt buying the media properties. Add the advertising slump following the economy, and you find a dismal business environment.

Andrew Sullivan on newspapers: Wave goodbye

Blogger Andrew Sullivan, writing on the UK's TimesOnline, analyses what's happening to newspapers and comes to a reluctant conclusion that newspapers are dying rapidly. This despite the fact he doesn't see blogs replacing the reporting needed by an informed population. It's the conundrum of media: the successful media pushing out the less successful doesn't do an adequate job. I can see a future where people wake up one day and ask: "What happened?"