“Increasingly important in the multichannel world is the brand. People have to know who to trust. Old established brands equal strong relationships and that is what it is all about,” Wheatcroft told the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers Tuesday.

Her point is never truer than now. The blogosphere is rapidly expanding, and citizen journalism has made major inroads with traditional media. But what at times accompanies the innovative drive forward is a step back in quality, in professionalism and, most importantly, in accuracy. In an age when anyone can be a reporter, trusted newspapers can play up their reputation as a way to retain readers.

Wheatcroft acknowledged a few of the many benefits of the Web, specifically, the idea of continually updated news. “People will want to consume bite-sized pieces of information from the Internet throughout the day,” she said. But people will also continue to read newspapers — especially weekend editions — as a leisure activity, she argued.

That point is secondary. With impossibly large amounts of information accessible 24/7 on a continually expanding variety of media platforms, the best source in a media-overwhelmed world is often a reliable one: the daily newspaper.

Source: The Guardian