US: Will the compact newspaper revolution take hold?
On August 29th, another American newspaper will jump on the tabloid bandwagon. The daily newspaper of Troy, New York called The Record, whose circulation has dropped 45% over the past ten years, is making the switch, simultaneously adding more local coverage and hiring new staff. The paper's VP of advertising and marketing, D. Lee Karlson, is optimistic because where most advertisers cringe at the thought of smaller pages on which to place their ads, The Record's advertisers welcome the change because surveys show that most readers welcome a smaller newspaper and will thus be more engaged when reading it. But not everyone in the newspaper business thinks a compact format can save waning circulations.
A report by the Associated Press Managing Editors entitled "Is Smaller Better?," (in print) gives mixed opinions from famed newspaper designer Mario Garcia who lauds the advantages of a smaller paper, to consultants such as Alan Jacobson and Bill Ostendorf who insist it's not the size that's causing readers to flee, rather the loss of quality in content. Some point to the success that Europeans have had when switching to compact, notably in London where The Independent and The Times saw their circulations rise after their conversions beginning in autumn 2003. But the two consultants note that the American and European newspaper markets vary significantly in that Americans depend on advertising for 80% of their revenue where European newspaper advertising composes only 60% of papers' total revenue. Tabloid advocates point out that the public prefers the smaller size because it is easier to handle. But opponents say that advertisers aren't comfortable shrinking their ads, noting that a switch leaves up to 20% of a paper's advertising at risk.
To boot, European tabs don't seem to be turning out as the newspaper saviors some predicted. The Independent's circulation shot up about 17% after its switch but that rise soon leveled out and, in fact, is now experiencing declines once again. Same with the Times, whose sold copies increased by about 4% only to even out, sales which some opine are now being saved by the numerous promotions the paper's marketing staff has implemented, pairing products with the paper. German tabloids such as Welt Kompakt and 20 Cents have also not lived up to expectations, reporting disappointing results (see previous posting).
The real victors in the world of smaller papers seem to be the freebies which have just passed the 20 million worldwide distribution threshold (see previous posting), led by Metro. They strategically place themselves in public transportation commuter markets where smaller papers make sense since a broadsheet is hard to manipulate in a crowded subway, or in front of venues such as coffee shops where a customer on line can grab it without having to dig into pockets searching for change yet still get a quick news fix in five minutes. The Examiner title in the US has even begun distributing copies of its free paper to upper-middle class homes which advertisers prize for the potential consumers inside.
That being said, a switch to compact form for a medium-sized regional paper whose circulation has dropped to a little over 16,000 doesn't make much sense. It can still be locally delivered but that doesn't much matter because the difference in convenience between reading a broadsheet and reading a compact in the comfort of ones own home is minimal. It won't help commuters because most people in such an area in the US drive everywhere (reading the paper and driving a car are obviously not complementary actions). It could be sold at coffee shops or convenient stores but firstly, a free paper in such a situation will attract more people and secondly, many waiting in lines in such stores tend to pick up a paper, browse through it, and put it back without buying it, not helping circulation at all.
Major news organizations such as Knight Ridder have been studying figures and considering compact conversion for some time. Chances are that they will end up switching, each with their own unique design. But chances also are that conversion will do nothing to help boost their circulation. Instead of waiting to see who's the next to turn to compact, the real revolution could arrive when what was once a conventional broadsheet shuts its printing presses down completely and publishes everything digitally.
Sources: The Business Review, Times Union, APME (website only)
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What's more promising is the part where they say they'll add more staff. The Record's newsroom has been slashed and burned in the past few years, so if nothing else, at least it'll be good to see their coverage improve.
I've seen the prototype they've shopped around to advertisers, and it's better than anything that's being published in the Capital Region now. It's clear they're not just switching to a smaller size, but changing the way they report and present the news to be more reader-focused. They're also adding color comics and making the whole thing a more fun, more interesting read. That's what I think will make it successful.