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Thursday, October 25, 2012

New York Times Sees A Digital Lift

The New York Times seeks a similar strategy as Gannett, pursue the digital business while managing the decline of print.  If costs can be contained, a leaner company can also be a stronger one.  With that, the NYT saw a double digit increase in digital subscriptions.  On the other hand, "Print advertising at the company’s newspapers, which include The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The International Herald Tribune, shrank 10.9 percent, and digital advertising across the company fell 2.2 percent."

Pushing great, exclusive content, only available behind a paid wall, that is of value to the consumer, should propel the company forward.  As more and more tablets get into the hands of more people, the desire for content becomes greater.  Marketing to these consumers the value of a digital subscription is essential.  Getting them to part with their hard earned dollars is necessary, especially as there is also so much free content to consume as well.  For those, like me that have grown up on the NYT, the value proposition to digital is an easier one to make; for the younger audience, the push to compete against other news outlets for share of the digital market may be a bigger challenge.