10:16AM – Did Craigslist Destroy Newspapers?

Posted on 23. Oct, 2008 by Carl Winfield in Uncategorized

Newspapers don’t have a news problem: They have a marketing and distribution problem.

Purcell says that they’ve been gouging readers for decades. And now, when faced with a cheaper and more direct tool like Craigslist, they’re bailing.

Newspapers have split off from a marketing-centric model or “disaggregate.”

So, what are we hearing:

Spin off local news and editing

Make cuts in distribution

Make cuts in printing

Focus on the new. Focus on digital offerings.

The notion of the package is gone. Give it up.