

OwnLocal (YC W10) nabs funding from Automattic to resurrect newspaper revenues - lloydarmbrust
http://venturebeat.com/2011/10/19/ownlocal-funding-newspaper-revenue/

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ethank
I used to do a lot with small regional papers (I worked for Freedom
Communications). They are a tough sell. Super slim margins, very reliant on
and subject to the whims of the local economy and were completely disrupted by
national (or multinational) online players.

The race to the bottom in local advertising markets in terms of low value,
high return and high volume plays through broadsheet classifieds, craigslist,
daily deals, etc has put the ethos of what a "small town" paper was out to
pasture.

It used to be communities were defined by their media, and these newspapers
existed to help define them through editorial voice and amplify the community
through advertising.

That's a tough game now. Consolidation killed the independence (Freedom for
instance bought up all the local Orange County papers), nationalization and
the ability to localize the global killed classifieds.

It is however a field ripe for some disruption, as the need for local media
and localized sales-forces is there, but the ability to address the need with
a sustainable business is tough.

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eli
Looks pretty cool, but small town newspapers seem like they would make for
really tough clients. Even for something that theoretically will generate
revenue for them.

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techdemic
White-label software products--comprised of daily deals and social gaming--
might boost a newspaper's online ad sales temporarily, but at what cost to the
identity of the local publisher?

I feel fortunate enough to live in a small, quirky, University town in which
the residents still value (and support) its 65-year-old weekly print
newspaper. In fact, the paper does a terrific job engaging the community in
local government and has a strong presence at local events.

I'm not sure if the technical solution to saving local media is turning
readers into online gamers and shoppers, but rather developing a unique online
forum for engaging residents in the beat of local issues and interests.

I suppose every community is different, and that's exactly the point I'm
trying to make, but I hope local businesses will continue to support local
media (so long as the editorial voice is there).

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jeremymims
The key to remaining relevant to the business community in a small town is to
provide the online services that they need to buy anyway. If the newspaper
doesn't help local businesses make the transition online, someone else will.

