Newspapers

Douglas Gomery's article, The Centrality of Media Economics, discussed the economics of the various mass media industries, like newspapers, the radio, and television. However, this article was written in 1993. If it were written in 2009, would it be similar? Would it discuss newspapers in the same way, 16 years later?
I don't believe it would. Unfortunately, in today's technology-driven world, the old medium of newspapers is not holding up very well. Circulation is down for even major newspapers like the New York Times. (See the New York Times article "Drop in Newspaper Circulation Accelerates" for more information at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/business/media/28paper.html). Now, what we might call "old-fashioned" mediums like newspapers are being forced to find other ways to stay afloat as circulation drops and advertising money is lost. Thus, they are turning towards the internet. The New York Times Company, which owns 18 newspapers including, of course, the New York Times, also happens to own more than 50 websites (New York Times Company, 2009). There are NY Times widgets, applications for the iPhone, and even a social networking application on the newspaper's website.
This makes me wonder if there is even room in today's world for the monopolistic marketing structure that Gomery mentioned on page 193 of his article. He used the example of a local cable television company - if you don't like what they offer, "then the choices are to either not subscribe or to move" (Gomery, 1993, p. 193). Does that exist in 2009? Now, the choices would be to subscribe to a satellite service, move, or watch your favorite shows online, instead.
There are so many options today that it is no wonder simple mediums like newspapers aren't exactly flourishing. No longer are we forced to pay subscription fees to buy newspapers, as Gomery's article mentioned. Now, newspapers are available for free, online. One of Gomery's suggestions was that "media industries ought to distribute their products and services to rich, poor, and all those in betweem" (Gomery, 1993, p. 195). Well, the newspaper industries have certainly done that. They have done that by essentially following another piece of advice that Gomery offered - the idea that "media industries ought to bring new technologies to the marketplace as quickly as possible" (Gomery, 1993, p. 195).
So the newspaper industry has followed Gomery's advice in order to improve media performance. But has this been at the expense of the classic ink-and-paper medium everyone is used to? Only time will tell whether or not the internet leaves room for vintage mediums, or if it has simply taken over.

References:
Gomery, Douglas. (1993). The centrality of media economics. Journal of Communication, 43 (1993), pp. 190-98.

New York Times Company. (n.d). Retrieved October 1, 2009 from http://www.nytco.com/company/business_units/index.html.

By: Natalie Dallaire