Archive for November, 2009
The Amazon Kindle DX: Can It Save The Newspaper Industry?
Things hasn’t been that much of a success in the newspaper industry lately that is why they are relying on what Amazon Kindle DX can do to pull the industry out of its slump. Since subscriptions haven’t been strong enough to keep the industry running, there have been a lot of budget cuts made. This includes laying off people from the work force or removing some sections of the paper. To save the industry, some publishers have tried focusing on technology by making online editions of their newspaper, while others have made their paper available for subscription through the Kindle. But this move has been an open debate for various analysts.
Some claim that this is a change that the newspaper industry can take advantage of. We have been getting our news from the published printed paper since first and last edition of Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick in 1690. Now, with the advent of technology, the printed paper is trying to stay with the new trends. This a development that is unstoppable and the papers would find it difficult to say no. To go with the trends would be a good thing to do and would help them acquire more readers. In doing this, papers might just help in getting good numbers again when it comes to subscriptions.
Still, some may say that it would be a mistake for newspapers to depend on the Amazon Kindle DX. Many newspapers have already made steps to get published online, read free by anyone who visits their site, and earn through online advertisements. What they are doing now is trying to earn additional revenue by offering subscription for the Kindle editions of the paper — the same content people can read free online. There are analysts who think that this is a waste of resources which could only serve to worsen the industry’s situation. Whether we admit it or not, newspapers may not be that needed anymore as more and more trained reporters are being replaced by bloggers, who do blogging, a form of pseudo-journalism.
The more newspapers switch to having their news published through the Kindle DX, the more interest will be built for this type of medium. Since Kindle is becoming more of a fad nowadays that allows people to bring thousands of books with them, according to most Amazon Kindle DX reviews, offering online updates for best-selling subscriptions would then be an easier way instead of reading it from paper. This time around you don’t have to worry about your paper getting ruined by the weather after it has been delivered to you. You also need not bother waiting for your PC to slowly boot up just so you can get hold of the news. All you have to do is to turn your Kindle on and the information would be ready for you to read.
Now that’s what I would call convenience. But is it enough to save the newspaper industry? Only time will tell.