 "Photo: San Diego Union-Tribune")
The San Diego Union-Tribune (and other major media agencies) reported on its acquisition of a new publisher yesterday (May 12). Edward Moss, CEO of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, will be one of very few new hires at the Union-Tribune, which reported this month its plans to lay off nearly 200 people.
According to the Union-Tribune's story on the new arrival, Moss has a background in newspaper advertising. To many, this might seem like an archaic skill. However, a few recent LANG reports give me hope about how Moss might put that experience to good use.
The Los Angeles Business section of Bizjournals.com reported today that a number of newspapers within LANG would be switching to a paid content model. Perhaps this is a knee-jerk reaction to exceeding their credit limits in Feb. of this year, or simply the first order of business under new LANG CEO Fred Hamilton. Whatever it is, it's the wrong idea at the wrong time, and if Moss wanted to be associated with it, he could have had that by way of an earlier announcement. But he didn't, and that gives me hope for our Union-Tribune.
Paid content is a tough market because free content is so plentiful. Alternately, advertising should actually be more lucrative now due to the endless possibilities found in the online markets. Newspapers and television could never have touched the level of targeting and brand management that online retailers have today. Local business owners have more possibilities than ever to reach their audience in larger numbers, and with greater returns.
However, the problem is that retailers, especially local small businesses, don't necessarily have the awareness or sophistication needed to get that information on their own. But if an experienced salesman could explain it to them in terms they understand (i.e., old-fashioned newspaper advertising terms), they might not only start to get it, but start to get REALLY excited about it. This is where I'm hoping Moss will be able to work the most of his magic.
Media needs to stop thinking of their readers as customers and start thinking of them as their community. If Moss wasn't just jumping ship, he may be the guy to start that trend at the Union-Tribune.
Plus, he looks like he just walked off the cast of The Paper, so he's got to be good.
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