This is a “must-do” change for the nation‘s print media – and that includes local and regional newspapers.

In a nutshell, the traditional print news media must now change their business model from selling advertising space to selling online contact for “advertisers” to potential customers.

That demands a new mind-set – always difficult for such a long established industry.  But The Guardian is taking a ground-breaking lead.

Responding to this development, the media-blogger, “buzzmachine.com”, said:

“Digital first, from a business perspective, means driving the strategy to a
digital future, no longer depending on the print crutch.

“That means serving the commercial needs of businesses in our communities in new ways: not just by selling space but by providing services (helping them with
their own online strategies - including Google, Facebook, Groupon,
craigslist, et al; training them; perhaps holding events with them).

It means finding new efficiencies in the collaborative link economy. It means
outrunning the grim reaper and getting past risky dependency on
free-standing inserts (the coupons and circulars that will one day, sooner
than we know - zap! - disappear) and retail advertising (which continues to
implode) and the last vestiges of classified (how quaint) and circulation
revenue (sorry!). It means getting rid of the cost of the analog business.”