Battle plans for newspapers: Where does new media fit in?

Oh, we all know newspapers are dying. But what to do about it? The New York Times today has ideas and advice from a handful of experts in the field, including plenty of talk about how new media outlets (that’s us!) can help fill the void.

First, the bad news, from Andrew Keen, the author of “The Cult of the Amateur”:

The reasons that local print newspapers can’t currently compete with the Internet are threefold. Firstly, it is a more immediate medium than print — able to continually update and store infinite amounts of information. Secondly, almost all local information on the Internet is free, while most local papers continue to charge for both subscriptions and classifieds. Thirdly, the physical medium of print is, for better or worse, quickly becoming archaic with consumers.

And a little more pessimism from Steven Brill, founder of The American Lawyer magazine, Court TV and Brill’s Content:

With the current model of free online content, newspapers have essentially turned themselves into shoppers — but, ironically, still with great quality, created by the same culture and people whose work consumers used to pay for. This is complete suicide. Newspapers should, in fact, be more profitable online — because it gets rid of the cost of paper, printing and delivery. This should be the golden age of journalism, delivered without the trucks.

Geneva Overholser, director of the Annenberg School of Journalism at the University of Southern California, seems to say that regional dailies should focus on the crime and plane crashes beat:

First, look around the community to see who is doing good information-gathering and sharing. New Web-only publications may be covering various parts of the community. … Then ask, what needs are not being met? And what can my paper alone do best? It may be that investigative reporting, coverage of state government, local businesses, religious news and political leaders will make up the paper’s new, more limited profile.

Nicholas Lemann, dean of the Columbia University Journalism School, says if newspapers can’t all be saved, other sources of information could step in and take their place:

…The gap in independent reporting on matters of public importance left by ailing newspapers could be filled by other organizations. They might be new, Web-based news services, like GlobalPost, or local news organizations, like MinnPost in Minneapolis, or beefed-up versions of existing entities other than newspapers: radio and television stations, alternative weeklies, magazines.

Rick Rodriguez, a professor of journalism at Arizona State University and former executive editor of The Sacramento, agrees:

University-affiliated papers, too, may play larger roles in coverage beyond their campuses. They may become legislative watchdogs as more newspapers close their state house bureaus. Perhaps they will collaborate with seasoned professionals to do investigative and other public service journalism.

Craig Newmark, the founder of craigslist.org, is not a journalist, but definitely an expert on “The Key to Web Success.” He thinks online news works best when it is responsive to its readers:

People are most interested in national/global news, and news regarding their immediate community. Two good “hyperlocal” sites — missionlocal.org and oaklandnorth.net — ask people what they want to know about, which may be the key to their (potential) success.

OK, Craig. We agree! We are all anguished by the loss of great newspapers (Shout out to our homies at the Trib!). Readers, how can we fill the void? What do you want to know about? Please tell us! Leave your suggestions in the comments section. (And for once, the Queen of Snark asks, be serious.)