Questions for news websites after discussion with Howard Owens of the Batavian.
Is there a viable business model for local news websites?
“I’m tired of corporate politics in America,” Owens said. “I’m happy to take less money to own my own business.”
Owens stressed the need for a marketing plan including magnets, radio ads, Pennysaver ads, water bottles. Balloons with your website’s name are very cheap to hand out, he added. Getting your name out in the community is essential to driving up hits.
He said marketing a local news website is part of reinforcing the connection to the community. Ideally, you should have a salesperson from the start to build relationships with local advertisers.
Not everyone can build a credible blog and keep it going. That’s the challenge for journalism professionals in the new world of online journalism.
“You don’t need huge staffs for local news websites,” he said. “Work your ass off now and hope to retire after a few years.”
Howard Owens, former news executive and current owner of the online publication, The Batavian, talks about the online newspaper business at the Brave NewsWorld forum at Centennial College.
Throughout 19th century newspaper journalism was very flexible, Owens said. But over time, newspapers have become complacent, he said. There is a tendency to think newspapers lost circulation because of radio, TV, internet but it’s more complex than that, he said. Many newspapers became big and impersonal and local sites have to go the other way and connect with their audience. Read the rest of this entry »
