Okay, now here’s the rub … it’s well documented that mainstream media (MSM), and especially newspapers (NEWPs), have struggled to keep pace with the immediacy of websites, particularly social media.
(Okay, so I’ve just developed a weird fetish “thingy” for acronyms!)
But instead of letting social media attack them in the “media”, what if MSM and NEWPs took them on in the “social” part.
By that, I mean, running regular feature on topics that are less news-oriented (breaking, hard, positive, hyperlocal or otherwise) and more … well, hobby-ish.
Take me, for example: I love aircraft. Always have. Always will. I’m running three FB pages (which were categorised as Community until FB’s algothingamobobby changed it into Business pages which I steadfastly refuse to monetise). I also run a YouTube channel on the same topic and just started up a WordPress site. All on the same thing.
That’s a lot of work – and a lot of content. (In that regard, it pays to be unemployed since time has become an asset – no deadlines!) I was thinking that perhaps a MSM website or NEWPs could have a “social news” or “hobby” section like an aviation page or classic cars page or vintage fashion or … you get the drift. Hobby clubs with the backing of a media organisation.
Such pages could potentially be monetised through advertising support and the content could perhaps be generated by staff although I remain wary on that point as it would be so easy to abuse by the bottom line.
The best thing, and this applies especially to NEWPs, is that there is no deadline pressure. Newspapers can dedicate a page to a local activity that is popular in the area: for example, I could do a page aimed at aircraft enthusiasts, talking about particular aircraft or events — actually, I have done something like that already with online PDF pages.
The focus of such a presence would be on “fresh” or even “unique” content, and not “first past the post”.
I’m REALLY not much a fan of horse racing BTW. It simply lacks … appeal.
Aircraft do not.
Tasman Aircraft 