NET EXECS OFFER ADVICE TO NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS

By: Lucia Moses Old Media Will Remain Relevant, They Say



You might expect a group of new-media executives to predict a rapid
decline of newspapers. But panelists at the Newspaper Association of
America (NAA) annual convention in New York this week said old media
will remain relevant for some time.



Joel Maske, CEO of iSyndicate, a San Francisco-based online content
provider, said the public's insatiable demand for information will keep
newspapers relevant. 'Paper's not going away, just given its efficiency
and portability,' he said.



Jeff Taylor, founder and CEO of Monster.com, an online competitor for
newspaper classifieds, said the tight labor market has kept advertising
demand strong in all media. 'Companies are in mission-critical mode
where they're going to have to have to use everything that's out
there,' he said. 'At least in the near-term future, I think there's
plenty of business to go around.'



Kevin O'Connor, CEO of DoubleClick, an online advertising company,
nevertheless predicted that wireless devices will slowly erode the
print newspaper industry.



As information is readily available via the Internet, credibility and
editorial independence are threatened, panelists said. Readers need to
be aware of the source of what they're reading, said Maske, whose
company sells content from everything from wire services to self-

syndicators to financial service firms.



Asked whether printed and online news will migrate toward a free or
paid model, panelists offered different opinions. Barry Diller, CEO of
USA Networks, said he believes people will pay for news that's relevant
to them, while Maske said consumers will tend to favor open and free
access to news.



To publishers still unsure about how to deal with emerging technology,
Diller said it's OK to be confused. Drawing from his own experience
with e-commerce ventures, he said, 'If anything is strategic in any
possible way, and even if you don't understand it, you must find out
more ... and you must step into it.' He urged newspapers to avoid joint
ventures 'because they don't work' and to 'cannibalize your own
business, to not be afraid to cannibalize your own business.'