To Reverse Circ Plunge: Give Readers What They Want

By: Mark Moore It's no surprise that recent circulation figures show nearly 5 percent declines at most of the country's largest newspapers -- another sad milestone in the continuous downturn in readership. It's also no surprise that newspapers seem better suited to lose readers than attract them and that they've been bedeviled by this problem for a while.

What is surprising, however, is that newspaper executives don't seem to be learning from their mistakes and continue to put out irrelevant and uninspired publications, further alienating readers.

Yet, a few newspaper companies do seem to get it. The New York City tabloids -- the Post and the Daily News, which are embroiled in a knock-down, drag-out fight for readers -- saw their circulation numbers increase. And the free, daily tabloids seem to making inroads with readers. So what are they doing that other newspapers aren't?

They're giving readers what they want.

So what do other newspapers have to do to counter the readership tide?

Give readers what they want.

? Embrace the tabloid format. Tabloid papers are simply easier to read than standard broadsheets: they are easier for a reader to scan and to hold. It's a matter of convenience to the reader.

? Set yourself free. Newspapers could once get away with charging readers -- but that was before, when there was little relative competition among news providers, and before the Internet made paying for information seem archaic -- like using a pay phone. Readers, especially young ones, know they don't have to pay for their news.

? Get down to business. In case newspapers needed a more blatant reminder than what's been going on recently, they are, after all, businesses. Take an honest and critical look at the operation and make some hard decisions. Is it running as efficiently as it should? Are employees motivated and productive? What are you going to do with the ones who aren't?

? Keep it short, stupid. We're all pressed for time. So don't waste it. Write succinct, informative, useful stories. Help the reader process the news by using graphics and information/summary boxes. Save the long story treatment for major news and enterprise and investigative pieces.

? Do something bold: Respect the reader. Give them the facts they need to make an informed, intelligent decision and let them make it. While you're at it, make them contributors to the newspaper. Publish their opinions, not only as letters to the editor, but in the same manner as regular columnists. There is an immense amount of expertise out there that newspapers fail to mine.

? Do something even bolder: Stop endorsing political candidates. Before the recent election, some newspapers published entire lists of candidates they endorsed. I wonder how many readers those newspapers turned off with those endorsements. Or take it one step further: Drop the editorial page entirely.

? Think young. When you hire young reporters and editors, listen -- really listen -- to their ideas. It's completely understandable that most newspapers contain articles that reflect the interests of the people setting the news agenda -- except when they have nothing in common with their younger readers, or are utterly out of touch with them. Most stories written for younger readers -- and I don't mean teenagers -- contain that sanctimonious parent-to-child tone or are so irrelevant that they're laughable.

? Think local. If all politics is local, then news should definitely be. But you first must define what local news is. Simply filling up the local sections with pablum because readers told focus groups that they want more local stories isn't good journalism. Quality trumps quantity.

There are many other things newspapers can do to become essential to readers again. But these suggestions are a start, which is what's needed most of all.