“Not too soon,” says L. Gordon Crovitz when asked when he might land a new job after resigning as the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, executive VP of Dow Jones, and president of its Consumer Media Group last January. But Crovitz is hardly idle. He's writing a weekly column for the Journal titled “Information Age” and, we’re betting, is racking up those frequent-flier miles as he travels around the country to speak about the ever-changing media landscape.
He shared some of his thoughts about media, digital and otherwise, in the latest segment of Executive FaceTime with Hal Espo. Among other things, he talked about the litany of woes facing the newspaper industry (read: erosion in circulation, advertisers shifting more of their spending to online venues), the particular challenges facing metro newspapers, and the changing definition of a “brand” in the world of infinite consumer choice.
Crovitz expressed that the newspaper industry is facing a difficult time as readership is decreasing and more people are turning to online sources for news. With the rise of the internet, newspapers are struggling to keep up with the competition and maintain their readership. Advertisers are also shifting their spending towards online venues as more people are spending time online. This shift in advertising is also affecting the revenue of newspapers, making it even harder for them to survive.
Metro newspapers are also facing specific challenges. They have to compete with not just other newspapers but also with the internet and other forms of media. This competition is making it harder for metro newspapers to maintain their readership and revenue.
Crovitz also discussed how the meaning of “brand” is different now that there are so many options for consumers. With the rise of the internet, consumers have access to a vast array of options and can easily compare different brands. This makes it harder for companies to maintain their brand and to stand out in the market.