Denmark since last week is two news sources richer: Dato and 24Timer. A third one is threatening to enter the market later this year. Whether it from a journalistic point of view is an enrichment, I dare to challenge. Whether this helps, this at least is what the editors claim, more people to start reading newspapers again, is doubtful and I'd like to see the living proof of that. If anything, it clutters the landscape since it is additional information sources people have to relate to.
It of course is a great medium for advertizers that have been blocked from my mailbox with a 'thank you for not sending me any advertisement' badge, since these papers do not have the same restrictions. Yet, I must add. I just ordered a badge which will also ban these free so called newspapers from my box (link to the website where you can order your badge). So did 23.000 others until now. Admitted, that is less than 5% of the total amount of receivers but this is within a two weeks time frame. Besides that, this is the 23.000 who actively refuse to receive these advertisements in a news coating. That means that most likely at least five time the amount of people are to some level irritated by these papers. What does that tell the advertizers? (Do they care?).
What I also doubt is the economic model - and this is my biggest problem with the development. The two new newspapers on the streets are both published by traditional newspaper publishing houses: Berlingske and Politiken. Both serious dailies with both their unique share of readers. The money that is being pumped into these free newspapers, I'm affraid at the end of the day can and will threaten the traditional newspapers as well. I figure that it will cost between 6 and 10 DKK every day to get these newspapers on the street (inluding print, editorials, distribution and what have you). Times 500.000 - that is 3 million. Times two free newspapers. That is six million extra advertiement DKK these papers have to find: every day. How long can they do that? Especially once there's 60.000 people who ban them from their mailboxes? Why are we cutting perfect wood for printing papers where - if you ask me - even the piece of paper this business plan has been written upon has not been worth cutting a single inch.
ps - there's right now a delivery time of four to sex weeks on the bann free papers badges. If you can wait that long, print your own.
Comments