Warren Buffett on newspapers [pdf] • Hacker News Board

Re: Warren Buffett on newspapers [pdf]

#51

Post by meatsock » Tue, Jun 05, 2012, 12:14 AM UTC

loumf wrote: post #50

lukejduncan wrote: post #41

It seems to me that Patch beats a local paper any day. The argument that making a paper hyper local somehow saves it from having to compete with the Internet just seems off to me.

I just took a quick look at Patch and it looked like very superficial robo-generated news from public sources (police blotter, HS sports schedule, stock photography). It doesn't look very readable. Here's an article that puts words around a calendar http://chelmsford.patch.com/articles/softball-team-to-face-n... This article is probably just auto-generated for town (it's about the view of Venus we are getting right n…

patch isn't entirely auto-generated, there are reporters and editors working for them

Re: Warren Buffett on newspapers [pdf]

#52

Post by loumf » Tue, Jun 05, 2012, 11:52 AM UTC

meatsock wrote: post #51

loumf wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just took a quick look at Patch and it looked like very superficial robo-generated news from public sources (police blotter, HS sports schedule, stock photography). It doesn't look very readable. Here's an article that puts words around a calendar http://chelmsford.patch.com/articles/softball-team-to-face-n... This article is probably just auto-generated for town (it's about the view of Venus we are getting right n…

patch isn't entirely auto-generated, there are reporters and editors working for them

I'm sure -- I clicked around randomly and my impression was that the articles were generic and auto-generated. Sadly, it might be able to compete with what passes for local news some places, but my local paper is much better.

The key to local news is local names and faces -- stock photography and localized generic news isn't going to cut it.

Re: Warren Buffett on newspapers [pdf]

#53

Post by bradfa » Tue, Jun 05, 2012, 3:48 PM UTC

brandnewlow wrote: post #20

bradfa wrote: post #12

Our Rochester, NY USA paper just raised rates 50% for subscribers and are backing that with an online version of the paper that looks exactly like the print version. I canceled my subscription. I want local news. I want to pay a reasonable rate (was $12 / month for 5 day delivery, now $18 / month). I don't care for an online version that looks just like the printed paper. I would sign up for a reduced (like $6 / mont…

Just want to point out how insane is is that none of us would price even the most basic SaaS product at less than $30/month, but people balk at paying $18/month to have a professionally edited newspaper printed and DELIVERED TO THEIR DOOR. Newspapers are so hosed.

Consumers don't buy SaaS products that cost more than $10 / month. Businesses regularly pay $30+ / month for things, it's way cheaper for them. But in the consumer land, cost is king 99% of the time.

Consumers buy Netflix for $9 / month, or Dropbox for $10 / month. Consumers don't buy $30 / month SaaS Internet services. Heck, the only "service" most consumers pay for that costs more than that is cable TV / high speed internet. They're entrenched with high prices, everyone accepts them. Newspapers have always been cheap, making them expensive now is not acceptable unless I'm really getting more of what I want.