The Economist is a great example for print media to follow. Here is what they do well: 1) Have an opinion, state it clearly and incorporate it into every pie

The Economist is a great example for print media to follow. Here is what they do well: 1) Have an opinion, state it clearly and incorporate it into every piece. Articles can be a lot shorter and more informative if you don't have to "show each perspective" (which I think is impossible to do well.) 2) Create content that is so good, people will pay for it. Part of this is hiring insightful writers, part is sending them all over the world where a story is always happening and part is journalistic integrity. An untrustworthy news source is not valuable. 3) Avoid the butter battle. They don't play the tit for tat game with other columnists. The paper would read nearly the same whether they had a million competitors or none. It stands on its own axioms. 4) Understand your market: http://fora.tv/2007/02/05/Uncommon_Knowledge_John_Micklethwait http://fora.tv/2007/02/05/Uncommon_Knowledge_John_Micklethwa... In this interview the editor of the economist talks about how they compete not with other newspapers but with people's time. He says that his customers are busy people with lots of money and they are willing to pay for a concise view on the world. 5) Give people the tools to win debates. Reading the news is really pushups for your next dinner party debate. Hardly anyone acts directly on what's happening in the news other than through conversation. When I read the Economist cover to cover for 3 years while living in DC, I could go toe to toe w/ anyone in the think tank / foreign policy / political circuit even though I was an engineer / outsider. Not sure it did me any good other than satisfy my curiosity and competitive streak, but it was really fun and worth the money.