Dynamic Duos
Print-to-Web publishing is an increasingly more common phenomenon. But what happens when a print publisher looks to a dot-com to share content online? Recently, some of the most esteemed print publishers have been doing just that.
The New York Times signed a deal with Yahoo! to share its content online. Under the agreement, New York Times Digital will provide articles to the dot-com's search page. Content will include politics, business, national and international news, as well as technology features. New York Times Digital will also contribute news customized for Yahoo!'s New York City- and Boston-specific sites. The result, according to Times reports, will be a more widespread dissemination of news that's not just fit to print, but also download.
While The New York Times is certainly no stranger to the Web—the news agency hosts a popular online site for members to browse current stories or reach into digital archives—the paper is one of several media leaders linking with well-known, albeit non-traditional, Web providers. Currently, more and more print publishers are stepping into the role of online content providers. As the competition for publishing supremacy increases with the rise in online services, print publishers will have to determine how to sustain readership endangered by increasingly popular dot-coms, which are also competing to create the most hands-on, usable sites streaming more content—and faster. No matter how quickly even a daily newspaper delivers, Web publishing has changed the way content is retrieved. But even though the Internet reaches growing audiences faster than its print predecessors, revenues from independent online ventures are often disappointing. In today's shifting market, publishers are finding success reaching audiences online—and off.
To capitalize on this business model, television is also being tapped as a viable resource. The Reader's Digest Association and CBS News will reportedly collaborate on content to appear in digest form, as well as the television show, 48 hours. Both companies will share resources to investigate a minimum of four original reports this year, according to Reader's Digest. If successful, the partners expect to pursue more stories for repurposing to print and broadcast.
