Marc Andreessen’s proposition that newspapers give up the printed paper in favor of an online-only business model has lit a fire under the ongoing debate about the state – and fate – of the newspaper industry. During an interview with Conde Nast’s Kevin Maney in Portfolio, Andreessen argues that newspaper have to adapt to a changing print journalism market the same way Intel adapted to micro-chip competition from Japanese companies in the mid-80s. Intel shut off its dominant business and focused efforts on a smaller, more targeted micro-processor manufacturing because it was seen as the future.
Scott Rosenberg, writing on his blog Wordyard, doesn’t think newspapers are going to make the painful decissions necessary to survive.
If newspapers are really going to take the leap Andreessen proposes, they will have to do it while simultaneously restructuring their deals with their employees and mandating painful cuts that nobody wants to accept.
The newspaper industry is fast approaching the point where it must decide. Is it going to make the tough choices…or will it die?
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