saving ink • The Next Newspaper will be an App

The Next Newspaper will be an App

NOTE: I wrote this in September 2010, right after the launch of the iPad, long before the iPad 2, Galaxy Tab, Kindle Fire, etc. had made this prediction a reality. Um, I told you so?

The dominant trend for mainstream news and magazines has overwhelmingly been paper —> website —> app (or occasionally website —> app for newer media organizations) for the past few years. The problem with this model, other than the obvious lack of ability for these organizations to find a way to generate revenue online, is that rather than eliminating a previous platform when making the switch to something newer, the content is simply replicated across the different platforms. Worst of all, one or two of the platforms charge for access to the content, while the other one or two offer the exact same content for free.

But what if we got rid of those first two steps, and simply began a media source* as an app?

A media entity that starts as an app is unencumbered by the burden of “free”. It was never free to begin with, so there is no initial gut aversion from the public. But more importantly, it ends the disconnect between customer and content, because when readers pay for what they’re reading, there is no longer room or need for advertisers to worm their way into that relationship; the editors and writers once again work to please readers, not corporate overlords.

The concept of in-app purchases is becoming accepted as a way to pay a fair price for new or additional content to an existing product. In fact, there are already whole categories of apps (comic book companies, for one) where this is the norm. A couple of media outlets (McSweeny’s is the first that comes to mind) are doing this already. So why can’t media apps work this way, in which they are initially bought for free or for a very low price, and every day or week or month a new “issue” of content is available to pay for and download within the app. It could be tied to an email system that informs subscribers that a new issue is ready for download, or entices casual readers to purchase the issue by giving a small preview of what’s inside.

The beauty of this system is that it would eliminate the need for both print and online versions.

Granted, for this to become reality, several things must happen:

iPads and similar devices must become ubiquitous.
App development must become either easy enough for a non-developer to handle, or app development apps, if you will, must become ubiquitous.
Apps must be made cross-platform by default, just as websites can be opened in a variety of browsers and most programs are made for several operating systems. OS limits can only harm media apps.
Our concept of “app” needs to change completely, from being a pretty icon on a phone screen with limited use to being part of an overall system. iOS4’s folder organization is definitely a step in that direction.

My guess is that it will be at least five years before these conditions are met - or at least enough of these conditions are in place so that slowly but surely media organizations can once again see a profit. But with any luck, the iPad and whatever devices follow will allow for a renaissance of quality journalism.

Hey, a girl can dream.

*I’m hesitant to use the words “magazine” or “newspaper”, even though that’s still the closest approximation. Perhaps a fifth condition should be the invention of a new word to describe these new forms of media.