Newspapers making front page in online advertising

The Internet is so accessible and expansive in today’s fast-paced world it displaces some of the traditional forms of media, in particular the cornerstone of American reporting—newspaper.

Today people have traded in eating breakfast and reviewing world events for the paperless versions. So newspapers evolved, they added color to increase circulation, they added different sections to reach a wider audience. Now, with so much reliable information, newspapers must compete in the online forum in order to avoid extinction.

Competing isn’t just throwing up a Web site that mirrors the printed version. It’s offering value to the consumer, it’s offering something that consumers can’t live without. An article from AdAge.com stated that Tribune Co., publisher of the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times, announced a plan to make all of its online general-merchandise classifieds free. The news came as a surprise because newspapers have historically charged for classifieds.

While it’s only a small step, it is a step in the right direction. Newspapers have to do something to compete with sites like Craigslist, which has always offered free online classifieds, according to the article. The forward thinking of Tribune Co. should serve as a rude awaking for other news corporations that are seriously lacking in the ability to compete with cheaper, more effective Web sites.