The Future is Now: New E-Newspaper Reader Goes to Market

A few months back I referenced the Minority Report-esque "electronic newspaper" in a blog about the future of news.

It seems today we come one step closer to this futuristic dream- Plastic Logic announced it's e-news reader which mimics the look of a real newspaper. The reader uses the same technology behind Amazon's Kindle and similar readers, but in a much larger size, equal to a piece of copier paper. The device can be updated via a wireless link and stores hundreds of pages of information.

The reader goes on sale early next year. Plastic Logic is expected to present more information, including the price and planned news organization partnerships, at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.

Electronic readers offer the opportunity to collect more information on subscribers, leading to targeted advertising campaigns. They also hold the promise of a greener news industry and would significantly reduce operating costs for news providers.

Coupons Make a Comeback

Hard times call for Sundays spent clipping coupons from your local paper.

A Prospectiv study published by Brandweek indicates that 72% of consumers are using more coupons today than they were six months ago. 81% of those polled admit to using coupons at the grocery store.

Most consumers are getting their coupons for newspapers and magazines, but there was some interest in receiving them via direct mail (39%) or email (26%). In fact, though newspapers are a popular way to obtaining coupons now, only 14% of those polled indicated it was their preferred method for future coupon clipping.

Good news for online advertisers (and for trees):

80% of participants said they would be very likely or likely to increase their use of coupons if they could be tailored to their interests and delivered online.

TV Still the Main Source of News in America

Despite the rise in popularity of blogs and online news feeds, Americans are still getting most of their news through the good, ol' fashioned TV set.

The unsurprising results of a Pew Research Center's biannual survey, released Sunday, show that younger Americans trend toward online news, while older citizens op for the traditional television broadcasts.

According to Pew, there is now a sizable group of a more engaged, sophisticated and well-off people, called "integrators," that use both traditional and online sources to get their news - accounting for 23% of the surveyed group.

"Like Web-oriented news consumers, integrators are affluent and highly educated. However they are older, on average, than those who consider the Internet their main source of news," the survey said.

The survey also showed that the heaviest news viewers tend to be older and of a less affluent, accounting for the trend to seek out news on TV rather than online. Cable news is gaining popularity with TV viewers, with local broadcasts losing steam.

As expected, there has been an overall decline in the percentage of people who said they read a newspaper the day before [the survey], to 34 percent from 40 percent two years ago.

Those who rely on the internet for their news have a median age of 35 and make up the smallest percentage of the polled audience. However, when combined with the "integrators" who are trending toward online sources as well, this makes up a significant group for advertisers to pursue.

The Future of the Newspaper

One of the more memorable scenes in the futuristic film Minority Report features Tom Cruise reading a newspaper that changes in real-time - and shows a news report about him.


Now with smart phones dominating the market and newer products like the Kindle coming in to use, that future doesn't seem so far-fetched.

Today at the Associated Press' annual meeting, the news giant announced the Mobile News Network, a service that delivers news formatted for the iPhone and other cellular handsets. Accoring to Associated Press President and CEO Tom Curley:

“The Mobile News Network will provide a national platform for smart phone users to access local content from brands they trust. Members can participate by providing local news that will appear alongside their logos. Importantly, the network also offers a new outlet for members to sell local advertising to the mobile audience.”

This is certainly an interesting opportunity for selling advertising and for those with news to share, but it's one more sign that the traditional newspaper is slowly declining in relevance.