Mobile Newspapers, Anyone?
February 26, 2007
The Editor’s Weblog had this to say about mobile newspapers the other day. Oddly enough, it assumes that end uses are looking to replicate the print/web newspaper experience on their mobile phone.
If we had learned anything from RSS & co., it is that content matters more than presentation. Why try and recreate a non-mobile experience on a device which was not designed to support it, when you can optimize the content stream to the device and have it delivered in a mobile-relevant manner.
It’s all about separating the content layer from the presentation layer (which are one and the same in real newspaper). Deliver the same high-value content, but adapt it to the device. Adapt it to the mobile experience, where content is viewed in small chunks, where navigation needs to be dead simple and where entering text is a nightmare.
If you set out to replicate the real world / web newspaper experience on a 3″ device, you will fail, iPhone or no iPhone.
— Oren
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1.
Aner Ravon | February 27, 2007 at 9:28 pm
Not sure…
Newspapers are not just about content. They are about morning relaxation, private time, routine. I don’t envision myself reading the Sports section on my mobile phone regardless of what the content is. If anything, I read my newspaper on my computer these days, but definitely not on a phone which is anything but relaxing.
I would say that it takes a totally different approach to get meaningful content on a phone. For example, getting short and really relevant snaps which take advantage of the unique mobile features (intimacy, always on, etc.) still represent a better shot than trying to package books, papers and PC into a 2×2 screen and 9 keys.
2.
orenf | February 28, 2007 at 6:51 am
Is a newspaper more than the sum of its content? The answer will change across segments and markets.
We can certainly figure out solutions for readers who are simply interested in content. XMLizing the content opens a vista (hmm… I guess MSFT’s campaign does work) of opportunities. In essence the newspaper becomes yet another feed source on the device.
The more interesting case is the one where ther is a perceived brand value associated with the newspaper. I want to read the NYT because I value the experience of reading the NYT. That’s not going to happen on the mobile, uness the newspaper can create a reading experience on the mobile that is meaningful (and does not conflict with its brand).
This is where the features you had mentioned come into play.
I think newspapers face a business model problem as well. They derive their revenue from advertising, a model that is difficult to recreate on mobile. Not to mention that once your content is syndicated you have lost control over how users access it and interact with it.
Moving to the web was traumatic for the print industry. Moving to mobile blurs the lines even further between branded, wall-garden-style content and open content. At the same time, for many the newspaper is still a trusted source of information, one we have a relationship with.
The solution may involve a combination of WAP features, messaging features, voice (podcasting, streaming etc.) and killer content (either from respected authors or with a local touch). As I tend to avoid and denounce phone clients, I will not go into the issue of Flash and other rich content.
Reading the full page NYT on your device (even if it is possible on the iPhone) requires a behavioral transformation involving our relationship with the mobile phone, and an understanding from the media industry of just how and when content is being consumed. The mobile is (and will be for a long time) a secondary data device. If I’m within PC reach, I’ll always opt for the full blown internet experience. Then again, it is easier taking the NYT with me on my phone than lugging around 10 sections weighing 5 kg.
I do see the case for newspaper content being consumed on the phone, for some readers. I believe strong brands can achieve a meaningful adoption rate, if they accept the medium’s limitations and embrace its advantages.
Given that the mobile is the perfect audio delivery device (goes anywhere you go, has a speaker/headset and media capabilities), smartly delivered audio may be the way of the future. It would certainly make my daily commute more relevant.
— Oren