Diversity is Power for Specialized Sites (Alertbox) Institute: Get Smart About Your Readers. Your comment reminds me of Phil Meyer's recollections in his book "The Vanishing Newspaper. " He recalls a conversation with a Knight Ridder executive, Hal Jurgensmeyer, who says newspapers aren’t in the news business, or even in the information business. Newspapers, Jurgensmeyer said, are in the influence business. He goes on to quote Jurgensmeyer:“A newspaper produces two kinds of influence: societal influence, which is not for sale, and commercial influence, or influence on the consumer’s decision to buy, which is for sale.
The beauty of this model is that it provides economic justification for excellence in journalism.” “This is true because a news medium’s societal influence enhances its commercial influence. First Monday. Content is Not King.