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Saturday, March 20, 2010
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The future of news is not paper. At the same time the future is not necessarily just computers or mobile phones either. These days a new player, in the form of a new medium has entered the fray. That new technology is eInk.
eInk is, much as its name implies, electronic ink. From the eInk website, eInk is described as offering, “...the viewer the experience of reading from paper, while having the power of updatable information.” The key difference between eInk and a computer screen is that it is not backlit like a screen, so it can be viewed in bright sunlight but not in the dark. To retain the image on the screen no power is required.
So does eInk satisfy those that want the feel of newspaper in their hands? No, not yet. Currently it is only available in electronic readers such as Amazon’s Kindle, and the Sony e-Reader. These are rigid products that resemble computers more than newsprint. They are also in a size that is more comparable to a paperback novel than a newspaper. However that may soon be changing, with papers like the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News announcing that they will partner with a company called Plastic Logic on a device that is letter-sized (8.5” x 11”).
Competing technologies will soon bring eInk like materials that are flexible and color, as the currently commercially available devices are all black and white.
Aside from the format itself, the cost saving potential of the medium is evident. Some have estimated that the cost of printing and distributing the New York Times is twice as much as the cost of the Amazon Kindle. With the cost of print rising as well as the price of gas, printing and distribution often accounts for up to 40% of overall newspaper operating costs.
The other difficulty in printing and distributing news via paper is the obvious environmental implication.
In the end, the brows-ability, flexibility and clarity of the printed word still has a large appeal, but new alternatives will find their devotees as well.
While the Sacramento Bee is not currently available on the Amazon Kindle, many papers are moving in that direction. The Sacramento Press is also moving in that direction, as we feel that it is a good contender for being a large part of the future media landscape.
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I do know that we are working on getting listed as a blog for the Kindle. Then we can all subscribe to a feed of all articles for that device.
We may also work with a device maker on something more elaborate, but there must be a business plan that works for everyone involved.
In general, there is a central challenge to these technologies. They are not made for interactivity. Our site is built not just on stories, but conversations.
I think a better course of direction (and forgive me if I'm overstepping boundaries here) would be to make the Sacramento Press available on mobile devices. I think people who subscribe to a data plan on a device like a Blackberry, iPhone or other smartphone would be a better target audience than those who own an eBook reader. An application on a smartphone that would allow the upload of text, photos and videos would be, in my opinion, more beneficial to the growth of the Sacramento Press contribution-wise and readership-wise than focusing on the Kindle (which, lets face it, is still struggling for an "in") which — as far as I know — would only allow for reading and not contributing to the site.