The American Spectator

Charlotte Observer in print, if need be. p>McClatchy could offer strong incentives for current subscribers to read online, or receive their publication by e-mail. Cut the cost of a subscription in half, or more, for readers to access the news electronically. Give discounts for certain numbers of clicks on advertisements. p>As the Wall Street Journal asserted , readers' habits have changed while newspapers are straining to adjust. The print media no longer have all the classified advertising revenue to themselves. But they do have a near monopoly on newsgathering resources in many cities, and for that reason alone citizens will be drawn to their product, regardless of its format. McClatchy and others would do well to use that advantage to move eyeballs to a less costly model. p>One misconception is that website news services cannot exist without traditional newspapers, because that is often where they get their news. “The State of the News Media 2006,” a study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism released on Monday, said “the Internet…still relies for the heart of its content on print journalism, and if papers were to vanish it is hard to see what might replace them.” p>Nonsense. Among the best and most popular news providers on the World Wide Web are the newspapers themselves. One is not exclusive of the other. In individual cities that wouldn't change; those with the strongest information resources would draw the most interest.