Thursday 5 August 2010

The Media That Pays For Itself


This week a number of influential bloggers (including Wadds, Gedd Carroll and Stuart Bruce) all took to their screens to fly the flag for the media they pay for. Keen to still be able to read a Sunday morning paper in a few years I thought I too would like throw in my 10 cents for the media that is easily worth the cost.

The Guardian iPhone App £2.39

For a fraction of what they could charge, this app allows all users the access to daily news as acknowledged by the newspaper. Its user friendly capabilities have landed it a firm place on the app ‘must-have’ list and the Guardian revealed back in January they have already enjoyed over 70k downloads – a total which may have doubled since then.

Many have questioned how the app will pay its way in the future and a lot of the app users have been quick to defend the longevity of the app stating that they would happily pay an annual subscription fee to enjoy the facilities it offers.

Anyone with an iPhone looking for a news app that loads quicker than any other and boasts features that will keep you coming back to check every hour simply must invest.

PRWeek (via CIPR membership)

As all PRs would tell you, it is important to keep abreast of industry news – not only so that you have enough material to keep the conversation going at a networking event where you’ve enjoyed one too many Cabernet Sauvignons but because you never know what you may stumble upon.

New business can come from the oddest of places and PRWeek ensures all subscribers know the ins and outs of the latest brand ventures and recruitments. It’s also a must read for all looking to see who has made the highly coveted top 150 and always nice to know what those within the industry have been up to.

Sunday Times £2

When the Sunday Times became a £2 paper four years ago, big doubts were cast as to whether any paper could live up to such a strong price point. However, four years on and the paper is going strong with a circulation of well over 1 million. There’s something quite satisfying about heading to the corner shop for a paper and returning home with what feels like a brick of knowledge in your arms.

I truly feel the Sunday Times offers something for everyone be it the ingear section for car enthusiasts, the culture supplement or the Style magazine – it’s one of those papers where no pages go left unread.

Wired Magazine £24 per annum

Ever been to one of those dinner parties where it’s your job to bring a fact that no-one has heard before? If you’re out of ideas I urge you to turn to this zany fact-filled magazine.

With a brilliant website and twitterfeed to match (and help me get my daily fix) if any high end quality magazine can survive the current struggling media landscape I believe Wired can. Learn about ideas, technology and business or why orangutans are energy efficient.

With a true stand out factor and a readership of almost 50,000 the quality journalism you get back from this mag is more than worth the reading fee – give it a go today.

Birmingham Post

Anyone located within the Midlands will tell you all about the necessary changes to this regional paper, which saw the print schedule turn weekly and the editorial team heavily cut down as Alun Thorne was called upon to lead what was to be branded a very different ship.

The paper still boasts a very good read with all you need to know about business, property and regional news packed into one bumper 7-day edition. With a good website to match and option of daily subscriber email updates it feels like the Birmingham Post has always been delivered the way it is now – a system that works.

So, whilst I am quick to often talk about the shift of the media landscape and how the modern times demands more from a newspaper brand than ever before (I know I live to see a nice website and twitterfeed as a minimum) I will still happily put my hand in my pocket for the media – as long as it continues to pay for itself.

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