CNN iPhone App a Lesson for Dying Newspaper Industry

Image by Photo Giddy via Flickr

The truth is, I don't really think newspapers, as we know them today, will be around much longer.  Not only are they based around an increasingly unnecessary and unwanted dead-tree medium but they have not seemed to embrace any of the opportunities presented by the digital revolution.  Their biggest problem is that they are having trouble competing with "free" alternatives and have decided to attempt to erect paywalls instead of offering more valuable content or services.

The new CNN iPhone App is a great demonstration of how to take something easily available for free – there are literally hundreds of free news apps for the iPhone, not to mention being able to just launch your browser and hit one of 1,000 news websites – and charge $1.99 for it by adding value to the content.

Not only is the app pretty and with a fun interface, it also offers tons of personalization options and will STREAM live coverage of breaking news events.  The other big perk is the ability to contribute directly to CNN's iReport section.  Sure, all of these things could be done through one website or another for free but bringing it all together in one easy-to-use and fully-featured app and suddenly $1.99 seems like good value.

Now, I hate CNN and feel that most of their coverage, like that of all the major 24-hour news organizations, is based on making us feel scared or angry or hopeless and I just don't need more of that in my life.

But if I did, I would totally get this App.

The only real question, from a revenue perspective, is if there is a way to get more money from people once they've bought the app…

Posted via email from My Media Musings

No Comments

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI

Leave a comment