10 Traditional Newspapers that Successfully Moved Online

Where, oh where, have all the newspapers gone? Since the recession, which began in 2007, newsprint newspaper circulation and advertising revenue have declined at an alarming rate. Even the largest papers have cut back significantly, in terms of resources and personnel. To meet these continuing challenges newspapers have expanded their Internet presence, some to the point of abandoning newsprint altogether, as did The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, in 2009. Listed here are some newspapers that have led the way in the transition to a digital world.


Image: Wikipedia

• The New York Times – The New York Times, whose famous motto reads “All the news that’s fit to print”, has had a viable online presence since 1995, and, today, boasts one of the most successful multi-media programs in the world.
• The Wall Street Journal – The nation’s most successful newspaper, in terms of circulation, The Wall Street Journal first hit the web, in 1996, with Wall Street Journal Online. Today, the paper has an integrated format, keeping it at the forefront of the journalism world.
• USA Today – First published in hard copy in 1988, the paper ranks just behind The Wall Street Journalin overall circulation, which counts 400,000 online subscriptions in those circulation numbers. USA Todayhas used the web since 1995, and is touted for its use of social networking.
• The Seattle Post-Intelligencer – After nearly 150 years in print, the Post-Intelligencer went to an online-only format in March, 2009, and now reaches over 200,000 people daily.
• The Washington Post – One of America’s leading newspapers since its inception, in 1877, and noted for its political reportage, the Post put out its first online copy in1996, and today is known for the distinct differences between newsprint and online content.
• The Denver Post – Active online, the Post offers a very interesting feature: when subscribers register with the online site, they also receive their own blog and photo gallery.
• Annarbor.com – An example of a hybrid-news format, annarbor.com replaced the Ann Arbor News in 2009, but still publishes a twice-weekly newsprint edition.
• Houston Chronicle – Largest of the Hearst newspapers, and one of the top-ten newspapers in national circulation (only one in the top-ten never to have won a Pulitzer Prize), the Chronicle‘s online edition is known for its innovative technology, including RSS (Really Simple Syndication), which gives almost instantaneous access to breaking news.
• The San Francisco Chronicle – SFGate.com, which is the online branch of the Chronicle,broke new ground, in 2010, when political cartoonist Mark Fiore won a Pulitzer Prize for his series of humorous and biting videos.
• The Minneapolis Star Tribune – Startribune.com is the online arm of the parent newsprint paper, and the web content is notable for its coverage of local and state news, which is featured, rather than national and international news. The interactive approach is quite popular in an area where people are very community-oriented.

The world continues to change, and journalism will need to continue to evolve as well.

Contacts and sources:
Story by Coleen Torres
http://www.phonetvinternet.com/insider/10-traditional-newspapers-that-successfully-moved-online/