It is Wednesday morning – announcement day for Apple. It’s not a question of ‘if’ Apple will release their unnamed tablet today, rather what it will be able to do for journalism. The rumors have circulated about the device for months, and CEO Steve Jobs stated it is “the most important thing I’ve ever done.”
The specifications of the device are not important. What is important is how media companies can use the device to regain lost revenue. The Apple tablet will be a game changer for newspapers, and here is why.
The new article
Imagine waking up in the morning and grabbing your new iSlate (or whatever the Apple team gives it for a name). You were out with your significant other last night and missed the baseball game. You slide your finger over the iSlate to activate it and click on the app for your favorite sports media.
Arriving at the article, you have choices. You can read about the game in the wrap-up. You can watch video highlights of the game. You can flip through pictures, or jump to the box score to see how your favorite player performed. You can download audio highlights to listen to on your drive to work.
Interested in the local election? Click on an article and see campaign speeches for either candidate, news, analysis, real-time polls and discussion.
The Apple tablet will give media companies a chance to win back customers by changing media and giving users everything they want at the touch of a button. People still prefer to have the news ‘delivered’ to them rather than seeking it out on the Internet. Add the ability to offer all the various types of media in one ‘article’ (photo, audio, video writing, and real-time information), and you have a recipe for success.
This is what I believe the new media revolution will be, and it starts today. Newspapers will need to adapt but there is a chance to become profitable again if they do it right. Those that fail to adapt will die or be replaced by media companies that will.
How the Apple Tablet will Save Media
Posted by Jason Dean on 1/27/10 • Categorized as Commentary
The specifications of the device are not important. What is important is how media companies can use the device to regain lost revenue. The Apple tablet will be a game changer for newspapers, and here is why.
The new article
Imagine waking up in the morning and grabbing your new iSlate (or whatever the Apple team gives it for a name). You were out with your significant other last night and missed the baseball game. You slide your finger over the iSlate to activate it and click on the app for your favorite sports media.
Arriving at the article, you have choices. You can read about the game in the wrap-up. You can watch video highlights of the game. You can flip through pictures, or jump to the box score to see how your favorite player performed. You can download audio highlights to listen to on your drive to work.
Interested in the local election? Click on an article and see campaign speeches for either candidate, news, analysis, real-time polls and discussion.
The Apple tablet will give media companies a chance to win back customers by changing media and giving users everything they want at the touch of a button. People still prefer to have the news ‘delivered’ to them rather than seeking it out on the Internet. Add the ability to offer all the various types of media in one ‘article’ (photo, audio, video writing, and real-time information), and you have a recipe for success.
This is what I believe the new media revolution will be, and it starts today. Newspapers will need to adapt but there is a chance to become profitable again if they do it right. Those that fail to adapt will die or be replaced by media companies that will.
What are you thoughts?