Consider this a "download" of ideas, conversations, suggestions, opinions and even hearsay from the last few weeks. Most of the content a function of the NAA Publisher's/NEXPO or INMA World Congress conferences.

...Noteworthy - the Baltimore Examiner launched on April 5th. Sure, there are a host of naysayer's who are convinced this model is doomed. We'll see. However, I think the jury is just now beginning to deliberate with the Baltimore effort since the previous two (San Francisco and Washington D.C.) were existing titles, complete with all the good and bad that might mean.

In looking at the advertising support of the early editions, there genuinely seems to be interest! Now, what will the readers say?

This much is certain - this IS the type of experiment which should absolutely be happening at a feverish pace in the next few years as this industry begins to embrace (you are, aren't you??!) future economic models.

...Scary notion - and I have NO idea what this means - but, when I booted up my laptop at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago upon arrival at the NAA Publisher's conference my home page was Google. Mmmm! That is NOT my selected home page, but in the Fairmont I had no choice. I even booted it up again to see if I had accidentally clicked this since I do have Google bookmarked. Google again! I have no idea if this was a Fairmont deal (it didn't happen down the street at the Drake hotel for INMA) or what, but it's damned interesting. Maybe someone out there can glean the significance and share it before the next In the Know?

...Is this a good idea or not? A recent hallway conversation led to a tool we're calling Snapshot. Let us know what you think - -

- - The challenge - Front page content - what should it be?
- - The solution - place a small box at the end of selected articles encouraging readers to call an 800# which will lead the reader through a very short Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Survey. Less than 2 minutes. It will capture measures like willingness to recommend the article to a friend, would you like to see more similar articles, satisfaction with the story length, would you like to speak to the author, and, then a short list of demos (source of copy, age, gender, zip, ethnicity and maybe education).

For a newspaper willing to commit to six months of capturing between 10 and 100 Snapshots each month the price ranged from $50 per Snapshot all the way down to $18 for the greater frequency.

Yes, there might be a self-selecting bias connected with such respondents, but, then again, it might be timely and directional and connect editors to audiences in novel ways. Hard to find anything not to like about that, but what do YOU think?

...The entire feel of the NEXPO floor seemed to display a split personality. Yes, there were a few transactions or deals done, and several booths were occasionally jammed, but that was offset by exhibitors lamenting the lack of visitors. I don't know whether it was the shuttle system to get to the vast McCormick Convention Center or something else, but the floor "action" was mixed, to say the least.

To some degree that summarizes what's going on in the newspaper industry...there are those companies who are active, excited, growing and embracing a future they are eagerly creating; and, there are others who seem to be in denial. It's hard to tell what they are denying?

Industries mature - competition increases - margins get pressured - smart operators evolve or perish. EVERYONE knows this, yet many are acting as if this is a revelation?

Let's state it in black and white - in the shortest case scenario I'd be willing to bet there are some major metropolitan dailies who have crunched the numbers and are staring at unprofitable futures in less than 10 years. Not just declining EBITDA's, but no profit!

If that's not a catalyst to motivate something, anything, everything, then I don't know what is?

...The Small Newspaper Symposium was once again hosted by the NAA and, as always, had a few nuggets:

• The police blotter/crime page that was turned in to a fun article every week.
• Aggressively marketing a Tour of Homes in a way that leveraged print/online/niche products to earn real, not just up-sold revenue.
• Though not "new" but the whole Spotted photo idea being successfully deployed by Morris Communications is right on target.

If you are an NAA member, be sure to get the Ideas book. It's worth it.

I'm wondering - maybe this should be taken a step further - perhaps there should be a session on untried IDEAS with the requirement that each be something new, off-the-wall and that you're dying to try? The audience could vote on it (or not) and maybe something abso"f"inlutely cool might evolve? A real live, honest to goodness brainstorming session?

It seems good ideas are all over the place...it's the GREAT ideas which we're in desperate need of finding. And, soon.