Predictions for Minnesota media in 2010
Lots of people are doing their end-of-year round ups and predictions and all that, so I thought I’d weigh in, too.
From what I’m seeing and reading, 2010 is poised to be the year that the undead institutions of zombie economy run out of live humans and finally start to fall, and that includes some local media outlets.
Some of these predictions might seem aggressive, but when it comes to this stuff, you gotta go for the gusto. Also, I’d like to apologize to my friends who work in the places mentioned; this list is a bit morbid, and I hope you all can be gainfully employed for years to come.
Please read this with your best John McLaughlin voice.
Prediction!
MPR drops the Q from their NewsQ branding effort, goes back to being regular MPR News.
Prediction!
By the end of the year, two or three reporters at out-state Minnesota media outlets start blogs that out-perform their publications (and the blogs get monetized!).
Prediction!
A third of news outlets in the state cut back on their full AP contract or back out of it entirely.
Prediction!
Minnpost gets mentioned on the Nieman Journalism Lab at least three times, but also runs out of money and “reorganizes” to much fewer staff.
Prediction!
Under their new publisher, Mike Sweeney, the STrib undergoes a major digital overhaul — they relaunch their website with a new layout, hire at least a dozen more digital staff, try to produce more multi-media, and drop at least 3 days of delivery — but miss out on the fundamentals of the web and ends the year at -30% operating expenses or more and puts their downtown land back on the auction block.
Prediction!
Village Voice higher-ups realize they can’t keep up with print costs, but can’t make it on CPM advertising alone, so they either sell or close City Pages.
Prediction!
MSP Communications announces it will “begin to phase out” MSP Magazine.
Prediction!
This is a big one - one of the local TV stations will stop doing news broadcasts before the year is over.
Prediction!
Traffic to local mobile sites doubles while local sales of mobile increase 10-25% because it won’t be until 3Q of 2011 that the surviving outlets figure out how to sell mobile.
Prediction!
LOL/OMG becomes the next big thing.
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