…and we launched less than two months ago. This is the result of agressive promotion and a product the market wanted. We currently have more listings in many categories than the paper does.

take a look at the used car classifieds on zidaho and tell me print has anything to worry about.

Thom - I hear what you’re saying on the “two lines of text” stuff, but that is so easy to overcome. We now write about 30% of the stories that our hit our site from scratch for the web. It can be tough with a small staff, but 90% of the time we have more information than the newspaper here on breaking stories. They can’t keep up, because we’ve been in the breaking news business for a long time, and understand how it works. And photos? Video stills can be a powerful thing — especially when you unload them en masse in a photo gallery.

Focus on strengths: breaking news, video, traffic and weather — places print media sites are just plain out of their depth. Get those nailed down, then start attacking classifieds with a “free” product. I can’t say it works everywhere - just sharing our market’s experience.

Having worked in local TV news (then for a national news organization that took Web reports from locals), I think that the need for additional details and high-quality still images on the Web is really what puts local TV at a disadvantage. Two sentences of text and a video package featuring a consultant-sculpted reporter who speaks in a strange style of speech (peppered with fake amazement, outrage or indignation) is not enough on the Web.

The difference is quality of reporting and writing and not just volume.

Also, TV designers, in general, should not design Web pages. Newspaper sites may be perceived to me “boring” but in general they are more usable and on the Web that is much more important.

you got a “Dr.” before your name?

you guys are really reaching with that “classifieds” bs.

hey don, how’s that partner site of yours going in boise?

what was the domain name again???

it’s been a couple months since i looked at the used cars for sale.

Newspapers are boring in print. They are boring online. They are out of TOUCH.

TV stations exist to produce news that people care about — every story is designed to KEEP someone’s interest.

That translates to much more interesting content online.

The only advantage newspapers have in their markets — and the only reason they are ahead — is the sheer VOLUME and AMOUNT of content (particularly sports) that they produce each day and crank out for the web.

Classifieds, as Don said, are also a key.

Audiences are learning that TV station sites are better for breaking news, consumer news and traffic… soon, the gap will narrow…

Experience counts.

What Dimock doesn’t realize is that in most markets (not mine), there are several TV stations, that add up to a larger online share than the newspaper.

The reason newspapers do so well in studies like Media Audit & Pew is because of classified brand awareness — NOT news. Despite the name of the medium (newspaper) — NEWS isn’t generally the strength of the organization when it comes to the online world. Not ALWAYS mind you… but there are a lot of weak newspapers out there propped up by classified content, while TV stations are beating them on all major news & weather measurements.

The way to battle back? TV stations should be in the classifieds game …