MediaPost Editor-At-Large Diane Mermigas, one of my favorite commentators, recently weighed in on newspaper strategies. Mermigas suggests that newspapers should focus on one of their key core competencies: “delivering more of the contextual analysis and in-depth reporting that’s all too scarce in the slapdash interactive marketplace.”
Mermigas writes:
Elevating news content above commodity status by creating value with meaningful context and analysis does not have to be an exercise in futility. It can be a unique refuge from the bombardment of quick-fix news–and a boon to advertisers willing to pay a premium for association. Integrate enticing uses of interactivity–beyond the usual pedestrian applications–and it becomes a deeper dive into information that consumers can use.
Among her suggestions:
· Make information mobile and universal, distributing to where consumers are congregating
· Focus on quality, and treat top-notch journalists as valuable assets
· Reinvent the product and execute better than the competition
· Leverage deep community connections to remain relevant deep into your market
· Avoid being just an aggregator: “Mandate original content, enterprising analysis and reader engagement.”
To read the full column, click here. 
