There was an interesting discussion this morning on Howard Owens' blog about whether newspapers should dump resources into podcasts or video -- or both.

A quick recap:

It started with a post on Vanessa Fox's blog. She wrote that with her multitasking at work (which we all do -- admit it!), it's really hard for her to get through any videos. Fox wrote she can scan blogs and get the gist of the post in a few seconds, and she can listen to podcasts at the gym. But, she wrote, "By the time I got the headphones on and the video downloaded, I’d be on to designing some new feature (or, more likely, answering more email). I’d only get to hear three words at a time, which just doesn’t seem very satisfying."

In response, Owens wrote the problem with Fox's argument in favor of podcasts over video is that nobody actually listens to podcasts. Owens' information came from Forrester Research in April 2006 (more information is at The Last Podcast). Owens also wrote, "If a podcast is on, I find it hard to sit still and just listen. Video can engage me more fully and quiet my compulsion to multitask."

There are appropriate times (and ways) for newspapers to benefit from both types of media, and both have their benefits and drawbacks.

Podcasts are especially good for long car rides (especially in remote areas with few radio stations), the gym (treadmills get boring quickly), and for those of us who don't have video iPods (yet). The type of podcast the newspaper puts out is important, however. The day's headlines from the newspaper may be old by 10 a.m., unless the newspaper strongly highlights feature stories. However, columnists and niche-interest content could be real download winners. On the down side, it's difficult to multitask at work while listening to a podcast.

Video is great, too, but for different reasons. It's not enough to invest in video for the sake of having video on your newspaper's Web site. As with any good broadcast story, the visual elements should be compelling and actually add to the story in a meaningful way. On the downside, you can't really watch video (even on your iPod) while driving -- or, at least, you shouldn't.

We say do both -- just do both wisely.