Why have a newspaper? To some degree it has been because of its abilities to pursue stories of greatest interest and to filter the massive file of information into a relevant package for its audience. There are plenty of other reasons, but that's a start.
In recent years more and more newspapers have bowed to more powerful brands in particular spaces. The Globe and Mail provides a page of Wall Street Journal content (we've just started a page of Financial Post content and a page of FP-branded data).
But AdAge's Rance Crain goes a step further in proposing that news holes be turned into aggregated pages of content powered by the strongest possible brands --- essentially that they be turned over to those brands.
"Aggregation is the key to success on the internet. Why shouldn't the same be true for print?"
Now, his argument misses the point about the need for a local piece, and a particular focus on the journalism that feels most germane to the market. And many news services aggregate strong brands in entertainment, business, life, and sports for general consumption. But the point he's making is that the distressed economics of newspapering, particularly in the U.S., calls for a transformational idea.
