Readership status

New information from the Readership Institute...good news and bad news.

The bleeding has not stopped, but it's not as bad as everyone says.

Stil, even the Readership Institute admits that low-reading groups will not be likely newspaper readers in the future. The challenge is put succintly by RI blogger Mary Nesbitt:

Is it asking the impossible to expect newspapers to maintain a relevant, engaging print product for that large swathe of the population that clearly still reads and enjoys print: and to create something differently compelling online; and to build a new business model? Perhaps. But the 110 million adult Americans who rely on their daily newspaper are counting on you and us to find a way.

Other notes:

• Jeff Jarvis reconstructs a newsroom budget (for discussion's sake). Interesting thoughts. Most important: investment should go to beat reporting, which has tremendous value (watchdogging, potential investigations).
  
• Interesting insight to what is going on at the Tampa Tribune. As reported by Trib intern Jessica DaSilva, these are words straight from Editor Janet Coats: "People need to stop looking at TBO.com as an add on to The Tampa Tribune. The truth is that The Tampa Tribune is an add on to TBO."
  
• Mindy McAdams' look at the Tampa Tribune's newsroom reorganization.