Strategic Implications of Changing Business Environment for Newspaper Publishing Industry

Introduction – goals of the report

Susan Feinman is publisher of The Chronicle Gazette, a leading newspaper in a major metropolitan area. Her paper has a paid circulation of 225,000 customers. It is a first-rate newspaper and over the years, its writers have won awards for their work.

Susan’s big problem is that there has been a steady decline in subscriptions to the newspaper. In the past eight years, subscriptions have fallen by a total of 35%. Because subscriptions have fallen, advertising revenue has also dropped – by 28%. Susan knows that declining subscriptions and revenues are affecting the entire publishing industry. Even the great newspapers – such as the New York Times and Wall Street Journal – are facing subscription losses.

The principal cause of The Chronicle Gazette’s problems is the rise of the Internet. With the Internet, people have access to an endless source of news stories – for free! A regular feature of Internet sites like Yahoo, MSNBC, Hotmail and CNN News is up-to-the-minute news accounts, often accompanied by video treatments of hot topics. When major stories break – such as the London terrorist bombings or the Sichuan earthquake – detailed accounts begin appearing on Wikipedia almost immediately, and videos show up on YouTube. Furthermore, by Googling topics, readers can explore interesting stories to whatever depth they
desire.

Susan is worried that her newspaper will become the 21st century equivalent of buggy whip manufacturers. After several meetings with The Chronicle Gazette’s
Executive Committee, Susan decides to hire a consultant to work through the strategic implications of the changing business environment. Hopefully, by looking at the problem from 40,000 feet, she and her managers can develop a better idea of the challenges the newspaper faces. Once these challenges – and their sources – are understood, the newspaper can develop strategies to deal with them.

You have been hired as the consultant. Your job is to put together a consulting report of 10-15 pages (typed single spaced with 12 point font). The report’s goal is to offer the management of The Chronicle Gazette a strategic vision of where the newspaper publishing industry stands today and where it is headed over the next decade. You also need to propose strategies the newspaper can investigate to survive in the new business environment. Structure your presentation so that it can be used by Susan’s team as a roadmap to putting together a detailed strategic plan.

Sample Outline of the Consultant’s Report You have latitude in how you present your report. Following is an outline of an approach that would meet the  requirements of this assignment. Feel free to adopt it or to pursue a different approach.

1. Introduction – goals of the report

2. State of the newspaper publishing industry today
a. Data on declining circulation and revenue
b. Status of newspaper leaders, e.g., New York Times, Wall Street Journal

3. Why newspapers are facing declining circulations and revenues

• External assessment
• Economic forces
• Social, cultural, demographic, and environmental forces
• Political, governmental and legal forces
• Technological forces
• Competitive forces (e.g., Porter’s model)
• External Factor Evaluation (EFE) matrix

4. Internal assessment
a. Organizational processes and structure
b. HR capabilities
c. Financial position
d. Marketing/sales capabilities
e. Operational capabilities (e.g., How efficient are we? How effectively are
we adopting new technologies?)
f. Our strengths and weaknesses as a publisher

5. How companies in the publishing industry are adjusting their strategies to cope with the challenges (provide at least three examples)

6. Steps The Chronicle Gazette might take in order to deal with the challenges
a. Short-term steps
b. Long-term steps

The Chronicle Gazette is facing deep trouble. If Susan and her team do not respond effectively to the challenges the newspaper faces, it is likely the newspaper will be shut down.

The survival of The Chronicle Gazette will depend on a dramatic re-thinking of what it is and how it should operate. Band-aid solutions won’t work. Survival will
require creative ideas. Your consulting report should reflect creative thinking.

While you have latitude in determining the details of how you present your report, ultimately, you will be graded on the following factors. So in writing your
consulting report, write it in such a way as to get high ratings for the questions listed below.

How well-formulated is the consultant’s assessment of the state of the publishing industry today, particularly newspaper publishing?
Weak 1 2 3 4 5 Strong

How thorough is the consultant’s review of external factors that bear on the business (e.g., economic, political, governmental, and social forces)?
Weak 1 2 3 4 5 Strong

To what extent does the consultant’s report reflect a creative and dramatic approach to dealing with the newspaper’s future direction?
Weak 1 2 3 4 5 Strong

To what extent has the consultant logically linked The Chronicle Gazette’s current state (internal factors) with the proposed strategic direction the
business should follow?

Weak 1 2 3 4 5 Strong

How realistic are the consultant’s recommendations?
Weak 1 2 3 4 5 Strong

How logical and well-reasoned are the consultant’s points?
Weak 1 2 3 4 5 Strong

Overall, how well does the report hang together?
Weak 1 2 3 4 5 Strong