Members' Lounge > Politics & Current Affairs
Newspapers: Decline and fall or renaissance?
Michael:
Step forward any budding economists and put me wise as to what's going on.
I have recently returned after three months in Goa. I buy at least one newspaper a day both here and in Goa. We all know that in the u k the newspaper industry is going through a terrible phase battered by falling readership and rising costs. I return to the u k to find the Post is now up to 60 pence a weekday and 80 pence on a Saturday, but the Saturday edition has far more pages. Horray , until you realise that the vast bulk of the increase is just full page adverts.
Now to Goa and it's newspaper industry. There are five main daily papers all available at 8 in the morning. Probably a lot earlier, but I was on holiday. Enough said. The size of all of them is roughly 25 per cent larger than our tabloids. There are around 20 pages. They have a fair amount of adverts large and small, about the same percentage as in the u k. The Indian news is up to date, the international news about 24 hours behind.
They have several financial advantages over the u.k. Labour costs are probably about 25 per cent of ours. Most goods are about half our price, so no doubt the inks and paper are also half our price. Fuel for delivery vans is half ours. Power is even cheaper, about a third of ours.
But they have disadvantages.. For delivery they have virtually no roads, just tracks and potholes. Often flooded, full of cattle, broken bridges etc etc. there are a lot of people who cannot read. There are a lot of different languages so the papers have to be printed in different langurs. There are frequent disruptions to the power supplies.
BUT. The Post and other similar dailies cost 60 pence. After conversion the Goa papers cost THREE pence.
Economists please explain that if you can
Nemesis:
I have always bought a Telegraph on Saturday mainly because I am a crossword addict and the General Knowledge one is my weekly treat ( sad isn't it?) It is now £2, but I do get a good read on many interesting articles, plus my crossword. Recently I have been given Monday's Telegraph which is priced at £1.40. Compared to an Express or a Mail it is like a pamphlet !
DaveR:
I subscribe to the iPad edition of the Daily Post, it works really well and is a lot cheaper than the print version:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/north-wales-daily-post-newspaper/id645840338?mt=8
Michael:
Dave, thats a relief. I have been gobsmacked by the way Trinity have got these price rises. I think it was something like 35p, then 45p, then 50p (at about monthly intervals). Its only because I was away for 3 months that the rise to 60p struck home.
Am I an oddity or are there others who are altering their habits because of this? Normally when I am in the Bay in the winter I get up, wash, have cup of tea, drive to Morrisons, buy the post, breakfast in the SeaView precinct. Now its park in Abergele road (with difficulty ) and go in the cafe that has a free Post. And hope to hell I don't get in an argument with anyone for keeping it too long.
Yorkie:
--- Quote from: DaveR on February 25, 2014, 06:24:16 pm ---I subscribe to the iPad edition of the Daily Post, it works really well and is a lot cheaper than the print version:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/north-wales-daily-post-newspaper/id645840338?mt=8
--- End quote ---
Free for the first month, then £7.99 (wish they would say £8) each month after, cancel at any time. Think I will give it a try even though I never buy or read the post.
:D
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version