It was only a matter of time before it happened, but the LA Times is reporting that News Corp., the company behind Fox News and the New York Post, is planning a digital newspaper with short, digestible stories meant to be read on tablets and mobile phones.
People like to talk a lot about the death of the newspaper, but if anything’s going to save the struggling format, it’s devices like the iPad (and companies like News Corp. that recognize these devices’ potential).
We’ve already seen magazines (such as Flipboard) that are taking advantage of the iPad’s generous screen space to produce content that’s laid out like a traditional magazine. So it only makes sense that newspapers make the jump to your handheld devices as well.
Very few newspapers have effective websites, which is one of the biggest hurdles in their way to 21st century relevance. There’s just too much information to fit on one screen. But if they can transfer their traditional grid-based layouts, which place stories on the page based on importance and visual impact, into a digital format — then maybe they can survive a little better in the digital world.
What do you think? Would you be more likely to read the newspaper if it were delivered to your iPad every day instead of your doorstep?
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