Dynamic Duos

Print-to-Web publishing is an increasingly more common phenomenon. But what happens when a print publisher looks to a dot-com to share content online? Recently, some of the most esteemed print publishers have been doing just that. The New York Times signed a deal with Yahoo! to share its content online. Under the agreement, New York Times Digital will provide articles to the dot-com's search page. Content will include politics, business, national and international news, as well as technology features. New York Times Digital will also contribute news customized for Yahoo!'s New York City- and Boston-specific sites. The result, according to Times reports, will be a more widespread dissemination of news that's not just fit to print, but also download. While The New York Times is certainly no stranger to the Web—the news agency hosts a popular online site for members to browse current stories or reach into digital archives—the paper is one of several media leaders linking with well-known, albeit non-traditional, Web providers. Currently, more and more print publishers are stepping into the role of online content providers. As the competition for publishing supremacy increases with the rise in online services, print publishers will have to determine how to sustain readership endangered by increasingly popular dot-coms, which are also competing to create the most hands-on, usable sites streaming more content—and faster. No matter how quickly even a daily newspaper delivers, Web publishing has changed the way content is retrieved. But even though the Internet reaches growing audiences faster than its print predecessors, revenues from independent online ventures are often disappointing. In today's shifting market, publishers are finding success reaching audiences online—and off. To capitalize on this business model, television is also being tapped as a viable resource. The Reader's Digest Association and CBS News will reportedly collaborate on content to appear in digest form, as well as the television show, 48 hours. Both companies will share resources to investigate a minimum of four original reports this year, according to Reader's Digest. If successful, the partners expect to pursue more stories for repurposing to print and broadcast.MSNBC.com is also extending its bounds by teaming with BET.com. MSNBC will feed daily news to the site in hopes of reaching new audiences with content featured on television and online broadcasts. In a similar case of matching material with demographics, Primedia partnered with Away.com to launch HistoricTraveler.com. Primedia's Historic Traveler provides topical interest stories, while the Web site offers trip-planning resources, articles and complements. Under the guns of widespread advertising dips and economic wanes, other companies are choosing a careful approach to multimedia publishing by first exploring variable print options. For instance, Dow Jones Newswire launched a weekly newsletter, Dow Jones Bandwidth Intelligence Alert, focused on trading within the broadband market. Similarly, The New York Times redesigned Times Fax, a news service reaching outbound travelers in hotels, resorts and at sea. The concept behind many of these extended print services is to bolster name recognition and readership before gambling on Web- or television-based partnerships.In a step toward digitization, many printers also offer electronic reprints, digital asset management solutions, file swapping and PDF conversion to traditional clients. Dominance of speciality technology vendors within the market also signals a greater demand for cross-media content repurposing. Current trends suggest that more publishers that convert to complete digital workflows will find more versatility in end-product delivery. And as more print publishers seek alternatives for enhancing revenue and readership, the Internet will be defined not just as a value-added service, but an expectation for publishers, readers and the market at-large. -Natalie Hope McDonald

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