A follow up on ultra local newspapers

The whole issue of newspapers becoming "ultra local" in order to better appeal to subscribers is an interesting one, but it can be very difficult for major newspapers to gain local advertisers, when such advertisers can just as easily go to local newspapers for more centralized readership. And therein lies the solution of flexible online advertising.

Say, for instance, that print subscriptions go by the wayside. No one reads the print newspaper anymore, so it's no longer financially viable for major newspapers to keep printing. So every revenue stream that comes with print (subscriptions and advertising) disappears. Now, the only way to make money is through stuff online. The paradox is, however, why would local advertisers in, say, Tampa Bay, want to advertise at a national newspaper? They need assurance that these advertisements will reach the right people, the people within the identified market.

I think that the only way major newspapers can attract advertising money online is through flexible online advertising, ones that change based on the IP address of the user. If I log on from Falls Church, Virginia, I will see advertisements of local businesses in addition to the major companies that such a large newspaper attracts. Having these local advertisements would attract further local businesses. The content wouldn't have to change. Only certain advertisement slots would based on who is logging onto the website. I don't really know anything about the internet or what's possible, but from speaking to Mr. Jenks after yesterday's class, it definitely seems viable.