Last Wednesday (11/7/07), we put a post on Notes from Flat Creek discussing the continuing decline of print newspaper subscriptions, while internet usage and broadband subscriptions are on the rise. This shifting trend might not leave out the newspapers, though. CNET’s News.com is reporting that the online readership for newspapers, and their online subscription numbers, are climbing. The technology news website reports that the number of people visiting U.S. newspaper web sites rose 3.7 percent, over the same period last year, during the third quarter. Translated into total numbers, this increase means more than 59 million people, 37.1 percent of all active internet users, visited a newspaper website in the third quarter.

Maybe this is why Arthur Sulzberger, owner, chairman and publisher of The New York Times isn’t worried about declining print subscriptions:

“I really don’t know whether we’ll be printing the Times in five years, and you know what? I don’t care, either,” he says.

Don’t misunderstand him, though. He knows that the Times’ readership is moving to the internet, and he is preparing his paper for the change. Citing the merging of the venerable newspaper’s print and online news desks, and development of online media readers, Sulzberger is leading his empire into the internet age. It is a sign of changing times when barons of printed news respond to a shift in the communications industry.

Communication is becoming increasingly digital. Make sure your message is not going to be left behind in the newsprint world.

Today Flat Creek launched www.nvgopcaucus.com, an information resource from the Nevada Republican Party that will provide Nevadans resources, news and details about the GOP Presidential Caucus taking place on January 19, 2008.

Full details are in our press release, found here.

The Washington Post today has an article on the impact of the Internet on the 2008 presidential campaign. In short: for good and bad, it is having a huge impact.

In many ways, the Web is more effective than television advertising and direct mail, the traditional methods campaigns and independent groups have used to try to define their opponents, political analysts say. It’s cheaper, and it spreads information more quickly. But so far, anyway, its potential for affecting a presidential campaign is relatively untested.

At Flat Creek, we recognize that the Web isn’t the only tool that should be used by a campaign, but it is a powerful tool that should be given more respect. With numbers like the ones we pointed to yesterday, we have to ask a simple question - are you paying attention?

On Monday (11/5/07) the Rocky Mountain News ran a story that announced the declining subscription numbers of their paper, as well as sister publication, the Denver Post.

This is further evidence of shifting trends in communications. Print subscriptions are declining, while internet usage and broadband subscriptions are on the rise. These rising numbers have important meaning to communicators who want to reach the masses with their message.

Attention has to be paid to digital communication. Take advantage of this digital rise by incorporating a blog or RSS feed into your website. People want to be communicated with when it is convenient for them, and tools like blog readers allow them to do that. In our world, news presses only run once a day, but the internet is always on. Stay ahead of the game and take advantage of digital communication.

It’s okay, we understand. In a billable, 80-hour work week world, redesigning your website is not a top priority.

We know you want to refresh the look of your website, but it’s an easy project to push to the bottom of your to-do list.

So as our holiday gift to you, Flat Creek is offering a deal with a deadline - a brand new, custom website suited for you and your audiences by December 31, 2007.

Gear up for a campaign year. Reach out to new clients. Enhance content for donors. Whatever your organization does, with a new, compelling, and interactive website from Flat Creek, you can do it better.

Contact us today to get started. To get your site done by December 31, we’ll need to get started by December 1. First come first serve.

Kick off the New Year with a new website from Flat Creek. It’s a great project to check off your list.