Since my open letter and analysis the Des Moines Register has taken several steps in creating a better experience for its readers and subscribers. They have started looking for an online developer, had the Business Reader Survey, and they are making changes to the Business section in the paper.
They still haven’t contacted me. Have they contacted you? If they haven’t they should. You know what they need to do. After all, You are the Time Person of the Year.
It’s funny since my analysis of the DM Register website and Gannett news services in general I’ve had some good feedback. I’ve had some Gannett employees email me because they didn’t want to have a public comment (apparently Gannett doesn’t like criticism from within) and I’ve had other Gannett newspapers request analyses of their website so that they can improve their user experiences.
It’s just ironic that I’m from Iowa, blogging in Des Moines and I cannot get a response from the Des Moines Register, yet I get responses from Gannett papers across the country.
Tags: Gannett, Des Moines, Des Moines Register, Iowa
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Bill Bryson is fairly disparaging of the Register’s fall from it’s status as a quality newspaper in his latest book. One has to wonder what is at work there. Is it fear perhaps? All I know as a person who is aging, is that sometimes change is bothersome and generates fear and so change is avoided. However I know that unless I face it and learn I’m destined to become obsolete. What waits for the Des Moines Register in their future if they don’t join the force of change?
Most of us on the web can forsee the future of the DM Register. It’s no secret that newspapers across the country are suffering from a decrease in subscribers which has a direct effect on advertising income.
Being adverse to change will only hurt them the same as any traditional media outlet.
Like I’ve said before – once you’ve stopped innovating you’ve stopped competing.