Christian Science Monitor to cease daily publication

"We're the first national paper to switch to a Web-first strategy," said John Yemma, editor of the newspaper, which is more than 100 years old and has won seven Pulitzer Prizes. "We need to make it first rather than secondary, so we can make it more of a go-to destination."

The newspaper industry is facing intense pressure to downsize and reorganise due to decreasing ad revenue, rising production costs, and a whole host of new and Web-facilitated competition.

"Overall macro-trends definitely played a role here," Yemma said. "Every paper that I know is struggling with essentially a broken business model that includes unnecessary production costs, awful deadlines and a horrible carbon footprint."

As a result, by April of next year, the news organisation plans to be producing an enhanced, constantly updated version of its Web site, CSMonitor.com, along with the launch of a weekly print edition and a daily electronic subscription product.

An independent publication funded by the Christian Science Church, the Monitor is currently posting net losses of $18.9 million a year on $12.5 million in revenue, according to Monitor executives who expect that the print cuts will result in a decline in losses to $10.5 million within five years.

Some industry watchers see the newspaper simply making the best of a bad situation.

"Judging by the decreasing circulation and revenue numbers, it seems like (the Monitor) didn't have an option here," said Michael Hanley, an assistant professor of journalism at Ball State University.

That said, Hanley was still surprised that the Monitor would be the first national newspaper to "go digital." "Their audience is known to be very intelligent, but older and not particularly tech-savvy."

According to Yemma, the Monitor will continue to distinguish itself by its focus on and investment in international news coverage with 18 bureaus worldwide.

Noted Ball State's Hanley: "Niche publishers have to find a way to be relevant, and one of the benefits of the Web is that it will allow (the Monitor) to become more global."

The new Web edition will feature original reporting seven days a week, and the new weekly print publication will contain stories that look behind the headlines and help readers understand global issues.

In the coming months, the Monitor will make significant upgrades to its Web site, including 24/7 original reporting on global news that is continuously updated. The site will also include "global conversations" between readers and Monitor staff as well as links to content elsewhere on the Web.

As part of its multi-platform format, the Monitor will also launch a new daily e-news edition, which will be delivered via e-mail. The two-to three-page subscription product will include an original column from the editors, a selection of important Monitor stories and links to other Monitor stories.

"The Christian Science Monitor recognises that daily print has become too costly and energy-intensive," Yemma said. "Online journalism is more timely and is rapidly expanding its reach, especially among younger readers."

Article courtesy of MediaPost