Can iPhone app save newspapers?

by Michelle L on November 13, 2009

Over the last year or so, many newspapers in the United States have been affected not only by the sour economy, but by evolving technology. The recession caused many papers to lose advertising revenue, thereby forcing them to cut staff, reduce the size of their publications, or shut down altogether. After 146 years in circulation, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer did away with its print edition, opting instead to publish and be available solely on the Internet. Although this move saved the newspaper from going away completely, the publishing company still had to cut over 100 jobs to do it. Couple financial troubles with the fact that more people get their news online now than ever before, and newspapers still aren’t out of the woods. A new—and free—iPhone app may be the beginning of a new era for newspapers.

The economy has taken a toll on several businesses, across all sectors. Some have weathered it a bit better than others. The point is, how the economy behaved was out of newspapers’ control. But the reduction in subscribers and readers due to so much news being available through electronic media could have been addressed had newspapers adapted a little more quickly to the changes in technology and attitudes.

This is also an era of increased environmental awareness and responsibility. Many people feel it’s a waste of paper and ink to print thousands upon thousands of newspapers every day when much of the same information can be accessed more quickly and easily either via computers, smartphones, or other handheld devices. Newspapers seemed to learn the lesson too late that change was needed, and the industry suffered for it. None suffered more, though, than the thousands of journalists and other newspaper employees who lost their jobs due to the shortsightedness of newspaper publishers.

It’s ironic that one of the things that contributed to the damage of the newspaper industry may also contribute to its preservation. Most newspapers already have Web sites. In addition to the news stories and other features provided in their printed editions, many papers offer extra features and information through their sites. Devices like Amazon’s Kindle DX, which is a larger version of the original Kindle, allow readers to download and read newspapers in a format similar to what they’re used to with printed newspapers. Similar devices are currently in production.

As cool as these devices are, they’re unwieldy. Taking a newspaper onto the subway, bus, or plane is no big deal because it can be folded up and put away, and doesn’t take up much room. But the Kindle DX has a 9.7-inch display, and measures 10.4 inches by 7.2 inches in total. It’s made of hard plastic, all in one piece, with no hinge. It can’t be folded up and stowed out of the way, making it decidedly inconvenient for commuting or traveling.

The iPhone, on the other hand, or any other smartphone, is small enough to stow in a pocket, purse, or briefcase, yet has a large enough display to allow for extended reading. You may not want to read an entire novel on your iPhone, but to scroll through a newspaper and read the stories that interest you, it works just fine. Add to that its zooming capabilities, and seeing the information becomes even less of an issue. Sure, you can access newspapers’ Web sites through your iPhone’s browser, but even if the newspaper has had the foresight to provide a mobile version of its site, navigating can be difficult and tedious. Enter the PressReader iPhone app.

PressReader, provided by developer, Newspaper Direct, Inc., is available for free through Apple’s App Store, and works on either the iPhone or iPod Touch. It offers access to more than 1,300 national and international newspapers, allowing the user to read every page of the selected newspaper, with scrolling and zooming capabilities. The app will also read the newspaper aloud with a tap of the headphones icon. The voice is computerized, but it does make this app useful for blind users, or those with other vision problems, or just to listen to it while driving to work.

While the app itself is free, each newspaper issue will cost 99 cents. This is about the same cost as many daily print editions of larger papers, although it’s a bit more than most smaller market papers. The app is still very new, so this is something that may be addressed later. For right now, 99 cents is quite reasonable for papers like the New York Times, and for international papers that cost much more because they’re flown in.

To kick off the app’s launch, Newspaper Direct is making seven newspapers available for free during the month of November. If you’re an iPhone user, try it out and provide feedback. Maybe if the app, and others like it for other smartphones, takes off, it will help keep newspapers in business.

Other versions of PressReader, and mobile versions of the company’s site PressDirect, are also available for the BlackBerry, and other smartphones.

To see how the app works and what it offers, watch the video below. Try to overlook the horrible background music, and that the narrator sounds like she’s in a tunnel.

Photo courtesy CNET