Change! (your target audience)

It has been suggested that certain industries have had to adapt their focus in order to survive.

Bicycles, once thought of as a viable means of transportation for the masses, were eventually redefined to be recreational and exercise equipment with the proliferation of the automobile. Fountain pens, once the only pen available, had to be redefined as a luxurious symbol of affluence in order to remain profitable.

It seems that the newspaper industry is taking a clue from the fountain pen and painting itself, at least in some cases, as a tool for the rich.

The Philadelphia Inquirer has just started a magazine, "I," to be distributed in the newspapers circulation in affluent zip codes. With glossy pages and features including topics geared toward wealthy readers.

I see this as a move to guarantee the patronage of wealthy readers, presenting "richly" targeted articles on a "wealth" of topics exclusive to the magazine. The Philly Inquirer is taking a step already made by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

To move from a commonplace source of news to a luxury afforded the elite could provide a new business model to the ailing industry, though the already inherent problems with newspapers would carry over. By altering their content to more in-depth, comprehensive news instead of breaking news, however, emulating a news magazine, would probably be a better move. Breaking news is now a product of the Internet and 24-hour news stations. In this way, a magazine published by a newspaper is a good idea; catering to the rich may provide a safety cushion for a few thousand readers, but such a move is not the silver bullet.