Source: Jpost.com 8.11.09
Author:ZACK COLMAN
“If the newspaper industry is undergoing economic natural selection, then Jewish newspapers might be the most fit for survival.
Operating in the niche market of one of the most highly educated demographics, Jewish news products could be poised to stay in print form the longest, said Rob Eshman, editor-in-chief of the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. While he said there was a lot of depressing news surrounding the Jewish press, it was not suffering like other sectors of journalism.
“I do think it’s a very tough time, but it’s a time where if you can figure out the model you will survive,” he said. “You’re reaching the most incredible, literate, active, involved demographic, that really needs a way to communicate.”
Another factor aiding Jewish newspapers was that Jews tended to form large communities, giving such newspapers a solid and stable readership, said Rick Edmonds, media business analyst for the Poynter Institute.
The Jewish Journal’s print version is available for free, with its Web site being the driving force of its readership, receiving some 300,000 unique visitors per month. But Eshman and others said Internet advertisement revenue alone couldn’t be relied upon because the rates were significantly lower than print.
Heeb, the New York-based magazine that started in 2001, charges $1,960 per month for a banner advertisement on its Web site. A one-time placement in its print form, however, yields a minimum $900 for a 1/6 page advertisement, while a 1â„2 page advertisement – the fifth largest of its seven sizes – brings in $2,000.”
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