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DETROIT -- Over the past century, we've had the tradition of having our newspapers delivered to our homes everyday. Now, with the economy at its worst since the Great Depression, those days are over. "We are fighting for our own survival," said David Hunke, CEO of Detroit Media Partnership, who was the main speaker at Monday's Detroit Economic Club (DEC) meeting at the Westin Book Cadillac.

Beginning today, both the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News have made radical changes in their designs and format that be easier for their readers to read. One of those changes include a weekly access to electronic editions, exact copies of daily newspapers -- including all advertising circulars, for subscribers only.

"We absolutely believe in the future of great newspapers," Hunke states, "but we can no longer do business as usual. These changes allow us to focus our resources on strengthening the content we provide readers instead of investing in paper, ink and fuel. They allow us to take a big step towards exciting new relationships and readers, subscribers and advertisers. ... We understand that this departure from daily home delivery is upsetting for many readers, but it is simply no longer economically realistic for us do that. The core of any business is its customer base and it is our hope that folks see this as a new beginning and a new era of journalism."

The Free Press will have a partnership with WWJ-TV, who will broadcasting its content in early May. "What it simply says to you: the consumer has changed. They're platform-agnostic. They don't need it coming to from one direction to them. Just make it convenient, accurate, and fast."

Along with the News, the Free Press will also continue to remain a presence in providing "fiercely independent" voices as well as First Amendment protection -- along with the customer-driven principles that will be relentlessly transparency and information received when and where it is wanted. Simple, yes -- but still "a hybrid solution" of exciting newspaper designs built around people.

"Part of this is to have a passion," Hunke continues. "Detroit can be rough, Detroit can be good." He also said that we shouldn't wait for anyone to come solve our problems, and not blame anyone; we must step up and care about the issues, our co-workers, our business, and the community. So, we either got two choices: either we look at Detroit as a city of crime, corrpution, unemployment, and disgrace, or as a city of potential, hopes, dreams, vision, and the future.

The Detroit Media Partnership also announced a new e-reader version of the newspaper that will be available for the first time in the beginning of 2010. It will test 100 of these devices by this summer. The device is a thin, 9-ounce electronic slate that will be allow the user to read the day's newspaper. Plastic Logic, a Mountain View, Calif. company designed the e-reader device.

"It's actually a next-generation device very different from anything that's currently on the market," said Richard Archuleta, CEO of Plastic Logic. "It's based on a screen technology that we've invented which allows us to make plastic-based display screen that's very light enabling a large form factor electronic reader that you can hold very easily and take and read anywhere."

The e-reader device comes with a USB port that can be connected to a desktop or laptop computer to download the day's paper. A cost has not yet been announced although it should be about $360 per unit.

The Detroit News and Free Press will continue home delivery of its newspapers three days a week -- Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

RELATED STORY: The Ann Arbor News to Shut Down Operations on July 1

 

PHOTO BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com

An estimated 400 people attended the meeting of the Detroit Economic Club inside the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel.

 

PHOTO BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com

Presiding officer Nancy Schlichting chats with featured speaker David Hunke before the meeting.

 

PHOTO BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com

Detroit Economic Club President & CEO Beth Chappell welcomes everyone.

 

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