JOINING THE CLUB
IN DAYS WHEN a vibrant Fleet Street community of journalists pumped lifeblood through the newspaper industry, ‘The Guardian’ was referred to widely as ‘The Gruadian’, because of its penchant for typographical errors. There were less gentle satirical swings at the paper’s perceived lackadaisical editorial standards, left-leaning disposition and Manchester heritage. However, The Guardian is no longer the butt of hacks’ jokes.
It had been sliding towards financial meltdown with losses of half a billion pounds since 2009. The Guardian Media Group proposed a confounding solution. With the status quo not an option it decided to concentrate revenue efforts on readers, over and above advertisers. Now, it is losses that are slipping away. The target is to be breaking even by 2019.
Moreover, management claims that its journalistic calibre is at an all-time high, with strong editorial messages being embraced on an international basis.
The number of readers making monthly payments under The Guardian membership scheme has grown from 75,000 to more than 300,000 in the first year of the new push. Main sources for this news club are the UK and US.
A further 300,000 individuals have made single donations to the paper in response to its appeals to support a commitment to open-access reporting.
RECORD NUMBERS
Together, these new contributors, added to an average 160,000 daily newspaper buyers, have provided The Guardian with a record number of subscribers. Boosted by head office economies, current-year losses are expected to fall by 40%.
Instead of “readers”, the talk is of “members” and chief executive David Pemsel has been quoted as saying: “We’re getting really smart at understanding the triggers for getting people to contribute.”
His paper’s sales-speak is led by a statement drawing attention to 200 years of “fearless and independent journalism” and the proposition that members’ financial contributions will help keep it that way. “The world’s leading liberal voice” is the immodest strapline.
The Guardian is not alone in the membership stakes. For instance, after launching a readership special offer, Times Newspapers revealed that its flagship daily and Sunday titles had registered around two million new users, including a substantial percentage of younger people.
SOCIAL ANTIDOTE
‘The Times’ and ‘Sunday Times’ are said to be attracting registrations from 18-24’s in big numbers, proving, the figures show, that this group will offer up their plastic to receive additional value.
The base philosophy is to be positioned as an obvious antidote to social media: unbiased purveyors of information and comment. Quality output can bring about a sustainable editorial ecosystem. What should work best are distinctive and differentiated content that will lead readers to value safe journalism – sufficiently to pay up and stay loyal to the brand.
In this turbulent era of fake news, accurate reporting and informed analysis make refreshing appeal. Surely there is every chance that they are going to continue to attract readers’ membership money? But is it going to be enough?
Chris Duncan, managing director and former chief marketing officer of Times Newspapers, has predicted a future in which no more than 10 English-language news carriers will survive by means of subscriptions. He said that only a few can achieve the “massive scale” of audience required to fund international newsrooms.
It would seem that serious journalism is going to strive and struggle in the face of a marketplace forever seeking new ways to stock up with information: and not necessarily by joining anyone's club.
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