Let them come, don’t about turn

There are a lot of local newspapers that use their websites to try and drive people to their print versions, by writing “for more, see today’s echo” at the end of every article.

But shouldn’t the ethos be the other way around?

Instead of pushing people towards the newspaper at a time when criculations are falling and print news is dying, why not use the newspaper to drive people to your website? Publish the story in the paper, then online and add multi-platform content.

Offer little extras, like audio and video material, to boost the value of your online content.

In an age where there’s an exodus from print to the web, why are we still trying to turn people back the other way?