Get ready for the latest media revolution! Er… local paper limps into technology

By PRSD, on Friday, July 17, 2009

With the quaint hyperbole of ‘pushing the boundaries of information technology’, it seems the Mid-Devon Advertiser is taking its turn to follow what we’ve been doing on the People’s Republic of South Devon for ages – page-turning technology for publications, and apparently you can click on ‘links’ to get through to ‘advertisers’. Now that’s what we call the ‘wow’ factor.

Using the already well-tested technology of PageSuite, the Tindle Empire has shuffled further into the web after creating a woefully inadequate website – five news stories a week does not an online newspaper make. And the RSS doesn’t work. Perhaps they are outside their comfort zone with new technology.

According to the front page story: “Advertisers can link their websites with the advert so that one click takes customers straight through to their website or email address.” And, “news stories and advertisements may also be enhanced by video and audio clips”.

Well, you can see why the story made the front page!

But the revolutionary idea is that it’s a subscription service, and all these goodies are behind a pay wall. Tindle will lead and Murdoch will follow, eh?

In the interest of disclosure, I used to work for the Mid-Devon Advertiser, and technology isn’t what the company does. The strength is the brand and the old-fashioned values, and the company has been insulated against the latest media carnage.

What with the Mid-Devon Advertiser and the Tindle Group flexing its muscle, and the recent hyper-local Daily Mail-backed Newton Abbot People site, there are more ways than ever to be informed and engaged in current affairs and the community, and not forgetting our uniquely not-for-profit approach, that can only be a good thing.

posted by Cptn

• Front page news? What’s your opinion on this media revolution? Comments below please.