These days, financial difficulties of newspaper companies based on paper-based newspaper delivery system are frequently reported. Independent journalists, analysts and lots of bloggers are forecasting that paper-based newspapers will be replaced by Internet-based electronic newspaper services sooner or later. But in my opinion, paper-based newspapers still have possibilities of reestablishing their delivery systems and sharpening the competitive superiority by using them. There are various situations on which the advantages of paper-based information can be useful.
One of the undiscussed reasons of decreasing subscribers of major newspapers is their size. The unpopularity of paper-based newspaper seems to be related with its bulky image. In recent years, I come to feel that the size of A1 two-page spread is too large to handle. Why has this feeling been formed? Perhaps, it may be related with the A4-nization of various kinds of documents in today’s office work. In office documentation field, A4-nizing tendencies are prominent. As a result of A4-nization, even the handlings of B4, B5 or A3 size documents have come to be felt onerous. In such aspect, A1 two-page spread size tends to give us uncomfortable impression occasionally and become disadvantageous more and more.
The advantages of A4 size paper-based newspaper are easiness of handling, scanning and filing. When we find an important article in A4 size newspaper, only procedures we need to do next are extracting the page and putting it into A4 size document folder. Loose binding of each page would be possible by using flammable threads, which enable easy disposability.
Though the distribution by PDF file may be possible, both-side printing on thin papers is bothersome. In addition, PDF readability by compact device is still not so good. Therefore, delivery of papers already printed on very thin and cheap papers would be required for a time.
The developmental and maintaining costs of rotary press would be decreased, because the utilization of the compatible components for commercially available printer can be possible. When the transportation system problem occurs, the distribution by PDF file can substitute.
By using commercially available cheap printers, starting small sized paper-based newspaper company will become easier. It will follow that the borderline between weekly magazine and daily newspaper might be ambiguous.
