Words of Advice for Small Newspapers

Steve Outing writes in Editor and Publisher about 10 things that publishers and editors of small newspapers should be doing to keep up with the times and resist the industrywide trend of flat or declining print readership and loss of advertising dollars to new forms of media.

• Copy and build from the industry leaders
  
• Don't hire print-focused employees
  
• Hire a hot-dog programmer, one way or another
  
• Find (free or cheap) help and go crazy with experimentation
  
• Make a class assignment.
  
• Join forces with other small papers
  
• Develop lots of localized online communities
  
• Utilize the camera-toting army
  
• Mix up professional and citizen reporting
  
• Play off of what else is available online

If you are quick, you can read the insightful comments on each point from Steve on the E&P site before they put it behind the paid archives wall.

UPDATE: I'm adding Steve's blog link to my blogroll. I've read Steve's columns for a long time but for some odd reason, forgot to check his blog. I did just that today and now I'll be a regular reader.