The acceleration in mobile phone sophistication...

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The acceleration in mobile phone sophistication and ownership offers tremendous potential. As more of these phones become connected to the Internet, they are becoming reading devices, delivering stories, business reviews and ads. These phones know where you are and can provide geographically relevant information. There will be more news, more comment, more opportunities for debate in the future, not less.

The best newspapers have always held up a mirror to their communities. Now they can offer a digital place for their readers to congregate and talk. And just as we have seen different models of payment for TV as choice has increased and new providers have become involved, I believe we will see the same with news. We could easily see free access for mass-market content funded from advertising alongside the equivalent of subscription and pay-for-view for material with a niche readership.

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Eric Schmidt - How Google Can Help Newspapers (WSJ.com)

I love the fact that Schmidt wrote this piece in the WSJ, especially after all the shit Murdoch has been up to around threatening to remove the WSJ from Google’s index.

Schmidt brings up some great points in this article, but he’s not going to assuage all fears about the future of newspapers. He paints a picture of a future where news is personally catered to individuals based on preference and taste through sophisticated mobile interfaces. It’s perfectly feasible, but it isn’t going to happen for another 5-10 years. It doesn’t solve the problem of what happens to newspapers, and journalism, for the time being.

Schmidt’s take on the matter is overly optimistic (to be expected). He’s right to say that Google isn’t killing newspapers. It isn’t. But Google is part of a larger movement that is forcing newspapers and conventional media to evolve. The problem is that a majority of news organizations don’t have the capacity to adapt, and even if they do, they will have an even more difficult time recapturing their place in the sun.

In 5 years a majority of the dust will settle around news organizations. Those that survive will be fully functional, perhaps with an even broader readership than before (I think the New York Times will be in this category). But it’s what happens from now until then that is most disconcerting for newspapers and writers alike. There’s no easy or encouraging answer. It’s survival of the fittest at this point.