Due to 21st century technology (and the continuous 24hr news cycle) the newspaper industry will continue to struggle. If there's one industry that needs to be more inspired, it's this one. Papers can still attract people with insightful, informative, and interesting articles, but society's easier access to information will continue to hurt them. Here's an idea: try using a section of the paper where you incorporate a story of fiction that is continuous...with a few new paragraphs printed each week. Don't use any of your writers, but have subscribers submit their own paragraphs, leading to the publics investment and involvement in the story. Then, have a few chosen by editors in a way that shapes the evolution of the story, based on what they feel the majority of readers want. The readers anticipation of where the story will lead each week is enough to interest and entertain. And because there's a potential for many more ideas, from a variety of authors invested (as opposed to one), there's a greater chance of a more original, creative, and entertaining story. You could even generate some interest by hiring local writers, or celebs to submit paragraphs. You could also use comedy or different fiction genre's. And even have a competition where you print several individuals paragraphs ahead of time, and let subscribers vote and decide the path of the story. There are many paths you can take with this concept. And, if done well, could generate more interest in your paper, and hopefully help to maintain its future.
