Drudge teased this NYT story for half a day before finally delivering the link. Read:
Experts say the biggest problem in the newspaper industry is capturing readers between 18 and 34 years old, and now The Associated Press is looking to tackle that problem head on.
On Monday, the 157-year-old wire service is to start its “younger audience service,” offering articles and “experiences” in multimedia formats, with audio, video, blogs and wireless text aimed at reaching readers between 18 and 34 years old. The service, one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by The A.P., is called asap, pronounced letter by letter, meant to evoke the wire service’s legendary speed.
The pilot project for asap was approved by The A.P.’s board of directors in April. Tom Curley, president of the wire service, said at the time, “As the audience turns to new platforms and adopts new habits, the news must follow.”
Only someone well over and above the 18-34 demo could think the AP’s cute little “asap” service is a good idea.
Look. By the time someone has reached the age of 18, studies show they’ve been exposed to an average of 18 kazillion minutes of advertising. By the time they’re 34, they have TiVo and don’t see any ads at all. The 18-34 demographic is just as immune to “hip” ads as a Norwegian is to sickle-cell anemia.
I’ll go on record right now and say that the AP’s attempt at hipness will prove just as misguided and sadly humorous as that long ago summer I spent wearing my blue jeans pegged. 18-34 year-olds define what’s hip, and their immunity to advertisements
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