Newspapers face print dilemma

Did you watch the "60 Minutes" segment Sunday night about the New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper moving to three days a week in a printed version with the rest of the days online only? It created an uproar from their readers.

Several major metro newspapers are facing this decision. 2100 Trust, the owner of the Yuma Sun, is doing the opposite at the Orange County Register. They’ve hired dozens of new reporters to cover more local news in the hopes that the printed newspaper will gain readers, cutting back on their online presence.

These are totally opposite approaches, and it begs a question: How much does the community want to support a local newspaper in printed form? The industry is watching closely to see which approach will prove more successful.

My opinion is that news reporting has value and it should be paid, no matter what the format. We’ll see what lessons are learned in New Orleans and Orange County.