Listen to Peter Zollman, of the Classified Intelligence and the AIM Group, in an article he wrote for SNPA eBulletin yesterday:

As audience migrates online at a remarkable pace, too many newspapers are positioning for the past. They’re trying to convert twice-a-week readers into three-times-a-week readers. They’re using every trick in the book to increase print circulation. They’re focusing on selling more inserts, more classified “liners” – frequently giving them away – and more small print ads to more small advertisers. Great ideas, all. I wouldn’t denigrate a one. But why not instead focus where the audience is going?

The audience is moving online but some of our greatest investment is in the status-quo. Zollman suggests the need for the type of leadership I'm talking about –– leadership that has the courage to choose long-term strategies over short-term ones.

Zollman goes on to talk about his theory for how newspaper classifieds can beat the likes of Craigslist. Be more local than Craigslist, he says. Of course, the implication there is that newspapers aren't already trying to be local. And the sad thing is we're not trying hard enough.

Being more local in our coverage is the way to beat anyone. But as I've said before, newspapers cannot settle in existing coverage areas. We've got to be more local, to more localities than ever before. It's hard, but someone's going to do it.