David Sullivan thinks that the old department stores fate is a good reminder for newspapers.
And the same lessons can be learned by newspapers from the railway industry.
Today, The Guardian presents the ambitious plans of the British transport secretary Lord Andrew Adonis with this lead:
There was a time when all the world firsts in rail took place in the UK – the first modern locomotive, the first intercity line and the first train-travelling monarch. That time, however, was the second quarter of the 19th century, and for very many years now Britain’s railways have, as it were, been stuck on the slow train. No principally domestic mainline has been built in over a century, and the spread of high-speed services – from Japan in the 1960s through France in the 80s to Spain in the 90s – has all but failed to reach these shores.
Yes, there was a time… when railways ruled the transport world, like newspapers ruled the information business.
But cars and airplanes came as more fast and convenient options.
And the railway industry didn’t react,and died in many markets and in many countries.
Until the fast trains resurrected the old business.
It took time, money and courage… and the results are here.
Fantastic and very comfortable new trains rule again in many European countries.
Investing in fast trains is like investing in the new “online-centric” news organizations of the future.
And as The Guardian says:
The lesson is plain: build it – and they will come.
(Picture by Getty Images)
Tags: David Sullivan, Lord Andrew Adonis, Newspapers, Online-Centric-News Organizations, THE GUARDIAN, UK, airplanes, dfast trains, railways
