Rangers’ Downfall and long tail journalism…

I’m always wary of any maximalist claims about big (or in the jargon, wicked) problems. One is that the internet spells the end of newspapers. The smarter operators are using the advantage of their smaller size and diversifying (BMG for instance is making TV for TG4 these days).

But there’s a few awkward and difficult fact surrounding the silence in the Scottish Press about Phil Mac Giolla Bhain’s account of the virtual disappearance of Rangers Football Club. Here’s an interesting, and so far as I can tell, ‘disinterested’ view:

…the most obvious lessons from Mac Giolla Bhain’s success is that there is a market for detailed reporting, where readers really care about a subject, and getting to the book stands while an issue is still hot is vital if you want to reach the widest audience.

There’s something in that. Though when you can shift nearly 10k books and still not hit the economic bottom line, I’d suggest Phil’s enterprise suggests more the direction of travel than a sustainable destination.

Mick Fealty

Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty