Steve Yelvington wrote a great blog post about the arrogance and mindset of newspapers entitled “Resolution: Newspapers should be more like Apple.” One of my favorite quotes is:

After half a century or so of near-monopolistic market dominance, the average daily newspaper has developed a lot of really bad habits: rudeness, arrogant pricing, poor customer service and a really bad case of NIH, the “not invented here” syndrome. The newspaper often is as lame as the Zune and as resented as Vista.

Microsoft’s idea of a level playing field has been described as “bulldozing the other guy’s buildings.” Oh, what a dream solution that would be for today’s troubled newspaper publisher. Let’s get a law passed against Craigslist, or the new free commuter paper, or Myspace.

“Ditto” Mr. Yelvington. I’m facing this in Indianapolis where Gannett is trying to run everyone out of business, including Nuvo (with their Indy.com publication), Indianapolis Monthly (with their “Carmel Magazine”, “Fishers/Geist Magazine”, whatever other niche area they want magazine), and Indy’s Child (IndyMoms.com which is now launching a magazine). How thin can you spread yourself and how much more difficult can you make the advertising decision on a potential buyer?

I think we should all band together and start a daily newspaper. Wait a minute, that’s why they got into our business to begin with.