The New Print Battle: NYT Is Planning A Chicago Edition As Well

Too early to call a retreat from print? Even as the NYTCo’s print advertising and circulation revenue continue to plummet, the paper plans to double down on the print side in additional local markets. The NYT reports that it is planning to roll out localized editions in “several key markets” across the country, including Chicago. Last week, the NYT reported that it was planning a San Francisco Bay Area edition set to launch this fall. “The details are still being discussed. The idea is to provide additional quality local content for our readers,” a company spokeswoman tells the paper. Times reporters will contribute two pages of San Francisco area news, twice a week to the northern California edition. In both cities, however, the content will eventually be produced by a partner. The development comes as the WSJ too is hoping to launch a local edition in San Francisco and perhaps elsewhere. The WSJ‘s San Francisco edition will likely add a “page or two” of general-interest California news each week. One thought: Wouldn’t it be cheaper — and more strategic — for these papers to launch local online editions instead, in much the same way that both papers’ sites prominently promote their international editions?