Trends and Topics in Print Media

Every Monday morning, a team of Access media mavens gathers to read the latest trends and topics covered in print media (yes, we still read print media!). The team shares these insights agency wide to ensure we’re all informed and equipped for the week ahead. Every week, we’ll share learnings from the consumer, business and tech spaces here on the Access Point.

This week, we read The New York Times’ new media columnist’s first article on what the growth of the publication could mean for its competitors, and learned that Sacramento is one of the the latest cities to gain “foodie” status.

• Why the Success of The Times May Be Bad News for Journalism

After leaving BuzzFeed.com as Editor in Chief last month, Ben Smith released his first article as The New York Times’ media columnist. In his debut, Smith writes about The Times, the company’s recent growth and domination of the news industry. The New York Times has more digital subscribers than The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and the 250 local Garnett papers combined. The company employs 1,700 journalists, a huge number in an industry where employment has fallen between 20,000 and 38,000. Many employees, including Smith, are also former top editors of competitor outlets. Looking forward, The Times is expanding its dominance in audio podcasts, and is looking to acquire Serial Products, a podcast studio with more than 300 downloads. Jim VandeHei, founder of Axios, says “The New York Times is going to basically be a monopoly. The Times will get bigger and the niche will get nichier, and nothing else will survive.” (Ben Smith, The New York Times)

• Cali’s New Foodie Capital

Popular food cities need to make room for America’s newest dining destination: Sacramento. Once a “stodgy political hub,” Sacramento has turned into “a bona fide culinary destination” and “America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital.” Due to the city’s mild weather, Sacramento’s agriculture can produce much of the country’s fruits, vegetables and nuts year-round. In fact, The Kitchen, a spacious restaurant serving prix-fix meals, was awarded the city’s first Michelin star after taking advantage of the region’s abundance of farms and ranches. Sacramento has also been growing its city entertainment. The city’s Downtown Commons includes a luxury hotel, hybrid bowling alley and arcade and two dozen restaurants and retail shops. Sacramento is also popular among outdoor explorers for its popular trails, such as the American River Bike Trail and Sierra Nevada foothills. Who’s up for a trip to the West Coast? (Blane Bachelor, Men’s Journal).