The analogy I often use to describe our admittedly strange local media model is boats rather than cars. Think of every daily newspaper as a big old honking cruise ship sitting alone on the deep blue sea. The people on that ship have been floating out there for decades, content with whatever the chefs have on the menu and the 5 activity choices the captain has chosen for them for that evening.

One day as the cruise ship is approaching an island, some much more interesting natives come out in hundreds of little boats. The native on one boat is selling fruit nad clothing. Another is a music boat, with the pilot strumming a totally new kind of instrument nobody has ever seen before. And still another offers rides in his little boat for a few U.S. dollars.

That night the captain realizes that 10% of the cruise population is missing. Turns out they’re out having fun with the natives on their little boats. The next day, the number increases to 20%. Then 40% What’s happening? It’s the end of the world!

To the captain and his cruise ship, maybe it is the end. He can stay out there in the same old ship doing the same old cruise in the same way if he chooses to, and eventually he will have to shut down his business. But there is another way.

Start throwing out some life rafts so the people can float around with the much more interesting little boats as they see fit. Instead of being in the cruise ship business, the captain is in the flotilla business. Some may move between the flotilla and the cruise ship, and some may choose to float in the same old little boat forever. As long as you operate the flotilla you’re still in business.