Can the World Young Reader Conference, which will happen in Prague this September, provide actionable ideas for newspaper publishing? According to a recent, cloying Pepsi radio spot, youth does everything worthwhile. I personally prefer to see the wiles of age tempering the energy of youth to produce generational changes that represent the experience of everyone involved, but I’m cranky.
The answer promised in Prague is a “Total Youth Think” that “places young people at the center of a newspaper company’s strategy.” I am struck by the fact that the youth-oriented Facebook is becoming a medium predominantly used by parents and grandparents. The realistic course seems to be designing media for all ages, allowing them to connect. If you design just for youth, your market eventually ages out of your design target.
Presented for your consideration.