ABARTA Inc., the parent company of The Press of Atlantic City has put the local New Jersey paper and accompanying digital products up for sale. In the statement published on The Press’s website, ABARTA president and CEO John F. Bitzer III did not state an asking price, but rambled on about the challenges of “stand-alone daily newspapers in medium-sized markets” and how new owners would be better equipped to handle those challenges. The Press seems to adhere to a number of online formats I’ve seen by local papers; that is, free online, but with a hidden “paywall” and paid tablet and e-paper editions for visitors who actually hit the subscribe button. Their paywall is managed by Press+ and offers a 99¢ trial, which makes absolutely no sense when all the articles seem to be accessible for free online.
Which is not to say The Press would be a bad acquisition. It covers a highly populated market with volatile business growth. An owner willing to shake up the paper by actually employing best practices could make this a profitable news site. After all, TheDay.com and ArkansasOnline.com have been able to stay relevant and popular — but only after implementing a clear paywall. And the site’s e-paper offering may be more lucrative than most people think, especially in a highly populated area.
But first, the site will need to start with some basic SEO. The page title tab on the conversion page reads “Want2Subscribe.” (I’m dead serious.)
