Blog start-up ventures into print

Posted by Leah McBride Mensching on January 12, 2009 at 8:46 PM

Media news is saturated with stories about how print businesses are faring online, but one Web start-up is doing just the opposite. The Printed Blog is launching a twice-daily free print newspaper to be made available in cities across the United States, Wired reported Monday.

Founded by business productivity software entrepreneur Joshua Karp, the Printed Blog will publish local blog posts in its print edition, the first issue of which is set to launch Jan. 27 in two Chicago neighbourhoods and one area of San Francisco, and will be handed out at public transportation stops. A New York edition is also planned.

"(For) people around the world, who need to and want to consume information, whether it be in developing countries or emerging countries, newsprint is still going to be a main mechanism for information for years to come," Karp told Wired.

The hyperlocal blog content is hoped to attract local advertisers wanting to reach target audiences. Ads are expected to cost $15 to $25, and the paper will also house classifieds, according to Wired.

The Printed Blog currently has nine staffers, most of which are unpaid interns, and printing will be done commercially at locations near each distribution point, Wired reported.