An iPad for Everyone: A Case Study of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Digital Transition

Author

Madeline QuonFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-6-2022

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Journalism

First Advisor

Charles Mitchell

Second Advisor

Dennis Moore

Third Advisor

Emily Bowen-Moore

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

In a more technology-driven world, the industry of print journalism has been suffering. It has adapted in the past with the invention of the radio and television for broadcast news, but with the internet and social media, print journalism has been losing ad revenue and readers. Because of the advancements of journalism in the digital aspect, several newspapers have shut down over the past 20 years. Other papers changed their business models to make their content more social media oriented.

One newspaper took a more radical approach to not only stay afloat, but also thrive as a paper. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette­ was a daily newspaper that circulated throughout all 75 counties of Arkansas until Walter E. Hussman, Jr., the publisher of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and the president of WEHCO (the company that owns the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette), realized the paper was going to start losing money due to a steady decline in ad revenue. In an attempt to save the business and keep journalism alive, Hussman spent over $5 million to give subscribers iPads — free, included with their subscription at a price of $34 per month — so they could access a digital replica of the paper.

Hussman first did an experiment by giving iPads to a rural city in Arkansas: Blytheville, a town with only 200 subscribers. Over 70 percent of the subscribers in Blytheville converted to the iPad as a result, which Hussman considered a success.

Since then, Hussman has taken the iPad experiment to the entire state. It has gone well so far, with only 1 percent of subscribers cancelling their subscription according to a survey in 2020.

Recommended Citation

Quon, Madeline, "An iPad for Everyone: A Case Study of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Digital Transition" (2022). Honors Theses. 2628.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/2628

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