• Mediabistro, Thursday, November 13, 2008 9:15 AM

In order to keep the attention of readers and advertisers, mainstream newspapers should embrace participatory and advocacy journalism aimed at adults. So says Dan Savage, editorial director of Seattle alternative weekly The Stranger. His argument is similar to the rationale used by cable TV, which has found new audiences with edgy adult-oriented programming "The Sopranos" and "Mad Men."

"Dailies swim around with an anvil under each arm. One anvil is objectivity and the other is 'family newspaper.' In contrast, we view our paper as a sort of performance, and we do the kind of advocacy and participatory journalism that we need in our culture. I mean, we don't just sit back and suck our thumbs," says Savage.

Daily newspapers need to put an obscenity in a headline above the fold. one day, "it'll solve all their problems. In one fell swoop, they'll get rid of all those 80-year-old subscribers who won't let them drop "Blondie." Catering to the 80-year-olds? Where's that getting newspapers?"

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