While newspapers have been presenting online video for some time, their foray into online video broadcasts is a newer strategy.
What this story is all about is local online ad revenue, which newspapers dominate the TV stations in. A study by Borrell Associates shows that newspapers account for 36 percent of local online spend, while TV stations are at on 7.7 percent.
The idea of online broadcasts for the newspapers are to help to hold that lead and not allow the TV stations to get further inroads into their local markets. At this time they're not considered a threat in any way to broadcast news online.
“We cover stories that broadcast TV might not cover, or cover them in a way that broadcast might not,” says Chris Kouba, director of strategic content at the Virginia Pilot.
The newspaper newscasts also have focused on narrower niche geographic areas 
where local stories resonate more with audiences.
Another part of the practicals of the online newscasts by newspapers is they are looking to serve younger audiences and offer broadcasts on mobile devices. So they offer up a more irreverent and short-form story than will usually be offered on TV online broadcasts.
A good way to look at this in smaller markets is the reality of the Delaware market, which doesn't have a commercial TV station in the state. As New Media Editor Robert Long said, “Residents here must get their TV news from either Philadelphia or Baltimore stations. Rarely can they find much Delaware news on those stations.”
As a result, The Delaware News Journal has launched Webcasts twice on a daily basis because of that local need.
At this time there is everything from reaching out to younger viewers, to mobile strategies, and the basic copying of the way TV stations offer their online broadcasts.
What's important is the newspapers are finally starting to do something, rather than sit around and be acted upon.
The TV stations have dismissed them as being a legitimate competitor in this space, based mostly on what they consider "inferior talent."
At this time few of these online broadcasts are showing a profit, but it's good for the industry to spread its wings here and slowly learn and work their way up. With their competition considering them pretenders, it offers them opportunity to surprise them and take some market share away from them.
If nothing else, it will help to hold and solidify their place in the growing battle over local ad spending, a battle newspapers can't afford to lose.
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