Business Policy and Strategy Analysis: The Chronicle Gazette Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the Chronicle Gazette, a weekly newspaper facing significant challenges in the current market. The report begins with an overview of the declining state of the newspaper publishing industry, highlighting factors such as decreasing circulation and revenue, and the impact of digital media. It then delves into both external and internal assessments of the Chronicle Gazette, examining economic, social, and technological forces, as well as organizational structure, HR capabilities, financial position, marketing, and operational capabilities. A SWOT analysis identifies the company's strengths and weaknesses. The report explores the strategies that newspaper companies are adopting to cope with these challenges and concludes with recommendations for the Chronicle Gazette, including short-term and long-term steps to improve its position in the market. The report emphasizes the need for the Gazette to adapt to the digital age to survive and thrive.

Business Policy and Strategy

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
STATE OF THE NEWSPAPER PUBLISHING INDUSTRY TODAY........................................4
Data on declining circulation and revenue..................................................................................4
Status of news paper leaders.......................................................................................................4
FACTORS BY WHICH NEWSPAPERS ARE FACING DECLINING REVENUES..................5
External Assessment...................................................................................................................5
INTERNAL ASSESSMENT...........................................................................................................6
Organisational process structure ................................................................................................6
HR Capabilities...........................................................................................................................6
Financial position........................................................................................................................7
Marketing/ Sales capabilities......................................................................................................7
Operational Capabilities..............................................................................................................8
Strength and weakness as a publisher.........................................................................................8
COMPANIES IN THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY ARE ADJUSTING THEIR STRATEGIES
TO COPE WITH THE CHALLENGES .........................................................................................9
STEPS THE CHRONICLE GAZETTE MIGHT TAKE IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH THE
CHALLENGES ..............................................................................................................................9
Short terms steps.........................................................................................................................9
Long term steps.........................................................................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Strategies which helps to a company to take decisions and make actions to perform their
business activities (Kley, Lerch and Dallinger, 2011). Most of the organisation are having their
business policy which helps and guide them to act in a particular condition. This report is having
focus on The Chornicle Gazette which is a newspaper company and they are publishing
newspaper on weekly basis. They are highly affected by the internet, they are having a heavy
downfall in the number of customers. This report is having content on the factors which are
decreasing their revenues and business. It is having focus on the internal and external assessment
of the organisation.
STATE OF THE NEWSPAPER PUBLISHING INDUSTRY TODAY
Data on declining circulation and revenue
The Chronicle Gazette is having a regular fallen down in their sales after 2008. Sales of
the newspaper had been fallen by 35% in the subscription and advertising which created a huge
impact on the revenues and business (Jahangirian and et. al., 2010). After it they are having a
consistent decrease in the sales from eight years. According to the American newspaper
association, decline in the circulation of the newspapers had started from the the year of 1993
and comparing it to the 2008 index, it is having 22% less circulation. After the year 1997 most of
the advertiser were moving to the internet to publish their advertisements. Now after the year of
1997 internet advertisers has increased by 13 times. So these data are showing that peoples are
moving from newspaper to internet.
Status of news paper leaders
The leading newspapers like; The New York Times have claimed in 2009 that they were
increased their revenues by 29%. In the year of 2008 they are having $29.8 Million gross
revenues which has increased in 2009 with US$ 36.3 Million which shows that peoples are
having interest in the leading news papers and journals. Most of the users are having a positive
attitude towards these leading newspapers and they are having faith on it. So they are having less
impact of the internet on them as compare to The Chronicle Gazette (Xiao and Cooke, 2012). So
these data shows that readers are having interest and faith on it and they are having a regular use
of them to know news. The Wall Street Journal has increase their scope to provide their news
and reports by internet which helps them to stay in the competition.

FACTORS BY WHICH NEWSPAPERS ARE FACING DECLINING
REVENUES
External Assessment
External assessment can be used by the newspaper publishing industry in United Kingdom.
Through this kind of assessment they will be able to know about their opportunities and threats
so that their overall performance can be improved (Chen and et. al., 2010).
Economic forces: These forces are related to the inflation rate, fiscal policy and so on.
Through this kind of assessment, the Chronicle Gazette will be able to identify the
competitiveness in the environment. For example, there are leading newspapers in the country
named as the New York times and wall street journal. So, company will not be able to generate
more revenues. Further, companies economy is also get affected by the economy of country.
Social, cultural, demographic, and environmental forces: These factors also affect the
performance of Chronicle Gazette in the market. The need and interest of customers is important
for every business organization. So, the manager of the industry has to continuously monitor the
demand and expectations of their service user (Hamdouch and Depret, 2010). Demographic
variables are related to the age, gender of the people. Some of the environmental factors such as
high carbon footprint can affect the operations of company. Further, publishers have to publish
the relevant news that can enhance their brand image.
Political, governmental and legal forces: The legal and political rules are changing from
country to country. So, newspaper publishing industry have to adopt the rules that are made by
the state government then only they can ensure the smooth functioning in the business
environment (Disch, 2016). Along with this, these companies have to follow ethical values and
beliefs in order to improve their performance in the market. Through these regulations, all
workers will be able to get the healthy and safe environment at the workplace.
Technological forces: These modern technological advancement affect the performance
of Chronicle Gazette. There are many leading newspaper organizations who adopt the
digitalization so due to this all customers will be able to read the news on internet. So, the
industry have to adopt the technological innovation in order to improve their performance.
Competitive forces: There are many firms who perform their operations in the country so
there is high competition among all the organizations. In order to analyse the competitive forces
the firm can use the porter five force model (Ellison and Boyd, 2013). The entry cost of the

industries as well as bargaining power of the suppliers are high in the market. So, the newspaper
publishing industry have to focus on these factors. Apart from this, the bargaining power of
customers is high as there are many leading newspapers in the country. The company also have a
threat from their substitutes like many people can read the news on the internet so that they don't
prefer to buy newspaper (Casadesus-Masanell and Ricart, 2010). At last, there is inter firm
rivalry among all the competitors so due to this their performance is get affected.
External Factor Evaluation matrix: EFE is a type of tool that is used by the companies
in order to identify their current condition in the market. Through this, the newspaper publishing
industry will be able to examine their opportunities and threats. Chronicle Gazette have biggest
threat from the internet and other competitive firm who is using digitalization. Along with this,
computerisation affect the performance of enterprises who are dealing in the newspapers. Apart
from this, they have opportunity to target the old age people who don't know how to access
internet.
INTERNAL ASSESSMENT
Organisational process structure
The Chronicle Gazette is having small structure as compare to the New York Times and
Wall Street Journal. They are not having a large structure of distribution which defeat them in
the competition. They were having different types of causes law investments and extra
expenditure which may be a cause for them by which they did not expand their business
activities (Gambardella and McGahan, 2010). The Chronicle Gazette is having a huge impact of
the internet and one of the biggest thing which was they did not change the ways to sales and
business in the modern era. The Chronicle Gazette were having limited distribution centre on
those places so by which they can not spread their working scope which created a negative
impact on their trade. This was essential for them to make changes in their structure and trade to
manages their trade as per the needs of the customers and as well as the situation.
HR Capabilities
Some points are here for the assessment of the human resources:
Publisher: All of the control are having in the hands of the publisher and it is responsible for the
actions. They are having main responsibility to manage all the business activities in a proper way
to manage business profits (Teece, 2010).

Editor: It is essential for the magazine and newspaper publishers to edit their news and provide a
selected material to the readers. The company is having senior editors which are able to monitor
effective news and provide effective news to their readers.
Photographer: Taking a perfect shot is very essential for the photographers which are working
in the newspaper. Most of the photographers which are working in the organisation are
professional and they are able to take appropriate images from events and spot (Snyder and
Deaux, 2012).
Reporters: They are having duty to gather news from the sources and points which are related to
the news. The Chronicle Gazette are having smart reporters which are able to perform in worst
conditions.
Graphic Editor: They are having expert graphic editors in their publication house which use
their skills to make images more effective for the purpose to show a fine image to the readers.
They are having proper team which supports to the company to make effective and useful images
to publish it in the news paper and magazines.
Chief copy editor: They are having a responsibility to read out the news story which is written
by the reporters and they have to make sure that all of the content would be useful and authentic
to publish news and data (Wheelen and Hunger, 2011). They are having focus to manage the
standards in their news to meet the expectations of the customers in it.
Financial position
As the availability of the internet is a curse for the newspaper publisher companies cause
they are having a regular decrease in their sales and revenues. The Chronicle Gazette is not
having a stable financial position in the market and they are having huge decrease in the sales
and as well as in the advertisement's revenues. Newspapers are having revenues by the sales and
advertisements. Internet are providing a platform to both who wants to read a news and who
wants to place a news and advertisement. So in a concluded way it is has decreased the market
position of the company by decease in the sales. So now it is essential for the newspaper and
magazines publishers to increase the network of them.
Marketing/ Sales capabilities
Marketing and sales capabilities are related to the functions of the companies which are
they having in their action to make marketing and sales (Kley, Lerch and Dallinger, 2011). The
company is using the traditional marketing system and they are not having an appropriate system

for sales. They are using traditional system to sale out their newspapers in the market. They are
using local transport system to deliver their newspaper to their selling point. So this is a time
taken process for them which creates a hinder for their top distribute their newspaper on right
time. The newspaper is an effective medium for the marketing but after the increase of the
internet they had decreases their sales in the section of advertising (Jahangirian and et. al.,
2010). They are having a marketing team which helps top them to take customers reviews which
is effective activity for the company to increase their effectiveness for the customers.
Operational Capabilities
Operational capabilities are related to the potentials of the organisation which can used
by them to perform their business activities effectively. They are having different team which
helps them to divide their work in them. So they are having proper teams and management which
supports them to publish newspapers effectively. But as they are not changed their mediums to
trade which creates a negative impacts on their sales. As well as they has not changed their
medium to communicate with their customers which can give them more business for
advertisements (Xiao and Cooke, 2012). So they have to use effective medium like internet and
phones to take business from their clients. So it is essential for them to adopt internet in their
business activities to increase their sales.
Strength and weakness as a publisher
SWOT analysis is a basic a term through which all the strength, weakness, opportunities
and threats are identified. And it helps a firm, in improving themselves according to their needs.
Like their popularity is their strength and large number of competitors is their weakness. So,
these terms are to be more elaborated with the help of this analysis in respect of The Chronicle
Gazette (Chen and et. al., 2010). This magazine SWOT IS AS FOLLOW:
Strength: their strength is their more information given by them is basic strength of this firm.
They publish exact news about everything at first than others. So, they have to maintain their
gossip news so, large number of consumers can attract over there.
Weakness: their weakness is their using paper work instead of internet. They publish their news
in papers. So, large number of readers are getting distract from them.
Opportunity: They won many awards for their news and their news are good and have a matter
for that.

Threats: They are using paper and can not update their work on internet. So, large ranging of
internet gives a fear of shutting down their newspaper firm (Hamdouch and Depret, 2010).
COMPANIES IN THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY ARE ADJUSTING
THEIR STRATEGIES TO COPE WITH THE CHALLENGES
Companies which are working in the newspapers publishing have to use these marketing
tactics to improve their sales:
Social Media: Organisations have to use social media to advertise their products in the public
domain. They have to make their base on the internet activities which helps them to increase
their marketing criteria.
E mails: They have to communicate with their customers by e mails to know what types of
changes they want in the news (Disch, 2016).
Mobile Application: The have to provide mobile applications to provide news on the internet and
as well as it helps to them to take advertisement by them.
By these solutions they can increase their revenues and as well as the number of
customer's.
STEPS THE CHRONICLE GAZETTE MIGHT TAKE IN ORDER TO
DEAL WITH THE CHALLENGES
Short terms steps
Short term plan are those plan which respond within a year:
To compete in the market to the competitors then there is strong need to use the online version
of The Chronicle Gazette and consult to the IT department for fixing the first release. Analyse
on those tools and create mandatory funding and financial plan. Strengthen the present sales and
marking department of the company to adhere the new challenges and offering IT training and
explanation for the entire employees (Ellison and Boyd, 2013).
Limiting the useless employees and give suggestion to the old employee for retirement with
lucrative benefits.
Boost saving of office electricity, paper and other tools and try to cut some useless expenses
from staff which would not affect their operational activities.

Long term steps
Long term plans are those which reflects for two to five years:
Reassessment entire department staff job nature and evaluate their education background and
working experience to assess their job presentation and offer important opportunity to enhance
productivities (Casadesus-Masanell and Ricart, 2010).
Renovate the organisation construction and management team to work effectively and efficiently
and know how to work sharp at all stages.
Enhancement of customer via media such as online version and try to expand consumers all
around the globe.
Lubricate various advertisement agent and offer them for regular advertisement with discounted
rate.
CONCLUSION
The above concluded report is having focus on the downfall of the news papers by the increases
of the access of the internet for their users. The Chronicle Gazette is having reduce in their sales
and revenues so they have to use internet medium to increases their sales. They have to provide a
medium for those peoples which wants to place an advertisement in the print media and as well
as they have to promote their advertisement rates in the newspapers and as well as their social
media platforms. So they have to make changes in their trade style to increase the effectiveness
to reach out to their target customers.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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‘green economy’: foundations and implementation patterns. Journal of environmental
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Teece, D.J., 2010. Business models, business strategy and innovation. Long range planning.
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Wheelen, T.L. and Hunger, J.D., 2011. Concepts in strategic management and business policy.
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Xiao, Y. and Cooke, F.L., 2012. Work–life balance in China? Social policy, employer strategy
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