creativesomething:

If you go to Google and enter a few words, you’ll instantly see what similar searches people around the world are entering. Here’s what happens if you enter “creativity” followed by a single word:

You can download a high-resolution PDF of this poster for printing or sharing too.

If you were to travel back just four years ago to ask Warren Buffett what his thoughts were on newspapers, he would have told you to steer clear, at all costs.  Admittedly, his stance was one of pragmatism: social media outlets have been dominating the news-realm 140 characters at a time, and newspapers from the New York Times to the Wall Street Journal have been losing money in their newspapers to their online divisions. 

This cannibalization of print media has been ongoing since the internet began, and has been ramped up with the emergence of mobile phones and social media outlets.  It is understandable, from a financial perspective, why the major news outlets now seek to bolster their online and broadcast news services as a hedge against the eventual disappearance of the newspaper. 

However, this sad story extends only to the borders of the largest newspapers.  Those news organizations that represent small markets, according to Mr. Buffett, are a gold mine, because, “Papers delivering comprehensive and reliable information to tightly bound communities and having a sensible Internet strategy will remain viable for a long time.”

In other words, you cannot read about local businesses, events, marriages, and sports teams in the New York Times.  Those small publications will always be in demand, especially in small communities with a heavy concentration of older people who have no need for social media.  Until the Goliath’s start venturing into those markets (which is unlikely to happen), the David’s are safe.

I agree with Buffett in the relative safety of these types of investments, considering they have little to no competition in their respective markets.  They can be a double-edged sword, however, as the populations of those markets that are covered by small publications have a tendency to remain static.  Which of course means that circulation will stay constant, with little to no growth, especially for Northern and Midwestern towns that experience declining populations due to residents moving for better climates.  Therefore, in my opinion, the best bet for these small market publications is to focus investment in those markets that are located either in “destination” states (Florida, California, North Carolina) or in close proximity to large markets (Virginia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut).

DealBook

American Express has experimented with things like Twitter- or Facebook-based discounts, but now it’s gone one step further: customers who have linked their American Express accounts with Twitter can now directly buy products with their tweets. Starting today, the credit card company will be periodically rolling out deals, including a discounted Xbox 360, Kindle Fire HD, and $25 Amex gift card, then letting users buy them by tweeting hashtags like #BuyAmexGiftCard25. Amex will ask the user to confirm in another tweet, then ship it to the address on record and charge their card — assuming they’ve previously added Twitter integration and a shipping address through Amex Sync. Each deal will last for three weeks.

This is very cool, and a big sign of the times.  Social media is our new reality, and it will never go away.  It will become more and more entrenched into our everyday lives, not as a detriment to personal interaction but as a complement to it.  

Verge