NAPLES, Fla. -- Unlike what was said in the past about political parties that could hold meetings in a phone booth, people came to the 106th annual convention of the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association. Not as many as may have attended in past years, but for an industry that continually flogs itself, there was respectability in numbers.

Sprinkled through the three-day session, which concluded last week, were reminders of a tough business climate, but also a perspective that media companies are not the only ones on the short end of the economic stick.

As one speaker put it, "Most people would think at a newspaper publisher convention it would be a few of us and the cook."

Or as another platform guest said, "There is probably nothing worse than journalists writing about journalism. If you want to see gasoline thrown on the fire, just follow their comments."

There was some irony that behind the speaker platform was a walled mirror. Anyone looking for the proverbial "looking glass" had to look no further than the front of the room.

"We have met the enemy and he is us," to coin a line from the Pogo comic strip, which is a parody of a statement by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry in 1813.

As the participants stared into the mirror, this is the voice they heard from the podium: "How can you expect consumers to stay with you if you keep cheapening the product? Are you able to say we will give you a great product, but it may cost a little more?"

Donna Barrett, the president and CEO of Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. in Birmingham, Ala., said there is "no doubt that news publishers face many challenges in a changing world."

The SNPA president said our headlines are misleading, but "newspapers enjoy substantial readership and deliver strong results for advertisers. More Americans read printed newspapers than own dogs. The Internet helps newspapers strengthen this reach."

From a somewhat biased position -- but why not after many months and column inches across the country touting the gloom? -- nobody comes close to doing the job newspapers do in covering communities.

The opportunities are boundless, given the tools at the disposal of a journalist to share information with readers in print, online and through mobile devices. The challenge is

understanding the audiences that are touched through these communication channels and how they perceive the content that comes from different platforms.

There may be -- or should be -- some sacred cows that finally are put to rest, such as the notion that newspaper companies are unable to target information to various readers.

Niche audience products have been a staple in filling readership gaps, but typically as standalone propositions. What a novel approach to imagine a string of niche publications that when tied together extend the reach of a newspaper from paper to digital channels.

Another speaker at the SNPA meeting stated that three things are important in a democracy: "free elections, the rule of law and a free press."

The mirror forces you to peer into the glass. The issue is whether those in the newspaper business are prepared to see what is looking back.

To reach Tom Griscom, call 423-757-6472 or e-mail tgriscom@timesfreepress.com.