Slate has amassed a collection of editorial cartoons commenting on the state of the newspaper industry. Most lament the demise of newspapers, especially the cost to democracy. You can view the entire gallery of cartoons on Slate's website here…….
Month: May 2009
Sizing Up Leadership In The Face Of Crisis
Investor's Business Daily featured Distinguished Fellow Warren Bennis, recognizing him as a trailblazer in the field of leadership studies. "Bennis has advised five U.S. presidents, sold millions of books and published thousands of articles," the story noted. "Leaders have a creative idea to get out of the ordinary and set goals for the unknown," Bennis said. "It takes a certain kind of courage and confidence. They have an idea for the possibility of being big."……
Newspaper meeting and antitrust issues
Ben Sheffner at Slate discusses the potential legal liabilities of the Illinois meeting of newspaper executives, which included representatives from the New York Times, Gannett, McClatchy, the Associated Press and others. The purpose of the meeting, called "Models to Monetize Content," was clearly the publications' attempts to survive the perils of the industry. But Sheffner discusses how such a meeting, and the subsequent installation of pay walls or subscriptions requirements, could seem to violate antitrust law. You can read the article from Slate here…….
Some overlooked problems of pay walls.
In light of yesterday's meeting of newspaper executives, the purpose of which was to see how to monetize online content, Zachary M. Seward of the Nieman Journalism Lab notes overlooked arguments against instituting pay walls. He highlights the perils of trying, and ultimately failing, to implement a successful pay well system. He also argues that pay walls are better at protecting the printed editions than generating income. You can read the Nieman Journalism post here…….
New ad blurs newspaper brand with advertisments
The New York Times has taken to a new level homepage takeover ads, a rather common technique of placing a paid message on top of the website. The NYT recently ran an Intel ad that incorporated the newspaper itself. The experiment is an attempt to make online ads more engaging. And while the effect of these ads is not yet fully known, "brands are clearly excited about the notion of blending marketing messages with respected editorial content." You can read the Forbes article here…….
Brokaw’s legacy: The Greatest Generation
Tom Brokaw anchored NBC's "Nightly News" for 21 years. He traveled the world, covered 9/11, interviewed heads of state and followed Ronald Reagan's political career from beginning to end. His legacy, he said Wednesday, will probably involve none of that. Brokaw told an audience at the Los Angeles Public Library that his "single greatest contribution" will probably be his bestselling book, "The Greatest Generation." He talked about how on the flight to Los Angeles, two flight attendants gave him handwritten notes telling him how much the book had meant to him, how it had made them see their fathers in……
The United States of Optimism
BusinessWeek ran an op-ed by Senior Fellow Richard Reeves about Americans' persistent optimism. Reeves wrote that his journalism students are uninterested in the-sky-is-falling dirges. He added: "My students, frankly, are not much interested in history … . Instead, to gauge their prospects, they look ahead. Today they realize, among other things, that they are empowered by their knowledge of technological changes that scare their elders. And they are right to feel hopeful about this."……
Sponsored BloodCopy becomes a part of Gawker blogs
Gawker Media has added another vertical to its lists of blogs, the likes of which include the media gossip Gawker and gadget-friendly Gizmodo. The newest addition, however, is unique among the offerings because it is a sponspored blog. BloodCopy, the new blog, is an HBO project, completely funded and written by the cable channel to promote its vampire series, True Blood. Gawker's site will feature crossposts from BloodCopy just like the rest of its verticals. Gawker's vice president of sales and marketing, Chris Batty, has stated that the site hopes that such sponsored ads become the major funding for their……
David Kaplan reflects on NYT social media
David Kaplan of PaidContent shares his advice for newly hired Jennifer Preston, the New York Times’ social media editor. Kaplan notes that many of the ways that newspapers are currently using social media, especially Twitter, are working. Thus, he cautions Preston against trying to "fix what isn’t broken" or establish too tight a clamp on what editors and journalists can express in these forums. After all, he contends, people aren’t interested in interacting with a faceless institution, but with other human beings. And that’s what all that twittering presently offers. Read the PaidContent.org post. — May 27, 2009…….
The role of NYT’s social media editor remains vague
The New York Times has hired its first ever social media editor. Officially, Jennifer Preston will work to expand "the use of social media networks and publishing platforms to improve NYT journalism and deliver it to readers." Recently, though, Times journalists have leaked unauthorized information via their Twitterfeeds, leaving some to wonder whether Preston's main job isn't to monitor and regulate the use of Twitter and other social media. Perhaps a list of rules regarding social media will be forthcoming. You can read the post from the Editors' Weblog here…….