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the new model
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the new model
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web v. print wars
Passive-Aggressive Rick Stengel Announces New 'Time' Hire
Salon's Michael Scherer is leaving his position there as Washington correspondent to join Time magazine as political correspondent and teacher's pet. "Michael represents the new TIME correspondent: adept on-line, on-air and in print," said Rick Stengel, in an email to staff today. We are quite sure that none of the magazine's web-reluctant old guard will resent that thinly-veiled barb one little bit! Memo after the jump. More »
the new model
Court TV Lays Off Half Its "Online Group"
We always hear about layoffs in production departments, or foreign bureaus, or "a little bit of everywhere," in the case of MTV—but it's rare these days that you get to see an outfit chop up its web staff. But that's what Court TV is doing right this second—with fellow Time Warner company CNN.com going big on plans for CNN.com/crime, Court TV (soon to be called truTV) no longer needs 16 of the staffers at their website. 15 will remain. More »
"MySpace today announced the launch of an original scripted web series, Roommates, in collaboration with Iron Sink Media and sponsored by the 2008 Ford Focus.... Best known for the creation of the popular series 'Soup of the Day,' 'NoHoGirls,' 'WeHoGirls' and 'VanNuysGuys,' Iron Sink has a deep understanding of serial Web programming and production.... As part of the launch, the new 2008 Ford Focus will serve as a title series sponsor providing products which will be integrated into the storyline across multiple episodes....'Today's small car customer is more connected than ever, and the new Focus with SYNC allows them to seamlessly transition from their home or office into their car,' said John Zaremba Focus marketing manager. 'The My Space audience is youthful, on the go, and very social which is exactly like the customer who will be drawn to Focus and use SYNC.'" Did we just wake up in a movie about the future? (But filmed in the 90s?) [MySpace TV]
tabloid media
The PageSix.com Raiding Begins With Noelle Hancock
Noelle Hancock, who's been laboring at the Us Weekly website—she's a former New York Observer gal and one-time Gawker guest-editor—is the first hire that we've been able to confirm for the forthcoming blockbuster craziness that will be PageSix.com. Now it is on, TMZ! We have such great high expectations for the degrading battle of the web tabloid celebrity dirtiness that is coming so very soon—in particular, we hear PageSix.com will have a huge west coast bureau. Noelle, by the way, is the heterosexual lover of New York Times hottie Nick Confessore, who is apparently still on the Albany beat, the poor schmuck.
It looks like the New York Observer has somehow yet to find a web host who can withstand a link from Matt Drudge. They're sort of like the goth girl of newspaper websites—when they get any attention they're all, "Oh my God don't look at me I'm so ugly!" Annnd crash. So while their politics desk continues to regularly get stories on the monster uber-crazy-blogger's website (today's apparently is "NY DEMS BAFFLED BY RUDY LEAD: 'I refuse to believe this could happen to our country'... "), their back-office continues to undermine their work. I bet that is really annoying!
transparency
Should We Be On Strike?
Magazine and newspaper advertising folks just don't know what they're missing! While they may have invented the advertorial ad, wherein, say, Washington Post articles get reprinted in ad space, print folks have none of the boundless freedom of online ad folks, who aren't restrained by the physical facts of editorial vs. ad space. Online ad sales is now the most creative editorial job going! Some folks call the online campaigns that get integrated into the full space of the web page a "complete takeover." That's quite an evocative phrase! This morning, this very website is in the hands of the ad department; completely taken over. We need your advice about what to do. Should the editorial department take a stand? More »
It was a big deal when Time magazine's Rick Stengel sent a memo to the whole staff, saying that "I suspect that some of you regard writing for TIME.com as an obligation, and not what you came to TIME to do. But... [i]f you care about what you do - and I know you do - then you need to display your talent, your expertise, and your dedication online as well as in the magazine." Well, the Newspaper Guild has put a stop to that—the newest proposed agreement between the union and Time Inc. says that "there will no negative impact on any employee for not volunteering to do Web site work." While we totally get that most companies are making journalists take on more work for no more money, which blows, still; this is the first time I've ever felt a tiny bit of sympathy for Rick Stengel! [WWD]
Each Friday, deputy managing editor Jon Landman and NYT.com general manager Vivian Schiller send out an email to New York Times staffers on the subject of innovation of a digital nature. We read it to take the temperature inside the paper. Some notable moments from this week's installment: "We are way past the point of arguing (aren't we?) about whether blogs or articles make better journalism. The answer, of course, is 'Both.'" And: "Webbies like to say, 'Iterate.' It gets worse! They love to say 'Iterative.' Horrible words. Great ideas. The point is, you can start something on the web that isn't perfect. While it sits there, you make it better. (Try that in the newspaper—by the time you iterate, it's fish wrap.)"
alpha kitty unveiled
Former Seventeen editor Atoosa Rubenstein "said she is not thinking about business, only 'play,'" with her new web venture, a series of videos that debut on YouTube today. "But business is hardly on the back burner. She is seeking investors (although for now she is self-financed)." That stunning piece of news is one of many contained in Times trendtard Stephanie Rosenbloom's Style profile of the 'Toos today. More »
Atoosa: "The Next Big Style Icon Is Going To Be A Drag Queen"
Former Seventeen editor Atoosa Rubenstein "said she is not thinking about business, only 'play,'" with her new web venture, a series of videos that debut on YouTube today. "But business is hardly on the back burner. She is seeking investors (although for now she is self-financed)." That stunning piece of news is one of many contained in Times trendtard Stephanie Rosenbloom's Style profile of the 'Toos today. More »
the new model
Did The 'New York Times' Lose Money On TimesSelect?
Portfolio econ-blogger Zubin Jelveh makes the case that hiding some Times content behind a paywall for the last two years cost the newspaper growth, and therefore cash. (Unfortunately, and unrelentingly, traffic equals cash. Stay tuned for some naked celebrity pictures later today!) Comparing the Times' web growth to a number of sort-of competitors, Zubin calculates that the Times lost out on growth of 1.3 billion page views, and asks and answers: "So is 1.3 billion worth page views $20 million over two years? Not knowing anything about their inventory, I'd argue yes." The traffic calculations seem a bit over the top, but we'll still sign on to the conclusion.
The TimesSelect Effect [Odd Numbers]
the new model
The 'Times' Bets It All On Graphics
Vivian Schiller General Manager, NYTimes.com: I just want to say one word to you—just one word.
Jon Friedman, Tool Reporter: Yes ma'am.
Vivian Schiller: Are you listening?
Jon Friedman: Yes I am.
Vivian Schiller: 'Slideshows.'
Jon Friedman: Exactly how do you mean?
Vivian Schiller: There's a great future in slideshows. Think about it. Will you think about it?
Jon Friedman: Yes I will.
Vivian Schiller: Shh! Enough said. That's a deal.
'All the news that's fit to click' at NYTimes.com [MarketWatch]
the new model
Newspapers Now Stuffed Full Of Blogs, But No Clue Where To Put Them
This week, motorcycle enthusiast Andrew Rosenthal, the editorial page editor of the New York Times, said that his department is starting a new blog, "The Board." It'll join the paper's 14 other Opinion section blogs, including the Opinionator, which discusses the op-ed pages of other newspapers and will benefit from being freed from the Times now-dead paywall, TimesSelect. The Times looks to be the newspaper blog leader—they have 40 active blogs, not counting seasonal blogs like David Carr's movie awards season craziness, beating the Guardian with 18, the New York Daily News with 22, the Wall Street Journal with 16 active blogs, the Los Angeles Times with 27, the San Francisco Chronicle with 26, the Miami Herald with 31, and the Chicago Tribune with 33, for a random sampling. But. Do you read any of these blogs? More »
From the mailbag: "Could you run some kind of item (or even just this email) that could serve as a clearinghouse for all the things commenters have to say about those retarded ads that have been running in the stalker section?" Yes! Yes we could. Oops we're so fired!
Jeff Bercovici thinks TimesSelect, the extremely annoying partial pay wall of the New York Times, is ending this week. Please God please, yes. [Portfolio]
Melena Ryzik, the one-time sharp-elbowed Times Boldface Names party stringer who went on to write that paper's daily culture email Urban Eye, has gone fulltime for the Times culture desk. We hear Urban Eye is looking for a new... email-blogger? Direct-mailer? What shall we call these new modern forms of journalism? Better find out fast, because these are the jobs of our time. Update: We hear she's keeping Urban Eye as part of the new job. What can't she do???
the new model
PRNewser Shows MediaBistro Still Giving This Blog Thing A Shot
We've had this wacky theory that the new owners of Mediabistro are going to jettison their useless collection of blogs, which, save for TVNewser, are increasingly irrelevant and probably draw focus away from the company's core strength of getting guileless freelancers to shell out money that they could better use for food on "get togethers" and seminars. But maybe we're wrong! There's a brand new blog on the block, and it tries to take the TVNewser formula and apply it to the equally fascinating world of public relations! More »
the new model
