<![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry - Gawker Comments]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry - Gawker Comments]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @fasdunaroawerm: Oh, very clever. No, really, very clever.

Nick Denton

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @Nick Denton: Lapsed media professional who went over to the business side long ago and along the way gained some familiarity with strategy consulting.

And who, might I add, are you? (PM is fine.)

skahammer

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> Nick Denton's year has been busy. With the exit of the Gawker's managing editor, Choire Sicha, the British blogging mogul now has a free hand to turn the Manhattanite Media blog into a broader national title (see: Scientology Takedown.) But here's the question: why the rush? There are three main reasons: blogging economics; the broader synergies available to a media group with heightened blogosphere influence; and ad revenue mortality.

1. Blogging Economics. Gawker Media's new headquarters is pretty swank. I'm told this will allow all Denton-owned properties to be produced on the same premises. Paying bloggers for pageviews also ensures optimal profitability.

2. Blogosphere Influence. Nick Denton is the personification of the blogging baron. Gawker has given Denton influence over New York Media, but precious little juice in the real world. Gawker is powerful, of course, but the blog is too reflexively snarky to provide any real influence over the Normals who click-through banner ads. By creating a national title in Gawker, and taking control of about half the snark market, Denton should be able to withstand any Steele-like effort to break up his empire. The Media, which long sought to curtail Gawker's power, has entirely given up. By creating an interlocking network of blogging operations in the US, he can achieve domination across multiple product verticals-if competition allows.

3. Ad Revenue Mortality. Last year, the American economy took a turn for the worse. Denton's motives are easy to divine because he blogs openly about them. He has gleefully carved apart the blog empire he has spent a few years building. Gawker Media makes some sense: the profits are made on sports, entertainment, and tech; quality Gawking provides political protection. It is only now, as proprietors such as the Bancroft family and Sam Zell lose hope in the future of newspaper publishing, that Denton has been given the scope in the blogosphere to achieve the same concentration that Murdoch has in the print world. And it is no wonder that Denton is in such a rush. Profitable blog conglomerates need dramatic intervention if they are to survive the coming Internet fall-out.

fasdunaroawerm

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @skahammer: Who are you?

Nick Denton

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @KarenUhOh: Do it in French. Please!

rosaluxembourgeoise

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @Rachel Marsden: There you go. Let's talk politics. In our underwear.

KarenUhOh

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @KarenUhOh: Haha. I wouldn't know any differently. Nothing I've ever read has ever made me cry. Except the odd speech by a Democrat.

Rachel Marsden

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @Rachel Marsden: Funny, that you find it funny. I've never been very thick-skinned. I would cry a lot.

KarenUhOh

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @KarenUhOh: Oh, I see what you mean. Actually, I find it funny. It doesn't really impact my life negatively or otherwise, so I'm pretty indifferent to it. :)

Rachel Marsden

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @KarenUhOh: wut

Rachel Marsden

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @Rachel Marsden: I think you just described a healthy portion of "Editorial Leadership" in Modern Journalism.

And: assuming it's really you, a sincere question: how do to take to being played as a corsetted pin-cushion on these pages? And why do you feed it?

Finally: Nick, Nick, Nick. It's all here for you: wit and wisdom. Amongst the chaff--yeah, plenty that, too. Try reading us sometime when you're a bit brighter-browed.

KarenUhOh

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> People think Murdoch is some kind of ideologue. He's a smart businessman who's merely filling voids in the market, whether they're ideological or otherwise. I really don't think he gives a damn about "nudging American government policy".

Rachel Marsden

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> For a complete account you should note that Rupert's heredity is remarkable. Not only does he telephone his mother every week, but she, at 99 is only the latest in the maternal line to maintain vigour of mind and body into old age. His great uncle Prof Walter Murdoch was still writing a column and broadcasting into his 90s.

Gods-Uncle

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> I admit it's quite intellectually diverting to try to analyze Murdoch and his empire, but I'm not sure it's possible to make any conclusions about it that are meaningful in the long run. Three reasons for this come to mind:

1) I'm not sure that the difference between Murdoch and his competitors is that significant. It seems to me that Murdoch and his media-titan competitors all share the same basic understanding of how to extract dollars from people's pockets in exchange for news/entertainment produced as efficiently as possible. Rupert might have a little greater appetite for risk and a slightly greater patience for the effort to understand different markets -- but that's about as far as I can reliably distinguish him.

2) It's just media. I know I'm in the minority here, but I just don't see Fox News influencing people. I know few people who watch it. And the New York Post? Are you serious? I think The Simpsons is more influential than the Post.

3) I trace this insight to James Surowiecki, but Nick is on it too: These huge media conglomerates were assembled according to one person's vision and force of personality, not market logic. And as soon as the charismatic empire-builders are gone, there will be no one else around who can possibly understand how the parts are supposed to work together, and the empires will thus fly apart again under their own centripetal force. I think this is the basic insight to retain about these empires, and it's a fun one to track because it contains a prediction too.

But for all of these reasons, one's ability to draw conclusions about these media behemoths' impact on anything outside of themselves is severely limited. I admit that on many levels, it would be interesting to believe that individual media titans shape public opinion in a way that it isn't already shaped by a zillion other forces -- but in the end that's just cult-of-personality thinking. On individual issues -- continuing to deal with China as a business partner, for instance -- I'll grant that someone like Murdoch might be able to nudge American government policy in one direction or another. But in the end, American public opinion is just too overdetermined and too subject to innumerable competing influences to get pushed even slightly off-center by one guy.

I admit that in the UK or Australia this might be different and public opinion might be easier to influence. I'm not even sure about that, though.

skahammer

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @munkles: Only Pinoys say "Pinoy," right, kababayan?

In Other News...

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> Mortality? Have we all so quickly forgotten the locked chamber full of weeping Pinoy orphans that Rupert Murdoch keeps close at hand for organ transfers?

Sheesh. Short attention spans with you peohlookshinypretty

munkles

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @rosaluxembourgeoise: Oh, I know what this is about: You're upset that I ate half of your chicken salad sandwich. Q.E.D.!

moff

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @moff: Damn you, Hemlock! That's not "deduction", it's abductive reasoning.

We're trying to have a dialogue here. Let's avoid flights of whimsy, one-upmanship, and irresponsible use of philosophical terminology, shall we?

rosaluxembourgeoise

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @Bell County: Booyakasha!

@rosaluxembourgeoise: And now, a little Hemlock...


+ Watch video

moff

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @moff: Whazup Ari G! Respek.

Bell County

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @moff: Aporia ensuing in three...two..one...

rosaluxembourgeoise

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @Nick Denton: Dude, you get some awfully good dialogue going on in these threads. Head over to the fucking Atlantic and look at the pathetic-tacular mess that vaunted intellectual institution's blogs' comments constitute; Marc Ambinder turned his off the other day because the few dozen people who contribute couldn't be civil to each other.

But anyway, exactly what deliciously debatable points have you made in this post that we're supposed to delve into here, Nicholas? That you can save money by consolidating production means, and that Rupert Murdoch wants to save money? That influence is directly proportional to how many media outlets you control, and that Rupert Murdoch wants to expand his influence? That Rupert Murdoch is 77, and that 77-year-old people can generally be expected to die soon?

Would you agree that none of these points are particularly disputable? (Hey, check it out -- it's could get all elenchus-ized up in here!)

moff

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @head cheerleader gawker high: @Nick Denton: Socratic dialogue interspersed with boob pics and snark is the ideal mix, duh, that's as obvious as peanut butter and jelly.

Great analysis of the economic and media market dynamics, despite Murdoch's success, in some ways he has yet to achieve critical mass in the US market, until now as you pointed out.

However, I think your assumption that liberals will be in charge in Washington over the next few years is suspect. The presidential election looks like a toss up at this point, and if the Dems win the White House and try to govern from the left, that will likely create a backlash that turns Congress back over to the Repubs in the off year elections, just like in '94.

Fishman

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @Nick Denton: A Socratic dialogue? Can we make out?

Walden3

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @Nick Denton: Re: Zuckerman - Not so fast.

[www.nytimes.com]

In Other News...

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @head cheerleader gawker high: Oh, I was just being pissy. Because sometimes I dream of a Socratic dialogue in these comment threads, rather than one-liner oneupmanship. But there's a place for both, and I do enjoy your whimsical commentary.

Nick Denton

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> Oh you know the Chinese. They'll eat anything.@Hez:

Lazy Susan

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @Lazy Susan: I wonder if anyone has ever pleasured the clitoris tucked deep in his weird little forehead vadge, or if he was ritually circumcised and that's why he's such a dickhead.

Hez

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> Regarding his mortality - it's important to remember that Rupert still phones his mother every week. The man's got titanium genes...

...but I'm loving the fact that he's had a make over - by the Muppets. I just want to stick my fingers in the back of his head and make those features wibble.

Lazy Susan

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @Nick Denton: also, while I realize it was simply a frothy head intern comment, didn't it indicate to you that I actually read the post? jesus fuck, nick. (sorry, I'm really annoyed by you right now.)

the supergoddess

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> When did he become a sharpei?

NeverEnough

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> Less reality teevee and more of this, please.

TerseNursePornstein

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @head cheerleader gawker high: Last Chance for a Slow Dance...

I would be charmed if you would promenade with me. Please, pass me the bottle and we'll toast on it...

jackvinyl

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> It is going to be very interesting when he takes over Newsday. Long Island politics skew socially liberal / fiscally conservative, with an emphasis on the arts and culture, family interests, and public safety; in short - the exact opposite of The Post. Woe will be Rupe if he tries to Post-ify our daily local. Long Islanders will stop buying and start watching Channel 12 instead.

I also see the snarky, snotty, intellectual Long Island Press getting a big boost from this. They've already scooped Newsday more than once on local stories - probably because the Trib is based in Ohio.

BettyCrocker

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @karion: i agree wholeheartedly. a tip of the hat to nick and pareene.

the cajun boy

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @Nick Denton:
Wow, that was thought-provoking. Thanks.
I notice that Newscorp's US-based online holdings are an odd random mix of sports, religion, social networking, kids online games, movie entertainment and men's sex advice.
His holdings in all other media are all better integrated with the NewsCorp brand. They are also usually stellar performers in their segments.
But the wide range of genres of his online American holdings reek of a lack of focus. It is as though he simply bought up random websites based on their sitemeter readings. Plus, their offerings are all singularly low-brow. And had been even before he bought them up. With the exception of MySpace and Hulu, the rest aren't close to being market leaders.
Thoughts? I'm cautiously assuming that Murdoch doesn't get Internet media the way he does offline media.

Crazydogggz

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @jackvinyl: you should totally ask me to prom.

the supergoddess

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @head cheerleader gawker high: Cheerleader head with a thumbscrew! Cheerleader head with a thumbscrew!

Damn. Everyday Gawker finds a way to put me right back in high school - y'know, clumsily babbling Cheerleader Head & a Thumbscrew everytime i get around a cute girl and a bottle of booze, and realizing that it won't matter anyway because we're all so goddamned anonymous.

No Future.

jackvinyl

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> This was a terrific piece that I really enjoyed reading. Great work Nick!

Matthew O'Ryan

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @Nick Denton & head cheerleader gawker high: The managing editor and owner of the "Media Gossip and Pop Culture Around the Clock" blog must be kidding, I think. Or maybe he's gonna close up shop as soon as that first edition of À la recherche du temps perdu gets out of escrow.

moff

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @Nick Denton: you know what, nick? that's really fucking misguided and actually kind of stupid of you to say to me. I deliberately comment on your pissy little media fight posts - because I enjoy them immensely and never want to see a gawker where they're not a part of the mix. and I worry that they won't be, because they don't generate the comment & pageview numbers the way, say… open-captions do. sorry that my contributions aren't up to your exacting standards (I thought scottish thumbscrew was inspired.)

also? I don't watch much by way of reality programming and as a result you'll rarely see me mucking it up in any of those threads.

the supergoddess

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @Nick Denton:
Actually, this and Pareene's recap of the Democrat primary season were my favorite posts of the day. Great analysis.

karion

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @head cheerleader, gawker high: Sigh, you people are all so shallow. Okay, more reality TV recaps then!

Nick Denton

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> @Sarcastic_Communist_Gamer who uses sarcasm. Remember that.:

He did it to us. He'll do it to the USA.

Communist_Gamer

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> This man has already played key roles in two elections, 1991 and 97 in the UK as well as the most recent one. Labour would have had difficulty getting in without Blair supporting Murdoch's attempt to get a satelite over China. Then the Sun went Labour.

Communist_Gamer

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> I don't know why he's buying up newspapers with the (almost) weekly updates of cutbacks and layoffs in the print media field.

LadyChatterley

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> oh mr. denton thank goodness you reminded me - mr. murdoch posted a thank you note, he simply adored the antique scottish thumbscrew you sent him for his birthday. it really was an especially thoughtful gift, sir. oh yes, I'm recovering alright, sir! no no, not at all - it was my pleasure to allow you to try it out on me!

the supergoddess

]]> <![CDATA[Old Man In A Hurry]]> They'll furnish the papers and he'll furnish our government...

the_marquee_de_lafayette

]]>