The Newsonomics of David Pogue and the Pujols Effect

First published at Nieman Journalism Lab Divorces can be such fun, especially media divorces. This week, David Pogue and The New York Times split after 13 years. Last month, The Wall Street Journal couldn’t renew their vows with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher. Over the past year, Nate Silver’s ...

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The Newsonomics of Rupert Murdoch’s Long Game

So Thomson’s ascension is no surprise (“Nine Questions as Murdoch Splits The News Corp. Baby”). Sure, he’s an editor — but he’s a News Corp. editor, and has been for a decade. Robert Thomson has been well schooled in the College of Murdoch. He’s a strategic news executive with a good sense of ...

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Nine Questions on the News Corp Split: The Rise of Twenty-First Century Fox and The Daily’s Demise

Why did The Daily fail? I think the short answer is that it missed the first law of media: Make it interesting. The Daily was attractive, even sometimes stunning, in its visual appeal, but too empty-headed to attract a daily readership. If you are going to call something The Daily, you better ...

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The Newsonomics of Emerging Sunday Paper/Tablet Subscriptions

Now, let’s do the new digital-only pricing plan math. The Times gives me tablet and online (desktop, laptop, but not smartphone) access for $20 every four weeks, or $260 a year. Why not pay $68 less, and get the Sunday paper in addition to the tablet access? How many print subscribers have ...

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Telco Troika? Forget the Content Flow, Watch the Money Flow

The promise: A stable, ubiquitous system of mobile payment, even run by a cartel, should give publishers a better ramp to mobile paid content, which, so far has been largely a non-starter. Apple wants its 30%, the erstwhile phone companies are deciding on their desired share and Google's trying ...

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Competition for the Business News Reader Intensifies

The push in business news shows several key trends in the marketplace: * Niching. Beefing up “news” in general is out; targeting select readers is where investment is going. * The action is greatest among the Digital Dozen, the term I’ve originated to describe top globally-oriented ...

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News on the iPad: Expectedly, Underwhelming, with the Exception of…..

Clearly, the Journal is trying to anticipate success here -- that's clearly what's behind what some have derided as a high iPad only $17.29 monthly sub fee. Of course, that could be a good problem to have. Tablets, with good subscription price points, potentially lucrative ad rates and low ...

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Open Web and Owning the Customer: Cloudy….with a Chance of Meatballs

For all of us, as consumers and readers, we just need places to keep our stuff, organized well and the ability to connect up all parts of our work, family, financial and social lives. We don't really want to be owned by anyone, but we've got to put that stuff somewhere, and that somewhere is ...

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Business News Arms War Heating Up

* It's war for the business reader, the global business reader, the investor, the savvy consumer. It's no accident that it's been the FT and the Journal that have led paid content models. Expect to see lots more products, steals and innovations, as a half-dozen top business news brands ...

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