Newsonomics: The Next 48 Hours Could Determine The Fate Of Two Of America’s Largest Newspaper Chains

The next 48 hours may decide the fate of two of America’s largest newspaper chains that collectively serve almost a fifth of all American local newspaper readers. And what happens in those hours could prompt a wave of other moves across the rest of the industry. The dates June 30 and July 1 ...

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Newsonomics: In Memphis’ Unexpected News war, The Daily Memphian’s Model Demands Attention

At first blush, it looks a bit like an old-fashioned newspaper war. (For our younger readers: Long ago, some cities had two or more strong newspapers that fought each other for scoops, talent, readers, and advertisers. Really.) In Memphis, two newsrooms — each with about three dozen journalists ...

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Newsonomics: Six Takeaways From McClatchy’s Bankruptcy

What McClatchy’s Thursday bankruptcy filing lacked in suspense, it makes up for in our ability to game out the next skirmishes in the Consolidation Games, now ramping up its second season. That massive movement within the newspaper industry — equal parts financialization and consolidation — has ...

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Newsonomics: Will Facebook’s New News Tab Be A Milestone Or Millstone?

  Is Facebook a cesspool of bottom-feeding content? Or is it now the proud leader among platforms in featuring and rewarding high-quality journalism? Or…both? We’ve got a new breakout of platformitis, as news companies try to figure out their complicated relationships with the ...

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Newsonomics: Why I’m Starting A Company To Build Out A New Model For Local News In The 2020s

Over the past decade here at Nieman Lab, I’ve reported a lot of news industry news. Today, I’m sharing some of my own. After months of work, I’m happy to begin introducing the new company that I’m heading, named Lookout. It’s a wide-reaching new model for local ...

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Newsonomics: The GateHouse/Gannett Newspaper Megamerger Could Be Announced As Soon As Monday Morning

  Editor’s note: Gannett and GateHouse officially announced the merger Monday afternoon. Here’s the company announcement, confirming that the company will be called Gannett, be based at Gannett’s headquarters, and retain GateHouse’s New Media Investment Group CEO Mike Reed. Barring ...

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Newsonomics: It’s Looking Like Gannett Will Be Acquired By GateHouse — Creating A Newspaper Megachain Like The U.S. Has Never Seen

The deal isn’t yet finished. But I’m told by multiple sources that there are no major stumbling blocks left to negotiate in a megamerger between the United States’ two largest daily newspaper chains — Gannett and GateHouse. It’s increasingly likely to happen, with an announcement by summer’s ...

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Newsonomics: The New York Times Puts Personalization Front And Center — Just For You

  Remember The Daily Me? Not just the startup that came and went trying to provide a personalized product — I mean that original dream/nightmare of the golden news site that gives the reader what she wants, first voiced ages ago by MIT’s Nicholas Negroponte. In the archives of news dreams ...

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“Newsonomics: In The Consolidation Games, Enter The Bankers”

The bankers are now hired. Is the early 2019 newspaper chain M&A face-off now getting serious? It’s reminiscent of an earlier brand of warfare. Newspaper chains — all cutting desperately, each facing a shortening deadline to make a “digital transition” — line up their dealmaking armies, ...

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Newsonomics: Amid Screaming Alarms, Consolidation Mania Turns Feverish

Alden’s going to snatch Gannett! No, Gannett’s going to turn the tables and buy Alden’s Digital First Media! But wait, Gannett will reject Alden — is that a real offer? — and turn its attention to merging with Tribune! No, Tribune — having dispatched its CEO Justin Dearborn to clear the way for ...

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