The Newsonomics of Newsweek’s Pricey Relaunch

First published at Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab Maybe the third time is the charm. Three years before Don Graham and Jeff Bezos talked about selling and buying The Washington Post, the Graham family bid goodbye to its second favorite son, Newsweek. Sid Harman, then 91, optimistically ...

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The Newsonomics of Forbes’ Real Performance and Price Potential

First published at Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab   The bidding for Forbes is now moving into round two, with a sale expected within a month. A surprising set of largely non-U.S. buyers is flipping through the pages of a memorandum prepared by Deutsche Bank, which Forbes has tasked ...

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The Newsonomics of the Digital-Only Paywall Parade

How much do top-echelon journalists need media brands? How much do brands need top-echelon journalists? The timing of pay initiatives from Andrew Sullivan and from The Daily Beast will provide a great picture into those questions. One way we’ll see how that contest goes is in comparing the ...

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Nine Questions on Gannett Branding, Patch Widgeting, Stewart Becking, Bloomberg Viewing and Sunday Selling

Am I the only one who doesn't get Gannett's branding campaign? Yes, the Gannett math -- $33 million saved in furloughs, as much as $27 million potentially to be granted in exec bonuses -- seems sadly clueless, but what about the money the company has spent on its branding campaign. New logo and ...

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The Newsonomics of News in a Diversified World

News Corp.'s Avatar has taken in $2.75 billion. Compare that financial flexibility with the Times, and it’s night and day. The Times Co.’s total 2009 revenues: $2.4 billion, less than Avatar itself has produced.

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If “Weekly” is So Yesterday, How Do We Explain These Round-Ups

The conventional wisdom (to borrow an old phrase iconized by Newsweek): weekly reading bio-rhythms are dead; it's a 24-/7 news world and let's get on with it. One problem: the human brain.

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Non-Profit Newsweek?

It's a great blurring of lines, one of many. In journalism, in news, the divide between profit and non- ain't what it used to be -- and may not be again.

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Nine Questions on Newsweek’s Future: Beltway Blues, Semi-Wonkiness and ‘What Would Arianna Do’?

Isn't it time to get a little interactive? Take Conventional Wisdom Watch (major riff on conventional wisdom over at New Republic), an enduring editorial classic measuring the political zeitgeist. It's iconic -- and readers could play along submitting their own, crowdsourcing, inventing and ...

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Who Would Buy Newsweek?

In an age of hot and loud debate, amplified by cable TV and the web, Newsweek's cool demeanor may simply be out of time and out of place. If it gets sold, it's hard to believe that much other than the brand will long survive, as the economics under it are badly wounded. Look for it, ...

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New “Have It Your Way” Publishing on the Way

What's important is getting quickly beyond that first edition we've all been trained to concentrate on and onto the infinite editions that we and our audiences can now create using the journalism already created. More knowledge, more products and more sources of revenue. That's a new virtuous ...

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