Tag: newspapers

A new, built-from-the-ground-up news organization funded by founder of E-Bay

News broke this week that the founder of E-Bay is starting a news organization with major involvement by the reporter who broke so many stories about the NSA spying fiasco.

It will be a brand new, digital-only, full-scope media outlet. Plans are it will cover news, sports, and business in addition to hard-hitting investigative journalism.

Will be funded with an initial $250 million dollar investment.

Pierre Omidyar, the founder of E-Bay, was one of the people shopped as a possible buyer for The Washington Post earlier this year. Jeff Bezos bought the Post for reported $250 million.

Another frontier is open.

Mr. Omidyar decided to put the money he would have otherwise used to buy the Post into something completely new.

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Looks like newspapers are available for purchase with pocket change – if you have humongous pockets

Amazing. The Boston Globe was sold for a negative sales price. The Washington Post is purchased by an individual for his personal portfolio.

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Here’s what falling off a cliff looks like – inflation adjusted newspaper ad revenue

As usual, Dr. Mark Perry has the best graphs.

In Newspaper Ad Revenues Fall to 60-Yr. Low in 2011, he graphs advertising revenue for newspapers on an inflation adjusted basis from 1950 through 2010 (actual) with projection for 2011 through third quarter.

Wow.  So that is what it looks like for an entire industry to fall off a cliff.

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Fighting against overwhelming change is like taking a stand in quicksand

The change around us, in media, the flood of information, book publishing, nanotechnology, education, the economy in general, and even awareness of bad effects of poorly done international aid, is overwhelming.

In his post When the world changes… , Seth Godin says:

The history of media and technology is an endless series of failed rearguard actions as industry leaders attempt to solidify their positions on a bed of quicksand.

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Possible financial model for on-line newspapers?

Clay Shirky has an intriguing idea on how newspapers might adapt to the net – threshold paywall. You pay for over a certain number of page views – Newspapers, Paywalls, and Core Users

Underlying issue is the traditional newspaper model is a bundle – some local news generated by the paper, purchased national news, sports, comics, horoscope, Ann Landers, coupons, and classifieds.

People will pay a little for the bundle.  Bad experiences by several papers show that few people will pay to get through a paywall for the bundle.  The likely reason is that if you want just the horoscopes, or just national news, or just sports, there is far too much free stuff.

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