Thursday, August 09, 2007

Newspapers and the Great Sucking Sound

In which I highlight two stories about the news biz:
  • The New York Times paywall is crumbling: very good news? You're cheering? "Very bad news," says Michael O'Hare, "stop cheering" (link). Sure, it means you'll get free access to Maureen, for the moment. But the real point is that not even the Times can figure out how to make money in the news biz. "Enjoy your free Times Select while it lasts, folks," says Michael, "that sound you just heard was not the triumph of free information over selfish profiteers, it was the sound of the iceberg opening up four or five compartments below the waterline.

  • Meanwhile Michelle Leder, who wades thorugh all those securities filings, has hit upon a story that perhaps needs more attention than it has received (link). It's about Gannett, the chain of chains, trading near its ten-year low. Michelle finds that they've adopted a "Transition Compensation Agreement," (link) aka provision for rats who want to leave a sinking ship.

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