Althouse: "As much as anything, the Facebook deal is a concession by Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. that the paper's app strategy failed to produce the turnaround the company hoped for."

May 13, 2015

"As much as anything, the Facebook deal is a concession by Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. that the paper's app strategy failed to produce the turnaround the company hoped for."

"Now the Times is throwing its fate into Facebook's hands."

34 comments:

Etienne said...: Facebook has a huge database of users, and knows everything about them. It's a marketing mans wet dream.

They will know instantly which way to direct the Kardashian stories, or the other way with One Direction coverage.; 5/13/15, 9:44 AM
Michael K said...: "How does the Times protect the independence of its journalism, say, if the paper runs a hard-hitting investigation on Facebook? "

Small chance of that. Vanishingly small.; 5/13/15, 9:45 AM
JackWayne said...: It's the end f the world as we know it. And I feel fine.; 5/13/15, 10:00 AM
rhhardin said...: "The wholesale transfer of content sends a cold, dark chill down the collective spine of publishers, both traditional and digital insurgents alike" shows what you can make with cliche-helper.; 5/13/15, 10:10 AM
JAORE said...: The "crown jewels" mentioned are paste.; 5/13/15, 10:47 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: One of the millions of things I regret about my life is I never managed to acquire a taste for doing the New York Times crossword puzzle.; 5/13/15, 11:15 AM
damikesc said...: They already won't cover anything negative about Carlos Slim.

I love that the issue cannot be that the head of the company is an idiot who doesn't know what he's doing. It can NEVER be that.; 5/13/15, 11:19 AM
Sigivald said...: Jesus, can't the Times just go bankrupt already?; 5/13/15, 11:49 AM
Birches said...: They will know instantly which way to direct the Kardashian stories, or the other way with One Direction coverage.

Yep. My spouse's trending alerts and mine are completely different.I assume there's kickbacks involved in those stories that are highlighted. I refuse to click on any news link in fb, because I don't want the data point saved. So if someone posts something interesting, I'll google it instead. (Yeah, yeah I know, I'm trading one Surveillance Company in for another...); 5/13/15, 12:11 PM
Humperdink said...: The NYT is banking on Facebook for it's future?

That's laughable. In a few years there will be multiple FB clones and/or replacement type social media sites. Typical NYT - always behind the curve.

However, the biggest negative is that is will still be NYT content. That's the boat anchor.; 5/13/15, 12:13 PM
Smilin' Jack said...: From what I know of Sulzberger, I'm surprised he didn't go with MySpace.; 5/13/15, 12:39 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: Humperdink said...

However, the biggest negative is that is will still be NYT content. That's the boat anchor.

I don't see how you can justify that. Their subscriber loves their content!; 5/13/15, 12:39 PM
TreeJoe said...: I love that the paper of record cannot do a decent investigative article or expose on why the paper of record is being run out of business and continues to fail and flop around in it's death throes for years and years.; 5/13/15, 1:07 PM
Mary Beth said...: So they're heading in a direction of becoming a content provider like the AP or those people who send me spam emails telling me how they could write an article that would be perfect for my website.; 5/13/15, 1:07 PM
madAsHell said...: How did that other facebook millionaire, Chris Hughes do with The New Republic??; 5/13/15, 1:35 PM
traditionalguy said...: He should try using Twitter. that would keep the NYT writers to the point.; 5/13/15, 1:51 PM
Sebastian said...: ""How does the Times protect the independence of its journalism, say, if the paper runs a hard-hitting investigation on Facebook? ""

In the same way it protected its political independence by running hard-hitting stories on Barry's college records, cocaine use, Amerikkan church, and Chicago buddies.; 5/13/15, 2:00 PM
kcom said...: They don't do hard stories. They do herd stories. Follow the liberal herd and don't ever stray of the trail.; 5/13/15, 2:35 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Their crossword puzzle app reviews talked me out of downloading it.; 5/13/15, 2:36 PM
Ann Althouse said...: What's wrong with the crossword puzzle app?

I use it. Seems fine.

I do the NYT crossword puzzle every day (and go back and do old puzzles too). The puzzles are just interesting/challenging enough to be really relaxing for me.; 5/13/15, 2:55 PM
Brando said...: This would be a huge deal if the Times had any credibility. At this point it's another desperate gamble to bring in revenue for a dying paper.

I don't know what the answer to journalism's financial woes is, but this can't be it.; 5/13/15, 2:58 PM
Humperdink said...: Humperdink said...

However, the biggest negative is that is will still be NYT content. That's the boat anchor.

Ignorance is Biss said ...

I don't see how you can justify that. Their subscriber loves their content!

Do tell. They lose money by the boatload. Their advertising income $$ are shrinking. They have been laying employees. Not sure of their subscriber base, but I would guess it is not on a meteoric rise.

OTOH, Carlos Slim must enjoy it.; 5/13/15, 3:02 PM
Humperdink said...: "The company also provides numbers for print subscribers for the first time in four years. Print subscribers for the M-F edition were 648,900 and 1.18m on Sundays in 2014. In 2010, the last time it provided this breakdown, the numbers were 906,100 for M-F and 1.35m on Sundays. A quick check of SEC filings shows that 10 years earlier, in 2004, the print circulation number for M-F was almost double that number at 1.12 million."

http://jimromenesko.com/2015/02/25/latest-new-york-times-sec-filing-gives-print-subscription-numbers/; 5/13/15, 3:07 PM
mccullough said...: This is a bad idea for Facebook.; 5/13/15, 3:11 PM
kcom said...: I use the pen and paper app for the Sunday Times crossword. Someone sends me a copy.; 5/13/15, 3:41 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: "What's wrong with the crossword puzzle app?"

A bunch of reviews gave it just one star.; 5/13/15, 3:54 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "A bunch of reviews gave it just one star."

I still don't know what's wrong with it. I use it every day and don't see any problems.; 5/13/15, 4:37 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Okay. I looked at the reviews. It's just people who don't like the PRICE of the subscription to the puzzles.; 5/13/15, 4:39 PM
Carol said...: It's a shame the NYT doesn't get some kind of subsidy. Look at the PBS Newshour, endlessly devoted to helpful stories that don't needlessly distract. Stories on global warming, the failures of our military and the plight of hapless Negroes and other brown peoples everywhere.

That works for PBS doesn't it?; 5/13/15, 5:12 PM
rhhardin said...: 1993 crossword puzzle from Imus - What's four letters beginning and ending with D describing Will Weng?; 5/13/15, 7:19 PM
Sydney said...: Will the headlines be written in Facebookese? "These twins sang a song, you won't believe what happened next..."; 5/13/15, 8:28 PM
David said...: Another half assed move by the New York Times. Pathetic.

It would be much more interesting if Facebook bought NYT.

Somebody will sometime in the next decade.

Fox would make for an interesting owner, eh?; 5/13/15, 8:37 PM
RecChief said...: I do the NYT crossword puzzle every day (and go back and do old puzzles too). The puzzles are just interesting/challenging enough to be really relaxing for me.

Ah, the insufferable Progressive humblebrag. Please go on, tell us more about brilliance that you pull out just for fun.; 5/14/15, 5:44 AM
Bad Lieutenant said...: Oh, she can, RecChief, she can and she will.; 5/14/15, 7:05 AM