Is Rupert Murdoch’s “Sunday Times” experiment a total failure?

Why would I get any of my clients to talk to The Times or The Sunday Times if they are behind a paywall? Who can see it? I can’t even share a link and they aren’t on search. It’s as though their writers don’t exist anymore.
An A-list entertainment publicist, via an informant for Newser dude Michael Wolff • Discussing the fate of News Corp.’s paywall model for their London-owned newspapers, The Times and The Sunday Times. Apparently, according to Wolff, it’s so bad that people who subscribe to the physical paper no longer use the Web site. Unfortunately, there are no firm numbers here. But let’s just say that putting everything behind a paywall with no free content simply doesn’t work. source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

We’ve been following the Newser/the wrap tiff with great interest. Because we find the whole thing silly. Today, the conflict took a turn for the insane, with poor Howard Kurtz right in the middle. As fellow ShortFormers, we agree with Michael Wolff’s ideals, but the problem lies with his execution. There’s no respect for the content. (Although we feel Sharon Waxman’s rules of the road are a bit extreme.)

the conflict First off, we want to encourage everyone to go to Mediaite for more context. (Their clips are great. Their embeds, not so much. Please fix this, guys. We love you!) Anyway, it’s clear what’s happening here. Waxman asks for something reasonable (fair attribution that encourages further reading on her site). Wolff bites her head off. Ouch!
Newser‘s Goals Recently, Wolff was trying to make his arguments about the shortening of content on GRITtv, and on their face, we totally agree with them. Problem is, it seems like he’s done this in a self-serving way. Look, Michael, we like short, too, but respect the sites you’re pulling from. In the long term, this lack of respect only hurts you.
The Wrap‘s goals This promotional video made near the time of The Wrap’s launch shows similarly lofty goals for Waxman’s brand of entertainment journalism. Seems to us there’s room for both Waxman’s ideas and Wolff’s. The problem, it seems to us, is that Newser seems to lack respect for Waxman’s work. Yo, Michael – make deals, not enemies.

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

the wrap Sharon Waxman, pissed about
lack of credit on summarized stories, legally pressures Newser.
newser Michael Wolff won’t back down, claims it’s a PR grab; they’ll both be on CNN Sunday. (42 words)

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

long Sharon Waxman of The Wrap complains about Newser summarizing her articles with scant credit (804 words).
short Michael Wolff’s Newser then summarizes her complaints in a much more concise format (133 words).
shorter We see the two of
them whining about attribution and decide
to one-up both of them (59 words). source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

Murdoch, at 78, doesn’t, practically speaking, have the time to see the online world into maturity—nor the intellectual interest to want to be part of the effort. Rather, his strategic effort may more logically be to slow it down.
Vanity Fair columnist and Newser co-founder Michael Wolff • Discussing Rupert Murdoch’s stance on online media and forcing consumers to pay for the news. Wolff suggests that Murdoch is old and probably isn’t thinking long-term about the industry at the moment, but short-term at his bank account. Murdoch owns enough of the media industry that people would notice if he started charging for some of it. • source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

16 Jul 2010 10:53