Comments on: The tragedy on 43rd street http://www.neptunuslex.com/2007/10/19/the-tragedy-on-43rd-street/ The unbearable lightness of Lex. Enjoy! Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:48:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Flatlander http://www.neptunuslex.com/2007/10/19/the-tragedy-on-43rd-street/comment-page-1/#comment-415663 Flatlander Sat, 20 Oct 2007 14:23:24 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2007/10/19/the-tragedy-on-43rd-street/#comment-415663 From a business perspective, the media industry has of course been getting more and more crowded and more and more competitive for a long time. So the traditional participants, like the NYT, are faced with the reality that they need to define their role and their niche more and more tightly to stay relevant to SOME group large enough to matter. The Wall Street journal stands like a stone wall to their right on editorial policy and completely owns the business space, leaving them with a big blue state local market to pander to editorially, along with 'arts and books'. Abandoning "all the news that's fit to print" was probably inevitable, as they retreat deeper and deeper into their niche. Increasingly their coverage is defined by their orientation and the interests of their blue readership. The first draft of history? Noble, but it doesn't sell. From a business perspective, the media industry has of course been getting more and more crowded and more and more competitive for a long time.

So the traditional participants, like the NYT, are faced with the reality that they need to define their role and their niche more and more tightly to stay relevant to SOME group large enough to matter.

The Wall Street journal stands like a stone wall to their right on editorial policy and completely owns the business space, leaving them with a big blue state local market to pander to editorially, along with ‘arts and books’.

Abandoning “all the news that’s fit to print” was probably inevitable, as they retreat deeper and deeper into their niche. Increasingly their coverage is defined by their orientation and the interests of their blue readership.

The first draft of history? Noble, but it doesn’t sell.

]]> By: jon spencer http://www.neptunuslex.com/2007/10/19/the-tragedy-on-43rd-street/comment-page-1/#comment-415662 jon spencer Sat, 20 Oct 2007 10:27:03 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2007/10/19/the-tragedy-on-43rd-street/#comment-415662 "Don’t look at me. I’ve got a job." I seem to remember that you will soon be unemployed and available. : “Don’t look at me. I’ve got a job.”

I seem to remember that you will soon be unemployed and available. :

]]> By: david foster http://www.neptunuslex.com/2007/10/19/the-tragedy-on-43rd-street/comment-page-1/#comment-415661 david foster Sat, 20 Oct 2007 04:09:01 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2007/10/19/the-tragedy-on-43rd-street/#comment-415661 Incumbent companies generally don't do too well when faced with a disruptive technology. (This phenomenon has been very well analyzed by Christensen & Raynor in a book which I review <a href="http://photoncourier.blogspot.com/2004_05_01_photoncourier_archive.html#108533291035399783" rel="nofollow">here</a>.) It would have taken brilliant and courageous management to bring NYT through the current situation without severe bruising--and I've seen no evidence that their current management is either. Plus, they've made it worse than it had to be via their political posturing. Incumbent companies generally don’t do too well when faced with a disruptive technology. (This phenomenon has been very well analyzed by Christensen & Raynor in a book which I review here.) It would have taken brilliant and courageous management to bring NYT through the current situation without severe bruising–and I’ve seen no evidence that their current management is either. Plus, they’ve made it worse than it had to be via their political posturing.

]]> By: ELP http://www.neptunuslex.com/2007/10/19/the-tragedy-on-43rd-street/comment-page-1/#comment-415660 ELP Fri, 19 Oct 2007 22:21:28 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2007/10/19/the-tragedy-on-43rd-street/#comment-415660 NYT= lap dog for the dems. NYT= lap dog for the dems.

]]> By: rpl http://www.neptunuslex.com/2007/10/19/the-tragedy-on-43rd-street/comment-page-1/#comment-415659 rpl Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:53:22 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2007/10/19/the-tragedy-on-43rd-street/#comment-415659 jpr, don't invest in this; as the old saying goes, it's a dog with fleas. jpr, don’t invest in this; as the old saying goes, it’s a dog with fleas.

]]> By: jpr http://www.neptunuslex.com/2007/10/19/the-tragedy-on-43rd-street/comment-page-1/#comment-415658 jpr Fri, 19 Oct 2007 18:23:54 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2007/10/19/the-tragedy-on-43rd-street/#comment-415658 Who knows, maybe what's happening is enough to seriously jolt the shareholders to drop that "dual class" stock structure that protect the Sulzbergers and usher in new management, and better editorial direction. The Times has to adjust the, uh, times. Too, I have some available cash in one of my 401ks, maybe I'll snap up some of their stock... Who knows, maybe what’s happening is enough to seriously jolt the shareholders to drop that “dual class” stock structure that protect the Sulzbergers and usher in new management, and better editorial direction. The Times has to adjust the, uh, times.

Too, I have some available cash in one of my 401ks, maybe I’ll snap up some of their stock…

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