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Forbes Layoffs Decimate Staff (FishbowlNY)
The bloodshed began in earnest at Forbes yesterday: 100 employees were let go from the billionaire listing magazine. There had been talk that the cuts were coming, but the scope of the job losses is greater than was anticipated. MediaJobsDaily: A partial list of fired staffers. NYT/Media Decoder: At least 40 people could be cut, while one source said the number could go as high as 60. Gawker: We're told the layoffs are hitting both the magazine and Web sides of the publication -- and that they're not yet done.
Observer Editor Leaving After 5 Months on Job (NYO)
Tom McGeveran announced to staff yesterday that he is leaving The New York Observer to start a new business venture. His last day at The Observer will be Dec. 31. McGeveran took over as editor in May, replacing Peter Kaplan. NYT: This year The Observer overhauled some of its sections and its Web site, began a weekly about commercial real estate, laid off a large fraction of its staff, increased its reliance on freelance journalists and moved toward shorter articles. NYP: The paper, which was losing about $2 million a year when Jared Kushner took over in July 2006, has not closed the gap and has continued to bleed red ink.
More Details on New Local D.C. Web Site (Politico)
Allbritton Communications Co. plans a staff of roughly 50 for the new Washington D.C. local news Web site, which will be helmed by Jim Brady and will share content with the two television stations. Launch is tentatively set for the spring. A name has not yet been chosen. HuffPo: Allbritton memo to staff about the site. WaPo: "You try to build a Web-site-first culture that operates on a 24-hour basis," said Brady. PaidContent: Brady says he has a clear idea of what he wants his new venture to be: replicable, digital and with a Web-only focus.
Sam Zell: No Newspapers Can Survive (Silicon Alley Insider)
When posed with the question of whether or not he regrets his Tribune deal, Sam Zell admitted, "It's certainly the most amount of money I ever lost in a single deal." He goes on to say that the entire newspaper industry, including Tribune, has seen a crash in revenue, and that "nobody can survive."
MSNBC Puts Search for 10 p.m. Show on Back Burner (AP)
MSNBC is much less likely to start a third prime-time news show because its executives are pleased with how well a repeat of Keith Olbermann's Countdown is doing at 10 p.m. ET. Reruns of Olbermann's 8 p.m. show have aired there since March 2008.
Esquire Flirts With Digital Reality (WSJ)
Hearst Corp.'s Esquire magazine will pepper its December issue with markers that trigger interactive video segments featuring cover subject Robert Downey Jr. and other actors, as well as an ad for Lexus. In doing so, Esquire is taking advantage of an emerging technology called augmented reality. AP: Esquire's top editors are clearly enthused about the new technology. "I felt like a caveman seeing fire for the first time," says David Curcurito, the magazine's art director.
Bon Appétit Benefits From Gourmet's Demise (WWD)
When Gourmet closed, its readers received sister publication Bon Appétit to fulfill what was left of their Gourmet subscriptions. In January, Bon Appétit will use that sub file to help boost its rate base 15 percent, to 1.5 million from 1.3 million.
CBS New Media Chief Leaving (LAT)
After three years, two big acquisitions and one shift in corporate strategy, CBS said Wednesday that its chief of new media, Quincy Smith, was leaving in January to start his own advisory firm. The tenure of Smith, 38, provides a window into the shifting Internet strategies of CBS and other media companies. B&C: Smith talks about his new role at CBS, what the success of TV Everywhere depends on, and more.
Germany Looks at Ways to Protect Online Journalism (NYT)
As Angela Merkel begins her second term as chancellor of Germany, her government is promoting a novel way to help embattled newspaper and magazine publishers manage the transition to a digital future. The new governing coalition has pledged to create a new kind of copyright to protect online journalism.
Newsday Pay Wall Debuts -- With Most Stories Behind It (E&P)
As promised, Newsday launched its new pay wall site yesterday, which only allows full access for print subscribers of the newspaper and customers of its Cablevision sibling, Optimum Online. The site is clearly doing its best to make sure online readers know what they are missing.
Emily Miller Gets Gossip Column on PoliticsDaily.com (FishbowlDC)
Emily Miller's new gossip column, "Emily's Post" launched on PoliticsDaily.com yesterday. Miller, who's held gigs with ABC, NBC, for Condoleezza Rice, Tom DeLay, Rick Lazio and Colin Powell addresses her past in the press as well as her reputation as a "woman scorned" in the Jack Abramoff scandal in her debut column.
The Washington Monthly: 40 Years Old and on Solid Ground (CJR/The Kicker)
This week the Washington Monthly, the venerable journal of politics and ideas, turns 40. One thing the magazine has been famous for is its legion of alumni, who include Katherine Boo, James Fallows, and Jon Meacham, among many others.
Why Is the Media Defending Fox and Attacking Obama? (Salon)
Mike Madden: For now, both sides in the fight probably think they're winning. As long as that continues, don't expect to see a truce any time soon. Don't expect to see much change in the way the rest of the press handles it, either. It's not personal -- it's just business.
Newspapers Aren't Doing as Badly as You Think (Slate)
Daniel Gross: Chillax, people. At some point in the future, newspapers may disappear. But I can't help but think that many newspaper-doomsayers are conflating hope with analysis. This might be a case of making too much of a few numbers and ignoring some important ones.
The Value of Online Content: Practically Nothing (Folio:)
Jason Fell: Demand Media's strategy is to cut costs until they match market value for your content. It utilizes an algorithm system that mines search data, Internet traffic patterns and keyword rates to commission stories/videos based on what online users want to know and how much advertisers will pay for it.
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