Newsweek's hazy future (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

Washington Post ^ | May 6, 2010 | Howard Kurtz

[abb]

Can Newsweek magazine survive?

The answer is that no one, including the people who work there, knows for sure.

With yesterday's bombshell announcement that The Washington Post Co. is putting the magazine up for sale, Time remains the last newsmagazine standing. U.S. News & World Report has long since gotten out of the print weekly business.

Now a perfectly fine buyer may emerge, but it seems a foregone conclusion that Newsweek at best will be a shriveled version of its former self. In fact, some people think that's already the case.

Don Graham, the Post Co. chief executive, told me it was a difficult decision to sell the magazine that his father acquired in 1961 -- the sale was brokered by Ben Bradlee, then JFK's pal and Newsweek's Washington bureau chief -- but harder, obviously, for the people who work there.

Bradlee told me last night: "I hate to see any change because I was so involved with Newsweek. I loved it. It gave me my first shot. It was a great magazine. It is a great magazine."

But, he added, "nobody says you have to keep a magazine that is costing an arm and a leg. I understand why Don put it on the market. Someone's going to run it, I think."

Almost exactly one year ago, Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham was telling me that deliberately cutting its circulation in half -- from what had been a high of 3.1 million to 1.5 million -- would not destroy the money-losing magazine. He and his staff had decided to go upscale. The question, he said, involved advertisers: "Will they accept a more affluent Newsweek demographic, given that they've been acculturated all these years to think of us as a mass vehicle?" The answer is now apparent.

snip

[Caipirabob]

Placing your nose knee deep up commie derriere is hardly a viable business model...

[Red Badger]

Howard knows it’s only a question of TIME..................

[Will88]

It would never occur to these people to put out an objective news magazine that just presented facts and left interpretation to their readers.

[xp38]

Here ya go toots

[abb]

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20100504/BREAKING01/100504071/Advertiser+employees+to+be+laid+off+by+July+17
Advertiser employees to be laid off by July 17

http://www.wordyard.com/2010/05/03/no-more-bouncers-at-the-journalism-club-door/#more-2399
Here’s my take: You’re doing journalism when you’re delivering an accurate and timely account of some event to some public.

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/abc/john_mckenzie_leaving_abc_news_160631.asp
John McKenzie Leaving ABC News

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Magazines_22/WashPost-We-re-shedding-Newsweek.asp
WashPost: We’re shedding Newsweek

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0515929520100505
As media results improve, investors lose interest

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-05-05/jeff-zucker-for-senate/full/
Jeff Zucker for Senate?

http://www.newsok.com/the-oklahoman-announces-reductions/article/3459080?custom_click=masthead_topten
The Oklahoman announces reductions

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/forestwebs_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004088689
U.S. Newsprint Consumption Continues to Fall

[Thurston_Howell_III]

Buh Bye!

[Rocky]

Good riddance. What an awful, liberal rag.

[KC_Conspirator]

Newsweak is so biased its not even funny. From about 2003 it has been one weekly attack/lie against Bush and Republicans and a cheerleader for Obama and the democraps.

[JeffChrz]

Newsweak is too big to fail!

What will I read at the Dentist office if they fail?

Your dentist office throws out old magazines? How odd.

[dangerdoc]

Rush was joking about buying it yesterday.

[Cyber Ninja]

[Nateman]

Godd riddance.

[Jack Hydrazine]

Keith Olbermann will save it!

[junta]

Remember the cover story, “Is your baby racist?” (picture of adorable white baby) This mental illness masquerading as high liberal fashion has a smaller audience than they thought.

[Lee N. Field]

Now a perfectly fine buyer may emerge, but it seems a foregone conclusion that Newsweek at best will be a shriveled version of its former self.

"Yo. Clue time. It's already that."

Will Newsweak last? Don't care, myself.

[abb]

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/05/1926401/a-dozen-employees-cut-from-star.html
A dozen employees cut from Star payroll

[hinckley buzzard]

Couldn't happen to a nastier bigot than Jon Meacham. "Upscale." Right. I saw a current copy in the barbershop today. Hillary Clinton on the cover (there's something innovative and new for you) and a flimsy ad-starved page count. Inside, an anti-Christian anti-republican rant by Meacham. Same ol, same ol'. Good riddance.

[abb]

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/newsweek-is-for-sale-heres-why-rupert-murdoch-should-buy-it/19467309
Why Rupert Murdoch Buy Newsweek

http://www.thebigmoney.com/blogs/goodnight-gutenberg/2010/05/06/its-not-economist-stupid?page=full
It’s Not the Economist, Stupid

[SkyPilot]