The Mediatwits podcast is sponsored by the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, which offers an intensive, cutting edge, three semester Master of Arts in Journalism; a unique one semester Advanced Certificate in Entrepreneurial Journalism; and the CUNY J-Camp series of Continuing Professional Development workshops focused on emerging trends and skill sets in the industry.
Welcome to the 20th episode of “The Mediatwits,” the weekly audio podcast from MediaShift. The co-hosts are MediaShift’s Mark Glaser and Rafat Ali, the one and only founder of PaidContent. This week is a special edition on newspapers, newspapers and more newspapers. First up, the Boston Globe launched its new pay-walled site, BostonGlobe.com, which is free for print subscribers but costs $3.99 per week for non-print subscribers. The old Boston.com site will look more cluttered and have less content from the paper. The special guest this week is Chris Mayer, publisher of the Globe, who talks about why they went with a two-site strategy, and how people will still be able to see Globe content if they come from social media or search links.
Next up is the move by the U.K. newspaper the Guardian, with its third attempt to take on the American market. The paper launched a new site, GuardianNews.com, helmed by Janine Gibson, and will be moving over star reporter Nick Davies as well as new hire Ana Marie Cox. Can they finally get a foothold in the States? And finally the Philadelphia newspapers and Philly.com are subsidizing an Android tablet for subscribers at $99 with a two-year subscription contract. Will people take up their offer?
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Intro and outro music by 3 Feet Up; mid-podcast music by Autumn Eyes via Mevio’s Music Alley.
Here are some highlighted topics from the show:
Intro
1:40: Update on Michael Arrington leaving TechCrunch
3:10: Big conflicts of interest at TechCrunch Disrupt
4:10: Rafat likes “retro” feel of print NY Times
5:15: Rundown of topics on the show
BostonGlobe.com pay wall
7:20: Rafat likes clean look of BostonGlobe.com
8:35: Special guest Chris Mayer, publisher of the Boston Globe
10:30: The split between two groups of Globe readers
15:40: Mayer: Readers appreciate advertising, as long as it’s not disruptive
18:20: Will BostonGlobe.com do a special app or stay out of App Store?
21:10: The Globe’s marketing push for its paid content
23:30: BostonGlobe.com will allow free reads of stories via social media and search without limits
25:45: Mark wonders if having two sites will really hurt the Globe
Guardian launches new U.S. site
26:20: Guardian moves Nick Davies stateside and hires Ana Marie Cox
28:20: Rafat impressed that they’re hiring 20 to 30 people
Philadelphia papers subsidize Android tablets
30:35: Get a $99 tablet if you subscribe for two years at $9.99 per month
32:40: Allows many possible advertising deals
34:45: Why we’re still watching moves by newspaper companies
More Reading
Four Observations (and Lots of Questions) on the Boston Globe’s Lovely New Paywalled Site at Nieman Journalism Lab
Boston Globe pioneers double website strategy as it erects paywall at the Guardian
Judgement Day: Does the Boston Globe’s paywall site have a chance in hell? at the Boston Phoenix
BostonGlobe.com, the pay site, now free until Oct. 1
The Guardian Launches a U.S. Homepage with a Special American U.R.L. at New York Observer
Nick Davies, Ana Marie Cox Join Guardian’s New U.S. Operation at Capital New York
The Guardian Launches in America at the Next Web
GuardianNews.com, the new U.S. site
Philly papers offering subscribers $99 Android tablet at CNET
Sound Familiar? Philadelphia Newspapers Subsidize A Tablet To Sell You A Subscription at Wired
Weekly Poll
Don’t forget to vote in our weekly poll, this time the best business model for metro newspapers:
Mark Glaser is executive editor of MediaShift and Idea Lab. He also writes the bi-weekly OPA Intelligence Report email newsletter for the Online Publishers Association. He lives in San Francisco with his son Julian. You can follow him on Twitter @mediatwit. and Circle him on Google+
The Mediatwits podcast is sponsored by the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, which offers an intensive, cutting edge, three semester Master of Arts in Journalism; a unique one semester Advanced Certificate in Entrepreneurial Journalism; and the CUNY J-Camp series of Continuing Professional Development workshops focused on emerging trends and skill sets in the industry.
