[LINK] Shirky: Murdoch's Times paywall is pretty much like all the other paywalls

[Stilgherrian]

On 11/11/2010, at 2:29 PM, David Goldstein wrote:
> Rather, one should look at his portfolio - The Times, Sunday Times, Wall Street 
> Journal and Australian. All of these are leading news newspapers in their 
> markets. And he's probably the only person willing to invest in newspapers. It 
> doesn't mean you have to like what he does, but he is spending money on them.
> 
> And none of the abovementioned newspapers are entertainment sheets. Indeed, 
> recent articles in both The Guardian and The Observer say he saved one of The 
> Times and Sunday Times from closure and probably saved the other - I can't 
> recall which way round it was.

What Mr Murdoch is after with those loss-making and marginally-profitable newwspapers is influence.

What's written in broadsheet papers still sets much of the media's agenda. Indeed, there have recently been criticisms of the ABC here in Australia because it allegedly follows The Australia's analysis too often. I have no idea whether that's true or not, but one analysis of the ABC following the 2007 election was that it's essentially centre-right in its news coverage.

Stil


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