Thursday, January 15, 2009

NY Times Blowing It, Should Join TV Biz

That's the headline of the opinion paper I'd write if I were an NYTimes columnist. NYTimes.com is making some nice digital programming, mostly documentary video treatments of some reporter's news story. Of course they're also losing money like bastards trying to stay in the publishing biz. Here's how I think they should address their problems; problems that aren't going to get better if the Old Grey Lady doesn't learn a new god damn dance. Classic or not, the foxtrot is wack.

They should start marketing their digital videos, pitching series ideas to The Discovery Channel, and hiring more filmmaker/producers. They should also get some writers and reporters that are somewhat TV friendly, and they should build shows around this talent.

They should try to get high-quality video content in front of as many faces as possible; TV, Web, Mobile, DVD. They might have to sacrifice page views and let their content disseminate as freely as possible. Then they can figure out a way for the videos to unobtrusively carry sponsors (ignoring the rationale that a sponsored news video might somehow compromise the objectivity of the piece). Then, NY Times should make some 21st Century money.

I'm sure NY Times is already doing some of this, but get on with it. Do more of it better and faster. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think this could work.

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