For anybody who has followed the news over the past few years (probably on a computer), the long-awaited demise of newspapers shouldn't come as much of a surprise. But on Wednesday, the bell tolled once again for the printed word when the University of Southern California's Annenberg Center for the Digital Future offered a prophecy: Within five years, only four major daily papers will continue in print form.
Is the American recovery fast or slow? Depends on who you ask. The Wall Street Journal sees corporate America merrily rolling along while Main Street suffers. The New York Times warns that Wall Street is about to feel the pinch too. But nobody is all that optimistic about Greece today.
It's unseemly when one of the nation's biggest news outlets drops a wad of cash on one political party. But when you get down to it, News Corp.'s donation to the Republican Governors Association is no worse than business as usual.
"I don't do predictions," said Arianna Huffington at a panel discussion Tuesday, although she actually does, quite enthusiastically. But perhaps she shouldn't, given her difficulty sticking to the facts of the present.
Verbal bullets were flying Monday at a launch event for the Journal's New York City metro section. Managing Editor Robert Thomson accused the Times of alienating readers with biased reporting and risking its reputation by outsourcing some news gathering.
The News Corp. chairman's strategy for crippling rival Google has been more orchestrated than it seemed, a profile in this week's New York magazine reveals. And lest you doubt his intentions, Murdoch even named his effort after one of Julius Caesar's conquests for the Roman Empire.
Mort Zuckerman wants to have more say in government. Rupert Murdoch wants to stop losing money on the New York Post. Their problems may have a common solution. Could selling Murdoch the Daily News garner Zuckerman his fellow mogul's backing for a bid for a U.S. Senate seat?
