Digital publishing news for October 31, 2013
It looks like Time Inc. CEO, Joe Ripp is at it again. It’s been revealed that People magazine will produce a two-hour special in a joint venture with Dick Clark Productions. New York Post’s Keith J. Kelly writes, “It’s not the first time a popular magazine has tried to make the leap into TV, and over the years most of the shows, including some early tries by People, have foundered. This one is being run entirely by TV people, with People’s editors expected to play only behind the scenes roles for the most part.”
We don’t know many details about what type of production it will be but Kelly reports that, “NBC is believed to be paying several million for rights to the show that will highlight the Biggest Phenomenon of 2014, the Most Stylish Person, the Funniest Person and the Sexiest Woman of 2014.” Joe Ripp’s Time Inc. has been been making moves ever since he was named CEO.
Barnes & Noble Releases New E-Reader
The AP is reporting that Barnes & Noble has released a new e-reader called the Nook GlowLight. Anick Jesdanun writes, “Barnes & Noble’s new e-reader, Nook GlowLight, is available in its retail stores and online starting Wednesday for $119, the same as the standard model of Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle Paperwhite reader. At 6.2 ounces, the GlowLight is 15 percent lighter than the Paperwhite. It’s also ad-free, while Amazon charges $20 more for a Paperwhite without ads on its screensaver or home screen.”
Barnes & Noble was thought to be getting out of the device business but now their mission seems to become the makers of the best e-readers. Jesdanum adds, “In an interview this week, Mahesh Veerina, chief operating officer for the company’s Nook Media business, said Barnes & Noble will be looking to make devices that enhance the reading experience, as opposed to building an all-purpose device.”
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Mashable’s New Chief Content Officer
The New York Times is reporting that Jim Roberts has been named executive editor and chief content officer at Mashable. Leslie Kaufman writes, “Mashable’s announcement comes as many digital websites are looking to deepen their content by adding professional journalists in foreign bureaus and on investigative teams. Mr. Roberts spent much of his career at The New York Times, where he most recently served as assistant managing editor before taking a company buyout in January. He then worked briefly at Reuters. In both jobs, Mr. Roberts championed a digital strategy that included using interactive tools, social media and video to augment traditional storytelling techniques.” I wonder if we’ll see more people from the old guard of publishing make the jump to new media outlets?
Restructuring Takes Places at Consumer Reports
Problems have plagued Consumer Reports over the past few years. The website wasn’t working, the demographic was hard to meet and the competitors were arising.
Many changes have taken place at Consumer Reports and some light may be seen at the end of the tunnel.
In an article on JimRomensko.com, spokesperson Hackett says, “It’s really more than just changing the magazine. As an organization, we recognize that the way that consumers receive and process information has changed. Our information products are a manifestation of our mission, and we have done some deep self-examination to ensure that we are meeting consumer needs in the best possible way that we can. This involves looking externally as well as taking a close look at our staff, structure, processes, inputs, and outputs and making some changes and adjustments to ensure that Consumer Reports is well positioned to effectively fulfill our mission in a way that is impacting the most consumers possible.”
This was an interesting article and publishers who are changing their product offerings with the changing times will appreciate it.
