As the Wall Street Journal staffs up to broaden its appeal, bemusement here over the WSJ plan.
The focus on America seems odd. Is the U.S. crying out for a national newspaper? Won’t widening the WSJ offering necessarily reduce the business focus?
After all if you want to lose money with a conservative national daily – why not try the Washington Times? Maybe I’m missing something…
3 responses to “The mysterious Wall Street Journal”
Adrian,
Rupert Murdoch wants the Wall Street Journal to replace the NY Times as America’s premier general interest newspaper, and the setter of the “national conversation.” I believe it’s that simple and that bold. (Steve Boriss, The Future of News)
I take that point Steve, but I think it’s fighting yesterday’s war.
Adrian, So, let me take it one step further. In the U.S. today, there are essentially three main news outlets that determine the top stories and have a reputation, whether deserved or not, as the primary “news gatherers.” They are the NY Times, Wash Post, and AP. The rest of Old Media pretty much follow their lead, just like the blogs and everyone else. If you are a believer that “news gathering” is a sustainable business, separate from news aggregating, establishing yourself as a leading news gatherer provides a sustainable business model and a hub for spin-off news outlets.