kibboko.com

Personalisation of newspaper websites is a tricky business. One of the best is kibboko.com where the old thumbs up and thumbs down navigates you quickly through the legion of stories available.

Magazines galore

Most of the major magazine companies are collaborating to create an onine newsstand, according to a published report. Now if we all just had time to peruse that newsstand. That's what was so great about the brands that had been created already --we knew what brands we wanted before we knew exactly what we wanted from them.
It's great that they will all be on a digital platform so that an individuated search function can find stories of sympatico across the brands. Will they charge by the story? Not sure. Here's what the New York Observer story said:
"The formation of a new company to run the online newsstand -- sometimes characterized as an 'iTunes for magazines' -- may be announced in early December. Time, Conde Nast, Hearst, and Meredith all intend to be equity partners in the new company, although the deals have not yet been signed.
"In the face of slumping print circulation for many magazines, the publishing houses are eager to exert some control over digital readership, said people at the companies, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about the plans.
"In other media sectors, rivals have already formed joint ventures for the Web. Several television networks are stakeholders in Hulu, an online television and film Web site. Some music labels are partners in Vevo, a music video site powered by YouTube that will make its debut next month.
"The new magazine company would, in theory, make it easy to buy print and electronic copies of magazines like The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, Esquire, and Better Homes and Gardens from a single Web site. While mostly leaving the hardware to others, the alliance of competing publishers would develop software standards for magazine viewing on iPhones, BlackBerrys, e-book readers and other platforms, people familiar with the plans said.
"The New York Observer reported Tuesday that the Time Inc. executive John Squires would become the new outfit's interim chief executive while the partners look for a permanent head. In June, the Time Inc. chairmwoman Ann Moore gave Mr. Squires the responsibility of creating a digital road map for the company.
" 'It's increasingly clear that finding the right digital business model is crucial for the future of our business,' Ms. Moore said in a memorandum at the time. She added, 'We need to develop a strategy for the portable digital world and to refine our views on paid content.' "

Murdoch and BING versus GOOGLE

Rupert Murdoch, who owns the Wall Street Journal, the London Times and is chairman of the multimedia News Corp., has fired a salvo across the bow of Google by insinuating he may make an exclusive deal with Microsoft's Bing for his content.
I've often thought that breaking news creators -- newspapers, radio, teleision and sundry websites -- should create a "live story" site and search tool, because of the innate differences between research and timely content.

Yes, boy meets grill

Jeff Kline is the president of a software company, Accrisoft, who understands where media is headed before it gets there. His most recent blog underscores the reality of individuated news. Under the title "Boy Meets Grill" he explains how social media helped him chose a key retail purchase, not traditional media or advertising: Read it all.

Can Individuated News count for circ?

You betcha.
Scott Hanson, SVP electronic & centralized audit services for the Audit Bureau of Circulations, has endorsed Individuated News home printed reports as unique editions of newspapers, which means that the reports count the same as paid and delivered editions of he daily newspaper.
Here is a transcript of the letter dated Oct. 30, 2009, referring to the tests of individuated editions of the Denver Post: "Right now, you do not need to do anything differently, we would qualify the Individuated News as a Unique Edition of the Denver Post."
So newspapers can grow their topline circulation with Indivduated News. That's great news.

No more walled gardens

On Nov. 8, 2009, The New York Times reported that the mass killer Hasan was a nut case and, on the same day, the London Times reported that Hasan was associated with 9/11. So who do you believe? Which news do you choose? Prince or pauper, princess or pauper, none of us live in a walled garden of media any more. You are free to pick your landscape. If you want various flowers in your garden, all the better.

News readership up and down

So today Scarborough reports healthy newspaper readership. That is 74 percent of the American population read a newspaper in print or online every week: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004043293.
Whereas last week ABC reported a 10 percent drop in newspaper readership in 2009.
(Of course, ABC counts newspapers sold; Scarborough counts newspapers read.)
Meanwhile researcher NPD says spending on media is up 7% year over year to an average $115 per household. That includes 29 percent of households that have newspapers and 41 percent that have magazines: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i6b92ac9c285d01765e337338f9028ec4
What news do you choose?