What will save the Newspaper Industry?
February 2, 2008 – 5:34 pmAnswer. Fire your entire board and replace them with individuals who are internet experts.
Marc Andreessen’s post on the New York Times says it all.
Well, given that the Internet is the central force dismantling the company’s [The New York Times] business, I’m sure that by now they’ve stocked their board with noted Internet experts. Let’s see:
- Brenda C. Barnes — CEO of Sara Lee; noted snack cake expert
- Raul E. Cesan — former CEO of Schering-Plough; noted Levitra expert
- Daniel H. Cohen — president of DeepSee LLC, “an oceanic exploration and submarine leasing company”; noted Jacques Cousteau expert
- Lynn G. Dolnick — former head of exhibits for the National Zoologic Park in Washington DC; noted marsupial expert
- Michael Golden — current publisher of the International Herald Tribune; former head of the company’s Women’s Publishing Division; noted sundress expert
- William E. Kennard — former head of the FCC; noted “seven dirty words” expert
- James M. Kilts — former CEO of Gillette; noted smooth, smooth shave expert; prior to that, unindicted coconspirator at Philip Morris; noted expert on your grandfather’s hacking cough
- David E. Liddle — here I have to take a pause as I actually know this one; based on what’s happening at the company, it could be reasonably asked whether he’s actually attending the board meetings.
- Ellen R. Marram — former CEO of Nabisco; noted Oreo expert. Oh, wait, she actually ran an Internet company: “From 1999 until 2000, Ms. Marram was president and chief executive officer of efdex Inc. (the Electronic Food & Drink Exchange), an Internet-based commodities exchange for the food and beverage industry.” Ooh. I wonder if that ended well.
- Thomas Middelhoff — former CEO of Bertelsmann; noted expert on complicated family politics — well, that’s probably coming in handy…
- Janet L. Robinson — current CEO of the New York Times Company; noted expert on horrific business implosions
- Doreen A. Toben — CFO of Verizon; noted 30-year debenture expert
- And finally, Arthur O. Sulzberger, Jr. — the Big Kahuna — the Man — the Guy In Charge — the chairman and scion — the dude with the cojones to actually defend Judy Miller. Not noted Internet expert.
So, if you want to issue bonds to pay for FCC-approved snack cake manufacturing in a submarine on display at a national park by a sundress-wearing cigarette-puffing Levitra-popping Judy Miller, you’re pretty much set.
What would you tell the newspapers to do that would help save them?
3 Responses to “What will save the Newspaper Industry?”
tell them to stop trashing the Real estate Market just to sell newspapers!!
By Tim Corcoran on Feb 2, 2008
When they start reporting real news and not their political agenda. Most major newspaper and networks are way too far left. And they will continue to lose more and more until they wake up and realize that only a small majority of people in this country believe the same as them.
By Chris Frantz on Feb 2, 2008
its not easy to teach an old dog new tricks.
By Merritt Noel on Feb 5, 2008