It’s a little vague on some points, but this Newsonomics post is the first I’ve read in a long time about making money via publishing news that seems to be within a couple of miles of the mark. Oh, sure, it’s also a little gimmicky, with its 1,2,3,4 shtick [i.e., one brand, two revenue streams (ads and people), three products (print, computer and mobile) and 4G (faster connectivity)]. But the explanations of those bullet points are generally smart and deep, viz. this from the brand section:
Steve Jobs’ tablet-launching assertion that search is so yesterday was part sales pitch, part prophecy. The app is nothing if not the re-ascendance of brand, encapsulated in a few pixels. These tiny apps — from ESPN, The Atlantic, Time, the Guardian, and Berliner Morgenpost to The Boston Globe, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal — all convey new promise. That promise has found a business model — all-access — to accompany. After years of wandering in the wilderness of customer confusion and self-doubt, news companies are saying: “You know us, you know our brand; you value us. Pay us once and we’ll get you our stuff wherever, whenever, however you want it”. Call it “entertainment everywhere” or “news anywhere,” or “TV Everywhere,” major media are now re-training their core audiences to expect — and pay for — ubiquity.
John Mecklin, writer/editor 