DU’s interest in the wider topic of contemporary journalism ain’t going away. Especially when the beancounters who control US media persist in making decisions based upon short-term balance sheets rather than anything founded in journalism. It’s not just a commodity.
Adapting to competition from the Internet in a downward advertising cycle, the largest U.S.-based newsweeklies have adopted sharply different tactics for the future of their international editions – and none of them involves expansion.
Editors at Newsweek, Time and BusinessWeek emphasize their commitment to international coverage. Yet within the last month, staff reductions at Time and Newsweek and the outright closure of BusinessWeek’s international print edition will almost certainly reduce the amount of news and analysis of global affairs.
The wave of “cutbacks at these major U.S. news weeklies overseas is a significant event,” said Doug Arthur, a New York-based publishing analyst at Morgan Stanley. “You cannot help but see this as a major retreat.”
Of course, the larger discussion on how to run an economy pits the whole process of commoditization vs. national or societal interests. The slugs running our nation and commerce are loyal to only one flag. The one that’s green and has pictures of dead presidents — this week.
Which country’s currency is at play doesn’t really matter either.
Living overseas I sure have seen this.
There are times when MAJOR stories are reported by reporters not even in the country… but they put a live camera on them giving the impression that they know what they are talking about.
I see this as another victory for the Internet.
Every person connected to the Internet can connect to every newspaper posted on-line and judge for him/herself what is or is not important rather than going through the process of having reporters, then editors, then publishers decide what will be covered and how.
Why is capitolism so bad when it impacts journalists (intentionally without capital letter) but it is ok when it applies to the rest of us.
Interesting
Jim — I’ll give you the short comparisons:
Do you have your car worked on by a mechanic with terrific references — or the bargain basement assembly line that churns out sleazy work? Would you have a home built by a reputable contractor who takes pride in his work — or save a buck buying from the corporation dedicated to optimizing profits to the exclusion of advancing design and quality? Would you rather be treated by a doctor interested in being a great doctor — or the richest doctor in the country club?
Eideard, I think I would like to be treated by the richest doctor, because he got rich for some reason, and could that reason be that he is the best? People will vote with thier wallet, and if these news media are not making the money they want, they should take a look at why.
That is how capitolism works.