Should the Ivy League Buy The New York Times?

•  
  rgingras05/05/08 Report as spam
  1

  Out with the old models, in with the new

  First, to the extent that the future of journalism is reliant on funding/acquisition of news publishers by public or non-profit sources, we will have failed. The future of journalism should not be based on artificially-reinforced ivory towers of institutional journalism. It is a particularly ludicrous notion in the context of the web which has effectively put the printing press in the hands of all. Are we suffering a painful transition from institution-based media to some new form of organic journalism? Yes. But let's focus on how to evolve the new models, not prop up the old.
  
  Second, major american newspapers put the handcuffs on themselves when they went to the equity markets and cashed out significant parts of their holdings. They took the money and now they must respect their shareholders who have every right to demand protection of their asset value as the newspaper properties decline. Arthur Sulzberger has no desire to sell the Times and he probably won't have to. However, he will likely be pushed to sell all the remaining assets. Then maybe he can take the NY Times back into private hands and operate it as he sees fit with profit margins as high or low as he and his family are willing to accept.

•  
  hotweir05/05/08 Report as spam
  2

  I agree...

  ...with you, good sir. I also do not think the proposal has an ice cube,s chance in Hell,s Kitchen to ever come to reality.