Crovitz on WSJ: 80-20 editorial rule in 2007
ALSO: PAIDCONTENT NYC BASH: NO BUBBBLE, GOOD NEW MEDIA BUSINESS!
Gordon Crovitz, Publisher, The Wall Street Journal, and President, Consumer Media Group, Dow Jones, took to the stage this evening with Rafat Ali for a Q & A at paidContent's "Mixer" in NYC.
Ali continued his NYC mixer tradition of mixing good food and drink with good content; The paidContent inaugural NYC event last June featured a Q & A with Arthur Suzlberger, The New York Times (see "The New York Times Company has the 'dough' online").
Crovitz's comments were brief and hard to hear, as hundreds of enthusiastic new media party goers partied and networked on in the multi-room TNewYork lounge in midtown Manahttan while Ali queried Crovitz about WSJ strategy.
Photo by Donna Bogatin
Highlights:
Crovitz announced: A redesigned Wall Street Journal will launch on January 2, 2007.
Ali asked: Why should we care?
Crovitz quiped: The line for your digital party tonight was longer than the line for the Broadway show Hairspray!
Crovitz then reiterated the new 80-20 editorial rule that will govern WSJ editorial as of January 2, 2007, announced yesterday by Paul Steiger, managing editor:
We will continue to offer readers the news, insight and analysis they demand from the Journal, while pursuing more value-added coverage. In the past, about half of our news was exclusive in the sense of going beyond simply reporting yesterday's news. Our new goal is to move to 80% differentiated content, with just 20% dedicated to ensuring readers are aware of yesterday's key developments.
Crovitz hopes the WSJ print edition will be an "oasis of peace, calm and perspective" every morning.
What about WSJ online? Ali asked if a change in the paid subscription model is in the works. Crovitz quickly retorted:"We may raise our subscription prices!"
After his presentation, I asked Crovitz what he thought about the "Peanut Butter Manifesto." Crovitz said look to Yahoo for big changes; Timely, see "Yahoo changes" reported by fellow ZDNet blogger Larry Dignan.
ALSO: PAIDCONTENT NYC BASH: NO BUBBBLE, GOOD NEW MEDIA BUSINESS!