Archive for May 3rd, 2008

Merrill Brown: Old media needs to wake up, or die

May 03rd, 2008 Comments(0)
Traditional media companies that refuse to invest in the Internet and withdraw into old business models are destined to fade away, opening the door for entrepreneurs to take advantage of the lack of innovation.

That was the message from Merrill Brown, a media consultant and former editor in chief of MSNBC.com who was speaking this morning at the Drilling Down on Local conference in Seattle.

Brown said that there are some examples of media companies — citing Seattle’s Fisher Communications’ recent purchase of Pegasus News — that are thinking creatively about the Internet. But he said the “macro trend” does not point to much innovation coming from traditional media.

Brown is especially skeptical about television, saying the business models for the big networks and their affiliates will make it difficult to make the transition. “For my money, they are treading water,” he said.

Brown also addressed the failure of the hyperlocal news site Backfence.com, saying the stock options he holds as a former board member are worth less than a glass of water.

Source: blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com via mtippett

Add Photos & Videos NP NowPublic

Tags: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Press Release: Sanjay Jha joins NowPublic as South Asia Bureau Chief

May 03rd, 2008 Comments(0)

Sanjay Jha has been appointed South Asia Bureau Chief at NowPublic. He will be based in Delhi, where he would be reporting on Indian and South Asian affairs. NowPublic is a participatory news network that showcases its platform for citizen journalism. Prior to this appointment, Jha was with the South Asian Bureau of The Guardian, based in Delhi.

Confirming Jha’s appointment, Leonard Brody, Co-Founder and CEO, NowPublic, said, “India, with the surrounding South Asian region, is an important market for NowPublic and participatory journalism. With a large population of tech early adopters and a vibrant news culture, NowPublic has already been exceptionally well received in the region. Sanjay Jha is an accomplished journalist and we expect that his involvement with NowPublic would allow us to break new ground in how South Asia news is collected and distributed – regionally and globally.”

Jha said, “NowPublic has created the largest news gathering organisation in the world, effectively establishing a new model media company. I’m delighted to help facilitate the newsgathering for this region, which is rich in content and dialogue. NowPublic is the perfect platform for India and the region to engage in a global discourse about the affairs that matter most to each one of us.”

Jha had earlier worked as India Producer for the BBC, PBS, France 2 and the Danish Broadcasting Corporation. His special series, ‘India’s Promise’, was aired on PBS America. He also produced ‘Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts’, and a 4-episode documentary currently on BBC 3. Jha has also been associated with Aaj Tak. He has also been researching and writing on South Asian affairs covering media, business, government affairs and human interest stories.

Source: exchange4media.com via mtippett

Add Photos & Videos NP NowPublic

The old office

Tags: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |