Comments on: Newsweek’s Failed Strategy http://www.digitaltonto.com/2010/newsweeks-failed-strategy/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:23:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Greg http://www.digitaltonto.com/2010/newsweeks-failed-strategy/comment-page-1/#comment-3378 Greg Sat, 15 May 2010 03:58:53 +0000 http://www.digitaltonto.com/?p=1748#comment-3378 Bruce, You make a good point that I glossed over. Meacham's <em>Newsweek</em> just wasn't very engaging editorially (I've never been an editor so I stay away from journalistic critiques). Trevor Butterworth of Forbes made a similar point in a head to head comparison between <em>Newswee</em>k and <em>The Economist</em>. You can find it here: http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/11/jesus-newsweek-media-magazine-opinions-columnists-trevor-butterworth.html Thanks a lot for your comment. - Greg Bruce,

You make a good point that I glossed over. Meacham’s Newsweek just wasn’t very engaging editorially (I’ve never been an editor so I stay away from journalistic critiques).

Trevor Butterworth of Forbes made a similar point in a head to head comparison between Newsweek and The Economist. You can find it here: http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/11/jesus-newsweek-media-magazine-opinions-columnists-trevor-butterworth.html

Thanks a lot for your comment.

- Greg

]]> By: Bruce http://www.digitaltonto.com/2010/newsweeks-failed-strategy/comment-page-1/#comment-3376 Bruce Fri, 14 May 2010 22:49:25 +0000 http://www.digitaltonto.com/?p=1748#comment-3376 Good post and nice comparisons to demonstrate that a niche strategy can work. A newsweekly such as Newsweek occupies a dangerous middle ground between news and thoughtful opinion, so lots of short opinion pieces doesn't really serve either end well. In my opinion the content is not that remarkable either, so Meacham was playing a poor strategy with a weak hand. A strong vision is good only when it is right, but there are more leaders with vision then there are leaders whose visions are right. Out here in Silicon Valley we are used to failed leaders with strong visions. Most of the time they are entrepreneurs so when they fail no one notices. Bigger entities are supposed to have Boards and other brakes to ensure there is a rational basis for the vision. Good post and nice comparisons to demonstrate that a niche strategy can work. A newsweekly such as Newsweek occupies a dangerous middle ground between news and thoughtful opinion, so lots of short opinion pieces doesn’t really serve either end well. In my opinion the content is not that remarkable either, so Meacham was playing a poor strategy with a weak hand.

A strong vision is good only when it is right, but there are more leaders with vision then there are leaders whose visions are right. Out here in Silicon Valley we are used to failed leaders with strong visions. Most of the time they are entrepreneurs so when they fail no one notices. Bigger entities are supposed to have Boards and other brakes to ensure there is a rational basis for the vision.

]]> By: Greg http://www.digitaltonto.com/2010/newsweeks-failed-strategy/comment-page-1/#comment-3371 Greg Thu, 13 May 2010 07:40:57 +0000 http://www.digitaltonto.com/?p=1748#comment-3371 Chrıs, Thanks. I'm glad that you're finding it useful. - Greg Chrıs,

Thanks. I’m glad that you’re finding it useful.

- Greg

]]> By: Chris http://www.digitaltonto.com/2010/newsweeks-failed-strategy/comment-page-1/#comment-3370 Chris Thu, 13 May 2010 05:12:51 +0000 http://www.digitaltonto.com/?p=1748#comment-3370 Great post as always! I love how this blog always leads me on, through all the links, to a range of other interesting sites. Keep up the good work.... Great post as always!

I love how this blog always leads me on, through all the links, to a range of other interesting sites.

Keep up the good work….

]]> By: Greg http://www.digitaltonto.com/2010/newsweeks-failed-strategy/comment-page-1/#comment-3369 Greg Thu, 13 May 2010 03:35:31 +0000 http://www.digitaltonto.com/?p=1748#comment-3369 Anthony, That's a widely held view in some circles, but doesn't explain the success of <em>Time, The Economist</em> and <em>The Week</em>, all of whom are reportedly doing very well. Thanks for sharing. - Greg Anthony,

That’s a widely held view in some circles, but doesn’t explain the success of Time, The Economist and The Week, all of whom are reportedly doing very well.

Thanks for sharing.

- Greg

]]> By: Greg http://www.digitaltonto.com/2010/newsweeks-failed-strategy/comment-page-1/#comment-3368 Greg Thu, 13 May 2010 03:32:06 +0000 http://www.digitaltonto.com/?p=1748#comment-3368 Marion, There's a lot of truth to what you say. Donald Graham certainly had to sign off and of course there must have been some business side people involved. However, editors can be enormously powerful. Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue (and the inspiration for <em>The Devil Wears Prada</em>) had the entire program of the famous Milan Fashion Week changed to suit her schedule. By all accounts, this was Meacham's strategy, nobody - not even Meacham - has suggested any differently. - Greg Marion,

There’s a lot of truth to what you say. Donald Graham certainly had to sign off and of course there must have been some business side people involved.

However, editors can be enormously powerful. Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue (and the inspiration for The Devil Wears Prada) had the entire program of the famous Milan Fashion Week changed to suit her schedule.

By all accounts, this was Meacham’s strategy, nobody – not even Meacham – has suggested any differently.

- Greg

]]> By: Greg http://www.digitaltonto.com/2010/newsweeks-failed-strategy/comment-page-1/#comment-3367 Greg Thu, 13 May 2010 03:19:40 +0000 http://www.digitaltonto.com/?p=1748#comment-3367 Julia, Thanks for pointing out the design angle. - Greg Julia,

Thanks for pointing out the design angle.

- Greg

]]> By: Anthony De Rubeis http://www.digitaltonto.com/2010/newsweeks-failed-strategy/comment-page-1/#comment-3366 Anthony De Rubeis Wed, 12 May 2010 23:00:39 +0000 http://www.digitaltonto.com/?p=1748#comment-3366 Thank you for a great post Greg. However, allow a few observations. Ultimately, “news” in periodical form is antiquated and editorial opinion is no longer in short supply; let alone one as bias as Newsweek. What busy people need/want is honest analysis of the news to help them through the mud and weeds. Publications with an obvious agenda fail to provide this so subscribing, impulse buying or reading such drivel is no longer worth the time. Thank you for a great post Greg. However, allow a few observations. Ultimately, “news” in periodical form is antiquated and editorial opinion is no longer in short supply; let alone one as bias as Newsweek. What busy people need/want is honest analysis of the news to help them through the mud and weeds. Publications with an obvious agenda fail to provide this so subscribing, impulse buying or reading such drivel is no longer worth the time.

]]> By: Marion Guthrie http://www.digitaltonto.com/2010/newsweeks-failed-strategy/comment-page-1/#comment-3365 Marion Guthrie Wed, 12 May 2010 20:16:17 +0000 http://www.digitaltonto.com/?p=1748#comment-3365 Sorry to be naive, Greg, but I just find it difficult to believe that Meacham would have the "freedom" to put his plan into play without having primary and secondary market research results, a business plan and a group of advisers. It has been my experience that even the folks holding the purse strings have to have agreement and buy-in from their team. What happened did everyone simply sit around and agree with him without challenging his thinking? .-= Marion Guthrie´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SociallyChallengedNotAnymore/~3/j2KOuqjDS5Q/seven-steps-to-social-enlightenment.html" rel="nofollow">Seven Steps to "Social" Enlightenment</a> =-. Sorry to be naive, Greg, but I just find it difficult to believe that Meacham would have the “freedom” to put his plan into play without having primary and secondary market research results, a business plan and a group of advisers. It has been my experience that even the folks holding the purse strings have to have agreement and buy-in from their team. What happened did everyone simply sit around and agree with him without challenging his thinking?
.-= Marion Guthrie´s last blog ..Seven Steps to "Social" Enlightenment =-.

]]> By: Julia http://www.digitaltonto.com/2010/newsweeks-failed-strategy/comment-page-1/#comment-3364 Julia Wed, 12 May 2010 19:07:12 +0000 http://www.digitaltonto.com/?p=1748#comment-3364 Our family had been a Newsweek subscriber for about 50 years, so we've been through lots of changes - Color! Reformats! New Sections! But we could not take the latest redesign. Why? It wasn't the length of the articles, though that was a contributing factor. Not the just breezy information but maybe more than I wanted to learn. BUT the biggest losers for me were the typographical changes - fonts were too small, sans serif, and the whole magazine seemed to be darker than previous issues. I struggled through it for four months but just could not renew. It's a shame to lose such long-term subscribers, but such is the speedy way of life these days. Our family had been a Newsweek subscriber for about 50 years, so we’ve been through lots of changes – Color! Reformats! New Sections!

But we could not take the latest redesign. Why? It wasn’t the length of the articles, though that was a contributing factor. Not the just breezy information but maybe more than I wanted to learn. BUT the biggest losers for me were the typographical changes – fonts were too small, sans serif, and the whole magazine seemed to be darker than previous issues.

I struggled through it for four months but just could not renew. It’s a shame to lose such long-term subscribers, but such is the speedy way of life these days.

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