Synopses & Reviews
The New News
Reports of the death of the news media are highly premature, though you wouldnt know it from the medias own headlines. Ken Doctor goes far beyond those headlines, taking an authoritative look at the fast-emerging future.
The Twelve Laws of Newsonomics reveal the kinds of news that readers will get and that journalists (and citizens) will produce as we enter the first truly digital news decade.
A new Digital Dozen, global powerhouses from The New York Times, News Corp, and CNN to NBC, the BBC, and NPR will dominate news across the globe, Locally, a colorful assortment of emerging news players, from Boston to San Diego, are rewriting the rules of city reporting,
Newsonomics provides a new sense of the news well get on paper, on screen, on the phone, by blog, by podcast, and via Facebook and Twitter. It also offers a new way to understand the why and how of the changes, and where the Googles, Yahoos and Microsofts fit in. Newsonomics pays special attention to media and journalism students in a chapter on the back-to-the-future skills theyll need, while marketing professionals get their own view of what the changes mean to them. Ken Doctor spent twenty-one years with Knight Ridder, long the country's second-largest newspaper company until its sale in 2006. He served in key editorial and executive roles and then completed his career there as VP/Editorial, VP/Strategy and VP/Content Services for Knight Ridder Digital in San Jose. He writes the popular Content Bridges blog, serves as news industry analyst for the research and advisory firm Outsell, and appears frequently on television and radio as a media expert.
Reports of the death of the news media are highly premature, though you wouldnt know it from the medias own headlines. Ken Doctor goes far beyond those headlines, taking an authoritative look at the fast-emerging future.
The Twelve Laws of Newsonomics reveal the kinds of news that readers will get and that journalists (and citizens) will produce as we enter the first truly digital news decade.
A new Digital Dozen, global powerhouses from The New York Times, News Corp, and CNN to NBC, the BBC, and NPR will dominate news across the globe, Locally, a colorful assortment of emerging news players, from Boston to San Diego, are rewriting the rules of city reporting,
Newsonomics provides a new sense of the news well get on paper, on screen, on the phone, by blog, by podcast, and via Facebook and Twitter. It also offers a new way to understand the why and how of the changes, and where the Googles, Yahoos and Microsofts fit in. Newsonomics pays special attention to media and journalism students in a chapter on the back-to-the-future skills theyll need, while marketing professionals get their own view of what the changes mean to them. "The day in late January I received a copy of Ken Doctor's Newsonomics in the mail, I realized that Ken had something special. The book finally gives focus to the people seriously interested in thinking about how the news has changed from a successful business model to content desperately searching for a model that will allow it to survive. Three hours after receiving the book I made it one of the three books my class needed to read this semester. Within a couple of weeks, after I spent some quality time with it, I concluded the book will be the spine of the first month of the class next semester. My students appreciate the aptness of Doctor's book, too. One student began her class report advising other students to read the book because 'it really is closely related to our syllabus.' Ken has been able to capture the essence of the radical upheaval in the news business at the same time he built a construct to look at future changes. He accomplishes that neat trick by developing 12 laws he argues have shaped the changes in news we are seeing every day. He argues those 12 laws also offer students, entrepreneurs and media executives a way out of the current morass. The book is readable, easy for students to grasp and full of tangible examples of media struggles. He organizes his material around his 12 laws which makes the book easy to follow and even easier from which to teach. Consistent with modern design, Doctor effectively uses Newsonomics101 boxes to provide effective sidebars to the text . . . There are lots of things to love about Newsonomics. I think Doctors Digital Dozen point is provocative as hell . . . I think the book offers a nice primer on start-up business models. While his chapter about 'Itch the Niche' is not novel, it is very well done and it resonated particularly well with my students. I dont want to be a spoiler, but I also love Doctors comparison of newspapers to the U.S. Postal Service. Clever. The best part of a fine book for me is the last chapter. Ken calls it Mind the Gaps. He indicates that those gaps between established media and upstart media may actually be crevasses, but he forcefully advises journalists where they have to hustle to get close to competitive . . . A media CEO friend of mine was impressed with the book but found it 'journalism-oriented.' I gave my friend a hard time about that and said something like 'so what's the problem?' While I see the CEOs point, I think Ken Doctors success with this book is his ability to respect journalism and journalists while calling them to the ramparts to fight the business model war of their life."Tim McGuire, the Frank Russell Chair for the Business of Journalism, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University
"Ken Doctor is one of the smartest people I know in the news business. Where so many people have their heads in the clouds or under the table, he faced reality a long time ago. He gets the economics, the technology, and the personalities of the new news world. He knows the winners from the losers. His book is quite simply the best primer so far to the future of the news."Michael Wolff, author of The Man Who Owns the News: Inside the Secret World of Rupert Murdoch
"The business model to fund journalism is broken. Ken Doctor picks up the pieces and offers hope to those smart and brave enough to embrace change."Gordon Crovitz, former Publisher, Wall Street Journal, co-founder Journalism Online
"This is a wonderfully informative and conversationally written book that should be a must read for anyone interested in the future of journalism. Newsonomics captures the energy, passion, creativity and opportunity of this transformational period for journalism and the media. Its fun to read and full of relevant facts and context."Robert J. Rosenthal, Executive Director, Center for Investigative Reporting
"Ken Doctor is one of the most important and readable analysts in media today. With Newsonomics, he creates some optimism that there is a way to navigate the difficult terrain. Newsonomics is a must-read and will leave you energized."Bernie Lunzer, President of The Newspaper Guild-CWA
"Whether you are in the news business or some other industry, Newsonomics, offering sensible ideas for moving forward in any business, is a case study on how quickly your business model can be transformed.”Clare Hart, President, Dow Jones Enterprise Media Group
"Media analyst and former managing editor of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Doctor offers his take on 12 trends currently shaping the dissemination of news by the mass media. In detail-packed chapters (with one trend per chapter), the author discusses the endlessly available news content, how the 'digital dozen' media behemoths are pairing global reach with an increased focus on local news, the importance of niche publishing and advertising, the differences between amateur blogging reporters and professional reporter bloggers, and more. Each chapter also includes sidebars about various aspects of the old and new journalism models and Q&As with an impressive cross section of new media players. Although the story of how content is produced and consumed has been covered before (think Chris Anderson's Free and David Weinberger's Everything Is Miscellaneous), Doctor manages to strike a new tone that's well balanced between nostalgia for the old world and acceptance of (as well as optimism for) the new. VERDICT Doctor's analysis might be a bit detailed for the recreational reader, but it's essential reading for journalism students and those interested in media culture."Sarah Statz Cords, The Reader's Advisor Online, Library Journal
"Doctor spent 21 years working in various capacities for the Knight Ridder media empire until the company's sale in 2006, and he offers an overview of the very changes that swept him out the door. But far from expressing bitterness about the barrage of blogs and Web sites that have brought old media giants like his former employer to their knees, Doctor is an enthusiastic, even giddy champion of how advances in digital technology are reshaping news media. He reels off buzzwords and corny catchphrases (It's all beta, baby; I'm not a Chump, I'm a Champion), but sheds little in the way of insight, analysis, or, frankly, news. His rules for newsonomics tend to be disappointingly obvious: Create multimedia, aggregate, blog, master the technology, and market virally. Perhaps to compensate for the lack of substance, Doctor has tricked out the book with sidebars, bullet-point lists, and interview transcripts, emulating the eye-catching style so prevalent in the blogosphere. In doing so, he inadvertently draws attention to what some might consider the chief limitation of the digital boomthat for all the technical innovation, there's still no substitute for good writing and solid reporting."Publishers Weekly
Review
"Ken Doctor is one of the smartest people I know in the news business. Where so many people have their heads in the clouds or under the table, he faced reality a long time ago. He gets the economics, the technology, and the personalities of the new news world. He knows the winners from the losers. His book is quite simply the best primer so far to the future of the news".
--Michael Wolff, author of The Man Who Owns the News: Inside the Secret World of Rupert Murdoch
"The business model to fund journalism is broken. Ken Doctor picks up the pieces and offers hope to those smart and brave enough to embrace change."
--Gordon Crovitz, former Publisher, Wall Street Journal, co-founder Journalism Online
This is a wonderfully informative and conversationally written book that should be a must read for anyone interested in the future of journalism. "Newsonomics" captures the energy, passion, creativity and opportunity of this transformational period for journalism and the media. Its fun to read and full of relevant facts and context.
--Robert J. Rosenthal, Executive Director, Center for Investigative Reporting
"Ken Doctor is one of the most important and readable analysts in media today. With Newsonomics, he creates some optimism that there is a way to navigate the difficult terrain. Newsonomics is a must-read and will leave you energized."
--Bernie Lunzer, President of The Newspaper Guild-CWA
“Whether you are in the news business or some other industry, Newsonomics, offering sensible ideas for moving forward in any business, is a case study on how quickly your business model can be transformed.”
--Clare Hart, President, Dow Jones Enterprise Media Group
Review
"Ken Doctor is one of the smartest people I know in the news business. Where so many people have their heads in the clouds or under the table, he faced reality a long time ago. He gets the economics, the technology, and the personalities of the new news world. He knows the winners from the losers. His book is quite simply the best primer so far to the future of the news".
--Michael Wolff, author of The Man Who Owns the News: Inside the Secret World of Rupert Murdoch
"The business model to fund journalism is broken. Ken Doctor picks up the pieces and offers hope to those smart and brave enough to embrace change."
--Gordon Crovitz, former Publisher, Wall Street Journal, co-founder Journalism Online
This is a wonderfully informative and conversationally written book that should be a must read for anyone interested in the future of journalism. "Newsonomics" captures the energy, passion, creativity and opportunity of this transformational period for journalism and the media. Its fun to read and full of relevant facts and context.
--Robert J. Rosenthal, Executive Director, Center for Investigative Reporting
"Ken Doctor is one of the most important and readable analysts in media today. With Newsonomics, he creates some optimism that there is a way to navigate the difficult terrain. Newsonomics is a must-read and will leave you energized."
--Bernie Lunzer, President of The Newspaper Guild-CWA
“Whether you are in the news business or some other industry, Newsonomics, offering sensible ideas for moving forward in any business, is a case study on how quickly your business model can be transformed.”
--Clare Hart, President, Dow Jones Enterprise Media Group
Review
"Ken Doctor is one of the smartest people I know in the news business. Where so many people have their heads in the clouds or under the table, he faced reality a long time ago. He gets the economics, the technology, and the personalities of the new news world. He knows the winners from the losers. His book is quite simply the best primer so far to the future of the news".
--Michael Wolff, author of The Man Who Owns the News: Inside the Secret World of Rupert Murdoch
"The business model to fund journalism is broken. Ken Doctor picks up the pieces and offers hope to those smart and brave enough to embrace change."
--Gordon Crovitz, former Publisher, Wall Street Journal, co-founder Journalism Online
This is a wonderfully informative and conversationally written book that should be a must read for anyone interested in the future of journalism. "Newsonomics" captures the energy, passion, creativity and opportunity of this transformational period for journalism and the media. Its fun to read and full of relevant facts and context.
--Robert J. Rosenthal, Executive Director, Center for Investigative Reporting
"Ken Doctor is one of the most important and readable analysts in media today. With Newsonomics, he creates some optimism that there is a way to navigate the difficult terrain. Newsonomics is a must-read and will leave you energized."
--Bernie Lunzer, President of The Newspaper Guild-CWA
“Whether you are in the news business or some other industry, Newsonomics, offering sensible ideas for moving forward in any business, is a case study on how quickly your business model can be transformed.”
--Clare Hart, President, Dow Jones Enterprise Media Group Anthony Quinn - Gahan Wilson - John Fowles - Paul Di Filippo - Kirkus - Anthony Quinn - Gahan Wilson - John Fowles - Anthony Quinn - Gahan Wilson - John Fowles - Jon Winokur - Neil Walsh - Andrew Leonard - Stephen R. Donaldson - Michael A. Stackpole - Glen Cook - Neil Walsh - Andrew Leonard - Stephen R. Donaldson - Michael A. Stackpole - Glen Cook - Neil Walsh - Stephen R. Donaldson - Jacqueline Carey - Glen Cook - Elizabeth Haydon - David Drake - Dr. Lewis G. Maharam, medical director for the New York City Marathon - Danielle Ofri M.D., Ph.D, author of Singular Intimacies: Becoming a Doctor at B - Jane Brody's "Personal Health" column in The New York Times - Ulick O'Connor - Michael Billington - Michael Coveney - Sir Ian McKellen - Oline H. Cogdill - Kristine Huntley - Oline H. Cogdill - Jay Strafford - Hallie Ephron - Marilyn Stasio - Wed Lukowsky - Spider Robinson - Robert Silverberg - Richard A. Lupoff - Harlan Ellison - George R. R. Martin - Jon Winokur - Alison Weir, author of Eleanor of Aquitaine and The Six Wives of Henry VIII - Dallas Observer - Jennifer Weiner, author of In Her Shoes and Little Earthquakes - Jay Leno - Laura Zigman, author of Animal Husbandry, Dating Big Bird, and Her - Liz Smith - Eoin Colfer - John Banville - W.E.B. Griffin, author of Final Justice - James Carville - Nomar Garciaparra, professional baseball player - Martin Arnold - Ulick O'Connor - Michael Billington - Michael Coveney - Sir Ian McKellen - Bill Bryson - Jon Winokur - J. B. Priestley - Dallas Observer - Jennifer Weiner, author of In Her Shoes and Little Earthquakes - Jay Leno - Laura Zigman, author of Animal Husbandry, Dating Big Bird, and Her - Liz Smith - Ulick O'Connor - Michael Billington - Michael Coveney - Sir Ian McKellen - Jay Strafford - Hallie Ephron - Daniel Mallory - Robert Charles Wilson - Cory Doctorow - Ellen Kanner - Orson Scott Card - L.E. Modesitt, Jr. - Kevin J. Anderson - Katherine Kurtz - David Farland - Janet Maslin - Harlan Coben, author of No Second Chance - Andrew Klavan, author of True Crimes - Robert B. Parker, author of Back Story - Nelson DeMille, author of Up Country - Lisa Scottoline, author of Dead Ringer - Daniel Silva, author of The Confessor - Ronnie H. Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson - Patrick Anderson - Sharon Sala, New York Times bestselling author of Out of the Dark - Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author of Say No to Joe? - Janet Maslin - Harlan Coben, author of No Second Chance - Andrew Klavan, author of True Crimes - Robert B. Parker, author of Back Story - Nelson DeMille, author of Up Country - Lisa Scottoline, author of Dead Ringer - Daniel Silva, author of The Confessor - Ronnie H. Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson - Patrick Anderson - Bill Bryson - Jon Winokur - J. B. Priestley - Dallas Observer - Jennifer Weiner, author of In Her Shoes and Little Earthquakes - Jay Leno - Laura Zigman, author of Animal Husbandry, Dating Big Bird, and Her - Liz Smith - Kirkus Reviews - L.E. Modesitt, Jr. - Kevin J. Anderson - Katherine Kurtz - David Farland - Orson Scott Card - Simon R. Green - Kevin J. Anderson - L. E. Modesitt, Jr. - David Farland - Gilbert Taylor - Karen Karbo - Martin Arnold - Walter Jon Williams - S. M. Stirling - Connie Willis, Hugo Award-winning author of To Say Nothing of the Dog - Morgan Llywelyn - Jacqueline Carey - George R.R. Martin - Paul Di Filippo - Patrick Anderson - John Farris - David Hagberg - W. Michael and Kathleen O' Neal Gear - Lincoln Child - Stephen Coonts - Sara Douglass - Bill Bryson - J. B. Priestley - Dallas Observer - Jennifer Weiner, author of In Her Shoes and Little Earthquakes - Jay Leno - Laura Zigman, author of Animal Husbandry, Dating Big Bird, and Her - Liz Smith - Gilbert Taylor - Jacqueline Carey - Jonathan Demme, filmmaker - A.O. Scott - Philip Pullman - John Blades - Oline H. Cogdill - Page Traynor - James Boylan - Janet L. Nelson - Mavis Reimer - Gail M. Gerhart - Jessica Wang - The Source - Bill Piekarski - Harold W. Jaffe - Jessica Wang - Elizabeth A. Muenger - Megan Cassidy-Welch - Jeffrey Merrick - John Gray - Gilles Kepel - Peter Bergen - Jeffrey Merrick - Paul Corner, Professor of European History, University of Siena - Paul Corner, Professor of European History, University of Siena - Jessica Wang - Jessica Wang - Mavis Reimer - Elizabeth A. Muenger - Norman A. Lockman - Terrence Hackett - Shannon Mullen - Jessica Wang - Paul Corner, Professor of European History, University of Siena - Peter Bergen - Gilles Kepel - John Gray - Michael Stern - Edmund Carlevale - Martin Sieff - Paul Corner, Professor of European History, University of Siena - Jessica Wang - Jessica Wang - Jessica Wang - Peter Bergen - Gilles Kepel - John Gray - Peter Bergen - Gilles Kepel - John Gray - Peter Bergen - Gilles Kepel - John Gray - Peter Bergen - Gilles Kepel - John Gray - Paul Corner, Professor of European History, University of Siena - Paul Corner, Professor of European History, University of Siena - New Statesman - Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam - Holy War, Inc. - New Statesman - Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam - Holy War, Inc. - New Statesman - Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam - Holy War, Inc. - New Statesman - Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam - Holy War, Inc. - American Historical Review - American Historical Review - American Historical Review - Publishers Weekly - The Washington Times - The Boston Globe - The American Lawyer - New Statesman - Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam - Holy War, Inc. - American Historical Review - Asbury Park Press - Chicago Tribune - USA Today - War, Literature, and the Arts - The Lion and the Unicorn - American Historical Review - American Historical Review - Forum for Modern Language Studies - American Historical Review - Holy War, Inc. - Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam - New Statesman - American Historical Review - H-France - War, Literature, and the Arts - American Historical Review - New England Journal of Medicine - Library Journal - The Source - American Historical Review - Foreign Affairs - The Lion and the Unicorn - American Historical Review - Columbia Journalism Review - Publishers Weekly - Publishers Weekly - Romantic Times BOOKreviews - South Florida Sun-Sentinel - Chicago Tribune - Kirkus Reviews - New York Times Book Review - San Francisco Chronicle - Booklist (starred review) - Publishers Weekly - Booklist - Altair - TV Week (Australia) - The Washington Post Book World - The Los Angeles Times Book Review - Booklist - Library Journal - Boston Globe - Library Journal - Library Journal Review - New York Post - About.com - Booklist, starred review - Publishers Weekly, starred review - San Francisco Chronicle - School Library Journal, starred review - Newsweek - Washington Post - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Parade - Publishers Weekly - Mystery News - Publishers Weekly - Chicago Tribune - Library Journal - The Washington Post - The Washington Times - Publishers Weekly - The Tampa Tribune - Booklist - Kirkus Reviews - Publishers Weekly - Altair - TV Week (Australia) - Chicago Tribune - Washington Post - Library Journal - VOYA - Edmonton Journal - Bookpage - Rocky Mountain News - Minneapolis Star-Tribune - Kirkus Reviews - Booklist - SciFi.com - Publishers Weekly - Chronicle - Publishers Weekly - Publishers Weekly - The Dark Spiral - Chicago Tribune - Philadelphia Inquirer - The Orlando Sentinel - Booklist - The Australian Woman's Weekly - Time Out New York - Time Out New York - Library Journal - Cincinnati CityBeat - The Washington Post Book World - The Los Angeles Times Book Review - Booklist - Washington Post Book World - The New York Times - Philadelphia Inquirer - Newsweek - San Francisco Chronicle - Chicago Tribune - Washington Post - The Associated Press - San Antonio Express-News - Booklist - Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) - Library Journal, Starred Review - Romantic Time Bookclub Magazine - Library Journal - Bookpage - Rocky Mountain News - Kirkus Reviews - The New York Times Book Review - The Atlantic Monthly - The Washington Post - Chicago Tribune Book World - The New York Times Book Review - Houston Chronicle - Los Angeles Times - The New York Times - San Francisco Chronicle - Time - Chicago Tribune - Publishers Weekly - Seattle Post-Intelligencer - Library Journal Review - New York Post - About.com - Publishers Weekly - Washington Post Book World - The New York Times - Philadelphia Inquirer - Newsweek - Newsweek - San Francisco Chronicle - Chicago Tribune - Washington Post - The Associated Press - San Antonio Express-News - Booklist - Washington Post - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Parade - Publishers Weekly - Mystery News - Chicago Tribune - Washington Post - Library Journal - Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) - The New York Times - Entertainment Weekly (A-) - USA Today - People Magazine - New Orleans Times-Picayune - Bookpage - Rocky Mountain News - Publishers Weekly - Fangoria - Publishers Weekly - Mystery News - Chicago Tribune - Washington Post - Kirkus Reviews - Library Journal - New York Daily News - Publishers Weekly - The Dallas Morning News - The Guardian [UK - ] - The New York Times - The Times [UK - ] - Library Journal - Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) - The New York Times - Entertainment Weekly (A-) - USA Today - People Magazine - New Orleans Times-Picayune - Library Journal, Starred Review - Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) - Romantic Time Bookclub Magazine - Bookpage - Rocky Mountain News - Booklist - Publishers Weekly - USA Today - Pages Magazine - Booklist - Publishers Weekly - Fangoria - Romantic Times - El Paso Herald-Post - Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear, USA Today bestselling authors - Kirkus Reviews - Library Journal - Max Evans - Norman Zollinger - Publishers Weekly - Richard Wheeler - Rocky Mountain News - Tony Hillerman - Tulsa World - The Washington Post - Library Journal - Booklist - Entertainment Weekly - Boston Globe - Richmond Times-Dispatch - The Financial Times (London) - The Guardian (London) - The Sunday Independent (London) - Chicago Tribune - Chicago Tribune Book World - Houston Chronicle - Los Angeles Times - Publishers Weekly - San Francisco Chronicle - The Atlantic Monthly - The New York Times - The New York Times Book Review - The New York Times Book Review - The Washington Post - Time - Seattle Post-Intelligencer - Library Journal Review - New York Post - About.com - Publishers Weekly - Kirkus Reviews - Booklist - Booklist - Kirkus Reviews - Washington Post Book World - The New York Times - Philadelphia Inquirer - Newsweek - Newsweek - San Francisco Chronicle - Chicago Tribune - Washington Post - The Associated Press - San Antonio Express-News - Booklist - Washington Post - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Parade - The Financial Times (London) - The Guardian (London) - The Sunday Independent (London) - Time Out New York - The New York Times - The Washington Times - The Guardian - The Observer - Financial Times - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books - The New York Times Book Review - Library Journal Review - New York Post - About.com - Booklist - The New York Times Book Review - Kirkus Reviews - Bulletin of Center for Children's Books - School Library Journal - Kirkus Reviews - Booklist - Publishers Weekly - Kirkus Reviews - Booklist - Kirkus Reviews - Booklist, starred review - Publishers Weekly, starred review - San Francisco Chronicle - School Library Journal, starred review - Washington Post Book World - The New York Times - Philadelphia Inquirer - Newsweek - San Francisco Chronicle - Chicago Tribune - Washington Post - The Associated Press - San Antonio Express-News - Booklist - Horn Book Magazine - School Library Journal - Publishers Weekly, starred review - Cory Doctorow, author of Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town - Janny Wurts, author of Traitor's Knot - Kevin J. Anderson - Nalo Hopkinson, author of The Salt Roads - Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author - USA Today - Dallas Morning News - Fantasy Review - Houston Post - Publisher's Weekly - The Denver Post - The Providence Sunday Journal - The Washington Post Book World - Publishers Weekly - Booklist - New York Times Book Review - Entertainment Weekly - Boston Globe - Richmond Times-Dispatch - South Florida Sun-Sentinel - Richmond Times-Dispatch - Booklist - South Florida Sun-Sentinel - Yoga Journal - The Financial Times (London) - The Guardian (London) - The Sunday Independent (London) - Newsweek - Booklist - Kirkus Reviews - Publishers Weekly (starred) - SF Site - The Dallas Morning News - New York Observer - Booklist - Salon.com - SF Site - The Good Book Guide - Publishers Weekly - Salon.com - SF Site - The Good Book Guide - Kirkus Reviews - Booklist - Booklist - Romantic Times Bookclub - Booklist - Kirkus Reviews - Entertainment Weekly - Kirkus - New Scientist - Newsday - Publishers Weekly - Realms of Fantasy - San Francisco Chronicle - The Sunday Times - The Washington Post - Time Out London - Wired - Entertainment Weekly - Kirkus - New Scientist - Newsday - Publishers Weekly - Realms of Fantasy - San Francisco Chronicle - The Sunday Times - The Washington Post - Time Out London - Wired - Interzone - Library Journal - SF Site - Kirkus - USA Today - Enigma - SF Site - Australian Bookseller and Publisher - Australian Jewish News - Marie Claire (Australia) - Vogue (Australia) - Enigma - SF Site - Publishers Weekly - Kirkus Reviews - Romantic Times Bookclub Magazine - Publishers Weekly - Kirkus Reviews - Kirkus Reviews - Booklist - SciFi.com - Entertainment Weekly - Kirkus - New Scientist - Newsday - Publishers Weekly - Realms of Fantasy - San Francisco Chronicle - The Sunday Times - The Washington Post - Time Out London - Wired
Synopsis
The New News
Reports of the death of the news media are highly premature, though you wouldnt know it from the medias own headlines. Ken Doctor goes far beyond those headlines, taking an authoritative look at the fast-emerging future.
The Twelve Laws of Newsonomics reveal the kinds of news that readers will get and that journalists (and citizens) will produce as we enter the first truly digital news decade.
A new Digital Dozen, global powerhouses from The New York Times, News Corp, and CNN to NBC, the BBC, and NPR will dominate news across the globe, Locally, a colorful assortment of emerging news players, from Boston to San Diego, are rewriting the rules of city reporting,
Newsonomics provides a new sense of the news well get on paper, on screen, on the phone, by blog, by podcast, and via Facebook and Twitter. It also offers a new way to understand the why and how of the changes, and where the Googles, Yahoos and Microsofts fit in. Newsonomics pays special attention to media and journalism students in a chapter on the back-to-the-future skills theyll need, while marketing professionals get their own view of what the changes mean to them.
Synopsis
The New News Reports of the death of the news media are highly premature, though you wouldn't know it from the media's own headlines. Ken Doctor goes far beyond those headlines, taking an authoritative look at the fast-emerging future.
The Twelve Laws of Newsonomics reveal the kinds of news that readers will get and that journalists (and citizens) will produce as we enter the first truly digital news decade.
A new Digital Dozen, global powerhouses from The New York Times, News Corp, and CNN to NBC, the BBC, and NPR will dominate news across the globe, Locally, a colorful assortment of emerging news players, from Boston to San Diego, are rewriting the rules of city reporting,
Newsonomics provides a new sense of the news we'll get on paper, on screen, on the phone, by blog, by podcast, and via Facebook and Twitter. It also offers a new way to understand the why and how of the changes, and where the Googles, Yahoos and Microsofts fit in. Newsonomics pays special attention to media and journalism students in a chapter on the back-to-the-future skills they'll need, while marketing professionals get their own view of what the changes mean to them. Ken Doctor spent twenty-one years with Knight Ridder, long the country's second-largest newspaper company until its sale in 2006. He served in key editorial and executive roles and then completed his career there as VP/Editorial, VP/Strategy and VP/Content Services for Knight Ridder Digital in San Jose. He writes the popular Content Bridges blog, serves as news industry analyst for the research and advisory firm Outsell, and appears frequently on television and radio as a media expert.
Reports of the death of the news media are highly premature, though you wouldn't know it from the media's own headlines. Ken Doctor goes far beyond those headlines, taking an authoritative look at the fast-emerging future.
The Twelve Laws of Newsonomics reveal the kinds of news that readers will get and that journalists (and citizens) will produce as we enter the first truly digital news decade.
A new Digital Dozen, global powerhouses from The New York Times, News Corp, and CNN to NBC, the BBC, and NPR will dominate news across the globe, Locally, a colorful assortment of emerging news players, from Boston to San Diego, are rewriting the rules of city reporting,
Newsonomics provides a new sense of the news we'll get on paper, on screen, on the phone, by blog, by podcast, and via Facebook and Twitter. It also offers a new way to understand the why and how of the changes, and where the Googles, Yahoos and Microsofts fit in. Newsonomics pays special attention to media and journalism students in a chapter on the back-to-the-future skills they'll need, while marketing professionals get their own view of what the changes mean to them. The day in late January I received a copy of Ken Doctor's Newsonomics in the mail, I realized that Ken had something special. The book finally gives focus to the people seriously interested in thinking about how the news has changed from a successful business model to content desperately searching for a model that will allow it to survive. Three hours after receiving the book I made it one of the three books my class needed to read this semester. Within a couple of weeks, after I spent some quality time with it, I concluded the book will be the spine of the first month of the class next semester. My students appreciate the aptness of Doctor's book, too. One student began her class report advising other students to read the book because 'it really is closely related to our syllabus.' Ken has been able to capture the essence of the radical upheaval in the news business at the same time he built a construct to look at future changes. He accomplishes that neat trick by developing 12 laws he argues have shaped the changes in news we are seeing every day. He argues those 12 laws also offer students, entrepreneurs and media executives a way out of the current morass. The book is readable, easy for students to grasp and full of tangible examples of media struggles. He organizes his material around his 12 laws which makes the book easy to follow and even easier from which to teach. Consistent with modern design, Doctor effectively uses Newsonomics101 boxes to provide effective sidebars to the text . . . There are lots of things to love about Newsonomics. I think Doctor's Digital Dozen point is provocative as hell. I did think he defined news a little narrowly, and his distinction between the news business and journalism strikes me as a little strained. I think the book offers a nice primer on start-up business models. While his chapter about 'Itch the Niche' is not novel, it is very well done and it resonated particularly well with my students. I don't want to be a spoiler, but I also love Doctor's comparison of newspapers to the U.S. Postal Service. Clever. The best part of a fine book for me is the last chapter. Ken calls it Mind the Gaps. He indicates that those gaps between established media and upstart media may actually be crevasses, but he forcefully advises journalists where they have to hustle to get close to competitive . . . A media CEO friend of mine was impressed with the book but found it 'journalism-oriented.' I gave my friend a hard time about that and said something like 'so what's the problem?' While I see the CEO's point, I think Ken Doctor's success with this book is his ability to respect journalism and journalists while calling them to the ramparts to fight the business model war of their life.--Tim McGuirethe, Frank Russell Chair for the Business of Journalism, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University
Ken Doctor is one of the smartest people I know in the news business. Where so many people have their heads in the clouds or under the table, he faced reality a long time ago. He gets the economics, the technology, and the personalities of the new news world. He knows the winners from the losers. His book is quite simply the best primer so far to the future of the news.--Michael Wolff, author of The Man Who Owns the News: Inside the Secret World of Rupert Murdoch
The business model to fund journalism is broken. Ken Doctor picks up the pieces and offers hope to those smart and brave enough to embrace change.--Gordon Crovitz, former Publisher, Wall Street Journal, co-founder Journalism Online
This is a wonderfully informative and conversationally written book that should be a must read for anyone interested in the future of journalism. Newsonomics captures the energy, passion, creativity and opportunity of this transformational period for journalism and the media. It's fun to read and full of relevant facts and context.--Robert J. Rosenthal, Executive Director, Center for Investigative Reporting
Ken Doctor is one of the most important and readable analysts in media today. With Newsonomics, he creates some optimism that there is a way to navigate the difficult terrain. Newsonomics is a must-read and will leave you energized.--Bernie Lunzer, President of The Newspaper Guild-CWA
Whether you are in the news business or some other industry, Newsonomics, offering sensible ideas for moving forward in any business, is a case study on how quickly your business model can be transformed.--Clare Hart, President, Dow Jones Enterprise Media Group
Media analyst and former managing editor of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Doctor offers his take on 12 trends currently shaping the dissemination of news by the mass media. In detail-packed chapters (with one trend per chapter), the author discusses the endlessly available news content, how the 'digital dozen' media behemoths are pairing global reach with an increased focus on local news, the importance of niche publishing and advertising, the differences between amateur blogging reporters and professional reporter bloggers, and more. Each chapter also includes sidebars about various aspects of the old and new journalism models and Q&As with an impressive cross section of new media players. Although the story of how content is produced and consumed has been covered before (think Chris Anderson's Free and David Weinberger's Everything Is Miscellaneous), Doctor manages to strike a new tone that's well balanced between nostalgia for the old world and acceptance of (as well as optimism for) the new. VERDICT Doctor's analysis might be a bit detailed for the recreational reader, but it's essential reading for journalism students and those interested in media culture.--Sarah Statz Cords, The Reader's Advisor Online, Library Journal
Doctor spent 21 years working in various capacities for the Knight Ridder media empire until the company's sale in 2006, and he offers an overview of the very changes that swept him out the door. But far from expressing bitterness about the barrage of blogs and Web sites that have brought old media giants like his former employer to their knees, Doctor is an enthusiastic, even giddy champion of how advances in digital technology are reshaping news media. He reels off buzzwords and corny catchphrases (It's all beta, baby; I'm not a Chump, I'm a Champion), but sheds little in the way of insight, analysis, or, frankly, news. His rules for newsonomics tend to be disappointingly obvious: Create multimedia, aggregate, blog, master the technology, and market virally. Perhaps to compensate for the lack of substance, Doctor has tricked out the book with sidebars, bullet-point lists, and interview transcripts, emulating the eye-catching style so prevalent in the blogosphere. In doing so, he inadvertently draws attention to what some might consider the chief limitation of the digital boom--that for all the technical innovation, there's still no substitute for good writing and solid reporting.--Publishers Weekly
About the Author
KEN DOCTOR spent twenty-one years with Knight Ridder, long the country's second-largest newspaper company until its sale in 2006. He served in key editorial and executive roles and then completed his career there as VP/Editorial, VP/Strategy and VP/Content Services for Knight Ridder Digital in San Jose. He writes the popular Content Bridges blog, serves as news industry analyst for the research and advisory firm Outsell, and appears frequently on television and radio as a media expert.
Table of Contents
TWELVE LAWS THAT WILL SHAPE THE NEWS WE GET
1. In the Age of Darwinian Content, You Are Your Own Editor
The old gatekeepers are disappearing. We live in a world of endless choice on paper, podcast,Web, and television. Weve become our own and one anothers editors.
2. The Digital Dozen Will Dominate
A dozen or so multinational, multiplatform media companies will
dominate global news and information.
3. Local: Remap and Reload
Local news companies get smaller and more local-oriented as they struggle to find survival strategies. Meanwhile, city news start-ups can now compete with the big boys.
4. The Old News World Is Gone. Get Over It
Two revolutions, one involving reader and one involving advertisers, have brought chaos to a once- stable industry.
5. The Great Gathering; or, The Fine Art of Using Other
Peoples Content
The Internet news revolution is beginning to create new middlemen offering reading and advertising choices. The winners round up lots of content, and they do it quickly.
6. Its a Pro- Am World
The audience is talking back, engaging with each other and creating “content.” News companies increasingly are embracing this new Pro- Am world.
7. Reporters Become Bloggers
We all know what a story is and what a blog is, right? We all know
what a reporter is and what a blogger is, right? Guess again.
8. Itch the Niche
“General news” is dying. Topical products from business and technology
and travel to sports, health, and even politics take their place.
9. Apply the 10 Percent Rule
It used to be man or machine. Now its both, as the heavy lifting of journalism can be aided and abetted by smart use of technology.
10. Media Learn How to Market, Marketers Find New Ways
to Make the Most of Media
Old marketing techniques are expensive, inefficient, and oh-so yesterday.
How viral marketing is being used by media and to sway the media.
11 : For Journalists Jobs, Its Back to the Future
Journalists are taking a page from the history books, having to balance
multiple skills and multiple gigs, to keep their heads above water.
12 : Mind the Gaps
We can see the blue sky of a journalism renaissance . . . but first
weve got to cross a chasm of pain.