We asked a group of distinguished digiterati for their first impressions of The Daily, launched Wednesday by Rupert Murdoch, with a new subscription engine from Apple. Our experts responded by sharing their reflections on its Web-print hybrid design, interactive potential, and business model.
Roger Fidler, Program Director for Digital Publishing, Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute
My first impression is very positive. Team Murdoch has done what I’ve always hoped newspapers would do with their tablet editions — create an interactive hybrid of print and Web that is visually rich and enjoyable to read.
It clearly demonstrates the value of involving publication designers in the production process. Newspaper apps that fully automate the flow of content into limited sets of templates may be more efficient and cheaper to produce, but they quickly become repetitive and boring. They can’t create the elements of surprise and compelling presentations that only humans have a capacity to conceive.
...
Clyde Bentley, Associate Professor, Print & Digital News, Missouri School of Journalism
I’m intrigued by the idea of a news product tailored for a single platform. Technology marketers have long matched their models to particular demographics. So why not use a product niche as an audience community?
A Blackberry-only financial publication makes sense, but consider the possibilities when sub-$100 tablets hit the market. You could have a tablet tabloid for which Walmart was not only the single advertiser, but the hardware vendor and subscription clerk.
Comments
Add Your Comment