Comments on: Is Thomas Friedman bankrupting the New York Times? http://trueslant.com/level/2009/05/26/is-thomas-friedman-bankrupting-the-new-york-times/ [Please go to 'Settings' to change your Tagline] Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:50:57 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: The Idiotic Eloquence of Thomas Friedman : The Other McCain http://trueslant.com/level/2009/05/26/is-thomas-friedman-bankrupting-the-new-york-times/comment-page-1/#comment-5081 The Idiotic Eloquence of Thomas Friedman : The Other McCain Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:22:39 +0000 http://trueslant.com/level/?p=1088#comment-5081 [...] men.It’s his unlimited expense account (Pareene isn’t exaggerating with that “literally“) which gives Friedman carte blanche to go flitting hither and yon in search of anecdotal [...] [...] men.It’s his unlimited expense account (Pareene isn’t exaggerating with that “literally“) which gives Friedman carte blanche to go flitting hither and yon in search of anecdotal [...]

]]> By: A.LOEWENSTEIN ONLINE NEWSLETTER | SHOAH http://trueslant.com/level/2009/05/26/is-thomas-friedman-bankrupting-the-new-york-times/comment-page-1/#comment-5079 A.LOEWENSTEIN ONLINE NEWSLETTER | SHOAH Sun, 28 Nov 2010 01:36:35 +0000 http://trueslant.com/level/?p=1088#comment-5079 [...] Thomas Friedman is an environmentalist, now. When he’s not jetting around the world on the literally unlimited expense account his money-bleeding newspaper provides him, pondering KFC billboards he spots outside the windows [...] [...] Thomas Friedman is an environmentalist, now. When he’s not jetting around the world on the literally unlimited expense account his money-bleeding newspaper provides him, pondering KFC billboards he spots outside the windows [...]

]]> By: Thanksgiving Open Thread : NO QUARTER http://trueslant.com/level/2009/05/26/is-thomas-friedman-bankrupting-the-new-york-times/comment-page-1/#comment-5077 Thanksgiving Open Thread : NO QUARTER Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:09:06 +0000 http://trueslant.com/level/?p=1088#comment-5077 [...] [...] [...] [...]

]]> By: Dave Weigel’s fall and the new digital McCarthyism - Michael Roston - Newsbroke - True/Slant http://trueslant.com/level/2009/05/26/is-thomas-friedman-bankrupting-the-new-york-times/comment-page-1/#comment-4167 Dave Weigel’s fall and the new digital McCarthyism - Michael Roston - Newsbroke - True/Slant Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:49:16 +0000 http://trueslant.com/level/?p=1088#comment-4167 [...] are the same people I’ve slammed who appear eager to keep capital-J ‘Journalism’ a thing that is under glass and [...] [...] are the same people I’ve slammed who appear eager to keep capital-J ‘Journalism’ a thing that is under glass and [...]

]]> By: Washington Post Company to sell Newsweek to…someone - Michael Roston - Newsbroke - True/Slant http://trueslant.com/level/2009/05/26/is-thomas-friedman-bankrupting-the-new-york-times/comment-page-1/#comment-2744 Washington Post Company to sell Newsweek to…someone - Michael Roston - Newsbroke - True/Slant Wed, 05 May 2010 16:11:27 +0000 http://trueslant.com/level/?p=1088#comment-2744 [...] as the top-level executives and the actual printing and distribution of the product. (There are notable exceptions to this rule.) But regrets especially to support staff, sales-people, and all the mid-level editors [...] [...] as the top-level executives and the actual printing and distribution of the product. (There are notable exceptions to this rule.) But regrets especially to support staff, sales-people, and all the mid-level editors [...]

]]> By: Contra Chris Dixon: News isn’t such a lousy business for Google - Michael Roston - Newsbroke - True/Slant http://trueslant.com/level/2009/05/26/is-thomas-friedman-bankrupting-the-new-york-times/comment-page-1/#comment-1790 Contra Chris Dixon: News isn’t such a lousy business for Google - Michael Roston - Newsbroke - True/Slant Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:20:24 +0000 http://trueslant.com/level/?p=1088#comment-1790 [...] the Times for his wine cellar in London (although with Thomas Friedman treating the Times as his personal AMEX Black Card, I may be made a liar of in this case). The production of hard news will never be the same [...] [...] the Times for his wine cellar in London (although with Thomas Friedman treating the Times as his personal AMEX Black Card, I may be made a liar of in this case). The production of hard news will never be the same [...]

]]> By: Michael Roston http://trueslant.com/level/2009/05/26/is-thomas-friedman-bankrupting-the-new-york-times/comment-page-1/#comment-1482 Michael Roston Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:56:19 +0000 http://trueslant.com/level/?p=1088#comment-1482 Jealous that I can't single-handedly say that my personal ego isn't more important than a (mostly) esteemed news publication? Sort of. Since I wrote this blog post about 8 months ago, revelations have emerged that <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/01/new_york_times_set_to_mimic_ws.html" rel="nofollow">Friedman almost single-handedly</a> got the Times to back off from its early pay wall experiment because he was losing readers in India and China, implication being that it was harder for him to book speaking engagements in those places. Sure, I wish I had that kind of unnatural market power for mostly making shit up from frequent fliers' lounges and luxury hotels talking to developing world elites, that'd be awesome. Jealous that I can’t single-handedly say that my personal ego isn’t more important than a (mostly) esteemed news publication? Sort of.

Since I wrote this blog post about 8 months ago, revelations have emerged that Friedman almost single-handedly got the Times to back off from its early pay wall experiment because he was losing readers in India and China, implication being that it was harder for him to book speaking engagements in those places. Sure, I wish I had that kind of unnatural market power for mostly making shit up from frequent fliers’ lounges and luxury hotels talking to developing world elites, that’d be awesome.

]]> By: <fb:name linked="false" useyou="false" uid="1">Mark Vanderhoff</fb:name> http://trueslant.com/level/2009/05/26/is-thomas-friedman-bankrupting-the-new-york-times/comment-page-1/#comment-1481 Mark Vanderhoff Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:03:23 +0000 http://trueslant.com/level/?p=1088#comment-1481 Sounds like Roston is jealous. Sounds like Roston is jealous.

]]> By: winslow17 http://trueslant.com/level/2009/05/26/is-thomas-friedman-bankrupting-the-new-york-times/comment-page-1/#comment-249 winslow17 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:27:03 +0000 http://trueslant.com/level/?p=1088#comment-249 Friedman was, until very recently, considered to be the "wealthiest journalist on the planet," thanks less to his books or speaking fees than to his wife's fortune. She's an heir to General Growth Properties, a massive developer of shopping malls. In Nov., 2008, though, Vanity Fair reported that with that firm's stock down 99%, "[t]he assorted Bucksbaum family trusts, once worth a combined $3.6 billion, are now worth less than $25 million." Another factoid, Friedman and spouse live in an 11,000 sq.ft. house. Clearly, Friedman brings the Times lots of attention, much of it quite valuable, but less from the kind of younger readers the paper must court, who don't generally subscribe, than from oldsters who grew up and can't quit the newspaper habit. When they leave the planet, though, what then? I have to say, I always wondered, in shock and awe, at Friedman's datelines, which seemed, day to day, to move faster across the globe than a Concorde jet. The guy must be having a ball out there, consorting with "Western diplomats" and inspecting car and chip factories and having various government ministers kowtowing left and right. I don't recall his reporting from the Middle East, but his column is pretty much a snore, even to this paying oldster. Friedman was, until very recently, considered to be the “wealthiest journalist on the planet,” thanks less to his books or speaking fees than to his wife’s fortune. She’s an heir to General Growth Properties, a massive developer of shopping malls. In Nov., 2008, though, Vanity Fair reported that with that firm’s stock down 99%, “[t]he assorted Bucksbaum family trusts, once worth a combined $3.6 billion, are now worth less than $25 million.” Another factoid, Friedman and spouse live in an 11,000 sq.ft. house.
Clearly, Friedman brings the Times lots of attention, much of it quite valuable, but less from the kind of younger readers the paper must court, who don’t generally subscribe, than from oldsters who grew up and can’t quit the newspaper habit. When they leave the planet, though, what then?
I have to say, I always wondered, in shock and awe, at Friedman’s datelines, which seemed, day to day, to move faster across the globe than a Concorde jet. The guy must be having a ball out there, consorting with “Western diplomats” and inspecting car and chip factories and having various government ministers kowtowing left and right. I don’t recall his reporting from the Middle East, but his column is pretty much a snore, even to this paying oldster.

]]> By: Mark Drapeau http://trueslant.com/level/2009/05/26/is-thomas-friedman-bankrupting-the-new-york-times/comment-page-1/#comment-147 Mark Drapeau Thu, 28 May 2009 14:02:46 +0000 http://trueslant.com/level/?p=1088#comment-147 Really? Tom Friedman is the problem with the New York Times? His personal brand, and that of people like Dowd and others, create word of mouth that keeps the paper branded in the minds of people. I couldn't name a single person writing front page news articles, or metro beats or entertainment reports - I figure I'm an average intelligent reader who isn't obsessed with the media business. The real problem with the New York Times and many others is that they spend to much and charge too little. At the end of the day they either need to cut costs or charge a lot more. But I'm not sure curbing Friedman's travel budget (miniscule compared to the cost of printing the Sunday edition) is the way to do it. Really? Tom Friedman is the problem with the New York Times? His personal brand, and that of people like Dowd and others, create word of mouth that keeps the paper branded in the minds of people. I couldn’t name a single person writing front page news articles, or metro beats or entertainment reports – I figure I’m an average intelligent reader who isn’t obsessed with the media business. The real problem with the New York Times and many others is that they spend to much and charge too little. At the end of the day they either need to cut costs or charge a lot more. But I’m not sure curbing Friedman’s travel budget (miniscule compared to the cost of printing the Sunday edition) is the way to do it.

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