Comments on: Elitists and the news business http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/29/elitists-and-the-news-business/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:33:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Robert Nagle http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/29/elitists-and-the-news-business/#comment-780612 Robert Nagle Thu, 01 May 2008 18:50:41 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/29/elitists-and-the-news-business/#comment-780612 Ok, I agree that Economist is high quality, but its annual subscription is 5x that of Time magazine. I think Time magazine writers are the best (as is Newsweek), but the strait jackets the editors put on writers makes what they write seem puerile. I'd match Karen Tumulty and Richard Corliss against anything in the Economist any day. The main problem are those crappy cover story puff pieces about "Did Comets kill the Dinosaurs?" or the biannual "Startling New Archeological Find Uncovers Evidence of Moses/Jesus/Abraham. Another point. Ebooks seem like a good way to cut production/mailing costs for niche publications. If Economist/Foreign Affairs offered ebook versions with a substantial price reduction (33% or more), I would definitely consider subscribing. Then again, I have a feeling that soon the educated and well-to-do will do most of their reading from ebook devices anyway. Ok, I agree that Economist is high quality, but its annual subscription is 5x that of Time magazine. I think Time magazine writers are the best (as is Newsweek), but the strait jackets the editors put on writers makes what they write seem puerile. I’d match Karen Tumulty and Richard Corliss against anything in the Economist any day. The main problem are those crappy cover story puff pieces about “Did Comets kill the Dinosaurs?” or the biannual “Startling New Archeological Find Uncovers Evidence of Moses/Jesus/Abraham.

Another point. Ebooks seem like a good way to cut production/mailing costs for niche publications. If Economist/Foreign Affairs offered ebook versions with a substantial price reduction (33% or more), I would definitely consider subscribing.

Then again, I have a feeling that soon the educated and well-to-do will do most of their reading from ebook devices anyway.

]]> By: Richard Adin http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/29/elitists-and-the-news-business/#comment-778634 Richard Adin Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:12:18 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/29/elitists-and-the-news-business/#comment-778634 I don't know about elitist but I can vouch for both the New York Review of Books and The Economist as being superb examples of what writing and reporting should be about. In both instances, I'm one of those long-term subscribers, prepaying for subscriptions that have another 5+ years to run for each. It is a sad commentary on our society that with these few exceptions, the way to survive in the reporting business is to be as partisan as possible and as dumbed down as possible. I don’t know about elitist but I can vouch for both the New York Review of Books and The Economist as being superb examples of what writing and reporting should be about. In both instances, I’m one of those long-term subscribers, prepaying for subscriptions that have another 5+ years to run for each. It is a sad commentary on our society that with these few exceptions, the way to survive in the reporting business is to be as partisan as possible and as dumbed down as possible.

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