On the Web, the New York Times Really Is the Paper of Record
by Peter Kafka
Posted on February 17, 2009 at 11:50 AM PT
While we rend our clothes over the demise-to-be of the New York Times, all the while bemoaning the company’s inability to adapt to the Web, let’s take a second to acknowledge something: By the standards of every other newspaper company in the world, the Times really has gotten the Web down pretty well.
Evidence: This eye-popping traffic chart, created by the smart fellows at Nieman Journalism Lab, using data from Nielsen Online, via Editor & Publisher (and yes, if you’re counting–this is the third time this info has been repurposed).
Boilerplate caveats: Nielsen data are different than internal logs, Nielsen data are different than comScore, Gawker Media has a bigger audience than the Los Angeles Times, etc., etc.
Big picture: No other daily newspaper that employs actual journalists to write real news stories comes close to the Times online. This includes my employers at News Corp. (NWS), who are making a concerted effort to position The Wall Street Journal as a Times competitor for general interest readers. (News Corp. is the owner of Dow Jones, which owns the Journal and this Web site.)
As always, this distinction won’t do much for the Times if paper can’t afford to stay in business. But it’s worth noting that in a world where all of us are supposedly creating our own news aggregators and building our own microsites full of news that appeals only to us, more and more of us end up visiting the paper of record. Surely that’s worth something, no?
Comments
Amen. The NYT does a standout and stellar job with their online content.
It’s the reason I would pay for an annual subscription even though it’s been free for all these years. Crucify me if you must, but I’ll pay for quality like this on the internet. (Are you listening, New York Times?)
Posted by Todd Havens at February 17th, 2009 at 12:26 pmThe news aggregators would lose out on decent content without a New York Times. Case in point, check out the Cheat Sheet via the DailyBeast.com. There always seems to be a minimum 3 NYT.com stories.
Sure, the blog and pop culture aggregates would thrive. But depth thirsty readers can only take so much Reuters and AP visa vi Google News.
Posted by Corey Ryan at February 17th, 2009 at 4:47 pmNice puff piece but I don’t think many people will “rend” their clothes when this rag goes out of business.
The Grey Lady, champion of ‘agenda journalism’ and guilty of collusion to Neocon war crimes and silence over the 911 cover up has turned mainstream America away. The paper has lost its’ credibility. It’s debt is overwhelming and it’s unfair stock structure is an anathema to fair play, Joe Sixpack and free market capitalism. There are hidden issues not “fit to print” as well. The Times is a world class toxic polluter. A hundred years of toxic heavy metal ink has landed in the local landfills. The newspaper is so toxic bacteria can’t eat it. You can dig out ‘pristine’ copies from local landfills dated in the 1920’s. The newspaper encouraged their readers to wrap their fish before freezing. No telling how many people died from this advice.
Posted by Mike McNulty at February 18th, 2009 at 2:36 amThirty percent of the bulk space is taken up by this toxic sludge. Millions of gallons a day leech in NY harbor from the Fishkill site daily. Cancer clusters find their way on the map close to the landfills. Yet there is no news about the danger or how, or who will clean it up. The Times has made a living on using other people’s money. They have no intention of ever cleaning up the death they put into the neighborhood landfills. The mayor’s race in Jerusalem is news fit to print, not your kid’s, wife’s, or grandma’s cancer.