Subrosa has highlighted the fact that Murdoch is looking to remove his news content from Google and place it exclusively on Microsoft's Bing search engine. Personally I think this is a retrograde step even if he is going to have pay only content on his news websites (another retrograde step).
During the expenses scandal in May I changed the details on my Jim Devine Google alert. I sent it not just to my Google address but also to my work email, I also changed the frequency from once a day to every mention. The reason for this was so that I would know just when his threatened resignation, or even worse (for him) he exclusion from Parliament took place. Being on by election watch for a resignation puts you on a strange footing I guess. Well I haven't changed those settings.
So last night I had eight alerts for Mr Devine after I left work. I know that 50% of these are News Corp sites, so I might have clicked on any one of them to get the News. If Murdoch removes his content from appearing on Google, I guess I'll never know what turns up on his papers and will use other sources to get my headlines, therefore not being tempted to pay for his content (apart from the pulped wood and recycled paper form that I do currently).
His loss.
People get their news feeds through all manner of ways these days, something that Murdoch doesn't get. If his content is good, it should attract people in from the way we search for news these days, by locking it away in its own little coral is he committing publishing suicide? Google also have plans to release their own phone, again steps, leaps or bounds ahead of Microsoft, in a world increasingly on the move, getting news on the move is one thing that Murdoch may be missing the boat on. If he shuts his empire away Willy Wonka like behind steel fences from a media hungry internet savvy public is he going to survive.
I doubt he'll produce a newsprint river behind the gates and all kinds of tasties getting produced by Oompa Loompa's if he does lock his media away. The media smart generation won't direct people to his paid media via their blogs or Twitter accounts, basically because many of them will not be paying to read it themselves. The news that the public get hold of first will be from his competitors.
Oompa Loompa doompety doo
We have another puzzle for you.
If the Aussie shields news away
How will we get the news every day?
Will people pay when others give it free?
That is a question he will have to see.
Once he diverts the googlebot's eyes
Will he can financial prize?
We Oompa Loompa's doubt he will.
Oompa Loompa stupidy fool
Murdoch is stubborn as any mule.
But it may be the end of his reign
If Newsreaders have to sing his refrain.
Great post Stephen and far more informed than mine. The reason the Reuters article caught my eye was purely because so many news outlets in the past weeks said Murdoch was giving up his attempts to make us pay. I wanted to highlight he was still at it.
ReplyDeleteI do wish I knew how you managed to get the link to here at the end of my post. Made it so easy for anyone to come here.
Will I ever understand more than the basics of Blogger?