The newspaper industry has been struggling for a long time and, though ereaders and tablets were supposed to swoop in and save the day, things haven't really changed much in the last year or so. Publishing companies have tried boosting subscriptions by offering special deals to iPad and Kindle users, but it hasn't exactly caught on like a forest fire.
Today, reports of a new venture from News Corp's Rupert Murdoch have the web in a tizzy. Rather than offer a newspaper that is also available electronically on devices like the iPad, Women's Wear Daily reports that Rupert Murdoch's latest plan is to offer a newspaper that is only available on the iPad.
Dubbed the Daily, reporters for the project are currently being housed in the MySpace offices and are covering everything from breaking news to Hollywood to culture pieces. Sasha Frere-Jones, from the New Yorker; Steve Alperin; and Richard Johnson, formerly of Page Six, are all on board to work with the epaper. WWD reports that Alperin, Mike Nizza of The New York Times and Pete Picton from the Sun will serve as the paper's three managing editors.
WWD cites those familiar with the project as saying Daily boss Jesse Angelo (who left his position as Managing Editor at the New York Post to join the Daily) wants "a tabloid sensibility with a broadsheet intelligence." They're aiming for a fun read, similar to the NY Post, but with a "New York Post Goes to College Feel."
According to the New York Times, the staff of the media-rich epaper is currently 100 people strong. The publication is said to be working off of an investment of $30 million.
