One of these Days, by Arthur Tebbel – Pop Art #114

February 8, 2011 Arthur Tebbel 2 Comments

Dear Art,

Last week I launched The Daily, the first newspaper specifically designed for Apple’s iPad.  While some commentators have complained that the software is a little buggy the overall response seems positive.  Most people agree that moving towards a format like this is essential for the stagnant print medium to survive.  What do you think of The Daily?  What impact do you think it will have on the news medium in general and the tablet computer market in particular?

-Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and CEO, News Corporation

Rupert,

If I wanted to see the New York Post move I would leave it on the floor of the subway.  I mean I don’t consume your news output right now.  The idea that I would do it now just because it’s been specifically designed for iPad is a pretty audacious belief.  I’m very curious to see what your subscriber numbers are like once people have to start paying for the content.  You don’t exactly have a lot of big success newspapers unless you count the Wall Street Journal and you sort of bought your way into that.  I think you’ll be the number one iPad news app right up until there’s another one available.

I suppose it’s appropriate at this point to mention I don’t have an iPad.  I sure am aware of The Daily though.  It was covered extensively in the news.  Which was sort of unbelievably meta.  The idea that new ways of delivering news qualifies as news when an actual revolution is going on in Egypt is kind of staggering.  I guess the media isn’t immune to the effects of their own egos.  The overwhelming coverage of the technical glitches the app suffers from (such stories dominate Google news) also rings kind of false.  When every other big software release is accompanied by minor glitches it manages not to be big news.  When something threatens the traditional every exposed seam becomes a sign that the emperor has no clothes.

I know you didn’t ask about this but I feel compelled to talk about the interview with President Obama conducted by Bill O’Reilly that aired as part of the Super Bowl pre-game.  It was really a brilliant example of the Fox News machine apparatus.  At one point O’Reilly asked Obama to defend himself from an accusation levied against him by an editorial in the Wall Street Journal.  There was no mention that the WSJ is another arm of the News Corp. media apparatus.  The question was essentially “Why does our company think you’re such an evil liberal?” but it was hiding behind the name of a newspaper that is respected for its news reporting.  There was also the awesome question about what Obama would do when the Supreme Court overturned health care reform which I believe is the “Have you stopped beating your wife?” of questions you can ask the President.  You’re really very slick and I hope one day there’s a well-oiled machine like this fighting for something other than the money of the very wealthy.