Memo to Steve Jobs: It’s a mistake to do deals with the devil
enlarge Hey, Steve Jobs! It would be excellent for you to absolutely deny this rumor now before any unsuspecting consumers buy iPads for their relatives for Christmas. Granted, it’s still being reported as rumor, but the idea of any kind of native iPad app running News Corp content 24/7 makes me want to go out and buy a dozen Android devices just to punish you. Right. now. Rumors are circling that News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch is teaming up with Apple CEO Steve Jobs to launch a new digital-only newspaper. Dubbed, “The Daily,” the iPad project will allegedly stream right a user’s device seven days a week for the fairly low price of $0.99 per week, or roughly $4.25 monthly. “Several sources said Apple chief Steve Jobs and Murdoch have been in conversations about the project for a while,” writes Women’s Wear Daily’s John Koblin. “When the project is announced, don’t be surprised if you see Steve Jobs onstage with Rupert Murdoch, welcoming The Daily to the app world.” The day that happens, John Lennon will rise from the dead and haunt Steve Jobs for his remaining days on this earth. And every Apple device in this house and in the possession of relatives will be sent to exile, forever. In typical techie journalism style, Mashable says “we’ve gotta give Murdoch credit.” Yeah, he gets a ton of credit from me for promoting fools like Sarah Palin and turning lies into commodities that trade on Twitter and Facebook exchanges for friend requests and high-dollar donations to right-wing lunatics. While I may not like some of Murdoch’s ideas, (see Murdoch: Take Your Google Ball and Go Home ), I give credit where it’s due. Murdoch’s commitment to a digital future for journalism is commendable and forward-thinking. He realizes more than his competitors that the future of news isn’t in propping up print publications, but creating truly immersive digital experiences. He may very be creating the template that brings other newspapers into a profitable digital age. Mashable dude, wake up. Murdoch realizes more than his competitors that if he controls the flow and editorial content, no matter what the device, he wins. But wait, there’s a consolation prize: L et’s be clear, though: while The Daily could very well take off and become the must-have publication on the iPad, it will never be the only player on the block. People won’t stop reading blogs or newspaper websites in favor of the iPad. Instead, they’ll add The Daily to their many sources of news. Some days, they’ll make the $0.99 purchase, and on others they’ll be reading through the archives of Mashable or Perez Hilton. If you want to see what journalism will become, have a look at Facebook, particularly the discussions on Sarah Palin’s facebook page. Rupert Murdoch has destroyed news and most particularly political reporting. If Steve Jobs thinks dancing with the devil is profitable, he can contend with the demons that haunt him as a result.
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Memo to Steve Jobs: It’s a mistake to do deals with the devil
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on November 22, 2010. Filed under