all but hung a “for sale” sign during a conference call after the $1.8 billion deal closed on January 31, telling analysts and investors, “We have been pleasantly surprised with recent transaction prices in the media space, and inbound interest for certain properties has been strong.” A Meredith spokesman wouldn’t comment on the sale buzz beyond saying that “a full portfolio review is underway” and there will be “no decisions until that has been completed.” There’s been no shortage of queries from interested parties, people briefed on the matter told me, and the company’s C.E.O. properties it has snatched up, especially those that seem less than suited to Meredith’s lifestyle-heavy portfolio. ceased to exist, and over at 225 Liberty Street on the banks of New York Harbor, where Meredith Corporation has assumed control of the 95-year-old magazine behemoth’s hundred-some-odd print and digital titles, the Earth is still spinning, the sun is still rising, and thousands of acquisition-weary employees are going about their daily business, albeit with a burning question in the backs of their minds: what next? Of particular interest to Meredith’s newly anointed denizens is the matter of if-when?-the Des Moines-based publisher will unload some of the erstwhile Time Inc. One thing is certain: it will be fun to watch.It’s been a little more than a week since Time Inc. can overcome its financial and structural challenges and turn itself into a viable and profitable collection of brands remains to be seen. That’s the last thing a divided public needs. When people don’t trust traditional news sources, they tend to head to media that tell them what they want to hear and that reinforce their consumers’ worldview. One can’t help but wonder if this kind of behavior will drive more of them to social sources that they trust more due to the psychological comfort of “group affirmation” that social media sites provide, whether they’re accurate or not. This further blurs the line between ads and news, and threatens the credibility of the company’s brands even more.Ĭonsumers are already distrustful of conventional authority sources. Also disturbing is an emphasis on native advertising or advertising content that closely resembles the editorial content into which it’s inserted. has a “no free-view” paywall set up, offering only a teaser of an article before requiring consumers to subscribe. Time, of course, is following the playbook This crossing of the once-sacred barrier between advertising and the newsroom led to editor-in-chief, Martha Nelson tendering her resignation. What’s disappointing, however, especially for magazines such as Time that were once revered for their journalism, is changes that new CEO Joseph Ripp has made, which include having the editorial staff report to the business staff and not the editor-in-chief. Purchase startups that add nifty features and value. Time, of course, is following the playbook to which so many other magazines have turned: gas up the digital. With Twitter and websites like tmz.com delivering celebrity news and photos by the minute, is there a market for People magazine or any other traditional entertainment magazine? But like nearly all print, ad pages are declining, as is readership. owns dozens of magazines, from its branded title to well-known magazines like Entertainment Weekly, People and Fortune to more obscure brands such as Amateur Photographer and Motorboat Weekly. ![]() ![]() The outlook couldn’t be worse for Time, Inc., which starts its journey with $1.3 billion in debt, falling revenues and profits, and rising staff cuts. A huge experiment in transitioning from print to digital media is underway with the spinoff of Time Magazine from its parent company, Time Warner.
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