News Corp. Considering Canceling 'The Daily'?

Thursday July 12, 2012 8:47 AM PDT by Eric Slivka
Back in February 2011, Apple executive Eddy Cue was on hand for the launch of The Daily, a new tablet-focused news publication from News Corp. that premiered on the iPad.

Availability of The Daily has since expanded to both Android tablets and the iPhone, but questions about the publication's viability have remained as revenues remain well below the tens of millions of dollars being pumped into it.

In a larger article from The New York Observer (via TUAW) addressing the demise of News Corp.'s Newscore newswire service, sources suggest that The Daily may also be on thin ice.
In addition, there are internal rumors that The Daily has been put “on watch.” According to a source the status of the groundbreaking iPad tabloid—which loses $30 million a year—will be reassessed after the November 6 election.
Pricing for the iPad version of The Daily is currently set at $0.99 per week or $39.99 per year via In App Subscription, with the iPhone version being offered at roughly half-price on monthly and yearly subscriptions.

41 comments


Top Rated Comments

(View all)
Avatar
Trik
86 months ago
I thought the app worked fine...

But the content was horrible. I cancelled my subscription after their "Hillary drinks a lot" article. That was horrible.

They found pictures of her drinking alcohol over the course of a few years and made it look like she was an alcoholic. No matter what your political leanings, that was BS "journalism".
Rating: 25 Votes
Avatar
xenotek
86 months ago
And nothing of value was lost.

I'm all for the growth of new media titles, but will always applaud the demise of bad journalism.
Rating: 13 Votes
Avatar
ibis99
86 months ago
Lipstick on a pig

What can one say. Write trash and lies and charge a fee? I can get it for free on my local Fox station.
Rating: 8 Votes
Avatar
scaredpoet
86 months ago
It's a real shame because the formatting and presentating of the content was absolutely beautiful. Had the content BEING presented not been so trashy, it definitely would've been worth the price tag to me.

For that reason, i really hope that this isn't seen as some bellweather for how journalism formatted for mobile devices isn't workable. It definitely is. IF what you're doing is actually journalism, and not the junk that murdoch likes to out out there as "news."

NYTimes has the other problem: good content, lackluster presentation and formatting.
Rating: 7 Votes
Avatar
184550
86 months ago
Pity. Could be a good publication if the editorial leadership changed hands.
Rating: 6 Votes
Avatar
Kaibelf
86 months ago

But the content was horrible. I cancelled my subscription after their "Hillary drinks a lot" article. That was horrible.

They found pictures of her drinking alcohol over the course of a few years and made it look like she was an alcoholic. No matter what your political leanings, that was BS "journalism".


I couldn't agree more. The articles they provided, frankly, were insulting to my intelligence. It was like a glorified issue of Star Magazine. Shameful.
Rating: 5 Votes
Avatar
jumanji
86 months ago
too expensive especially when you get the information for free on the web.
Rating: 4 Votes
Avatar
Kaibelf
86 months ago

I don't entirely get the comments on content. The news articles are no different than others on various news sites. Yes, it may have a more conservative bent but that doesn't make it trashy. And yes, like every other content provider, they have too many fluff articles. I could do without the Gossip section myself and wish the sports section is better. However the overall news section reports on the news.

I think the problem is that we've all been conditioned to get something for free or next to free. We complain if we need to pay $40 a year for content and complain if an app has too much advertising. Perhaps dropping the fee to $10 a year would result in more sales, but I suspect they've done their research and that's not likely.

I hope the Daily lives. Perhaps they can beef up the content a bit and tweak the pricing and remain profitable. The delivery of the content is the best I've seen.


As mentioned above, if you want to pay any amount of money to subscribe to a publication that can cobble together 7-8 photos of someone over the course of years and accuse them of having a drinking problem, then that's your business. I don't hand someone money to lie to me.
Rating: 4 Votes
Avatar
PinkyMacGodess
86 months ago

But the content was horrible. I cancelled my subscription after their "Hillary drinks a lot" article. That was horrible.

They found pictures of her drinking alcohol over the course of a few years and made it look like she was an alcoholic. No matter what your political leanings, that was BS "journalism".


I call what they do 'Urinalism' because they just stand there and piss all over everything... The thought of people actually *paying* for their vacuous brand of urinalism, I found a hard sell. Especially for the 'average Fox Noise viewer' that gets their lies 'free' on the box, and who's body will be the grease under the GOP machine. It would have been easier if they just came out and said that they think a black man doesn't deserve to do anything other than work as a janitor, or holding their horses at the gate, but where would the fun be in that for them. Their form of 'journalism' is aimed at misinforming, and deliberately inciting people. It's tragic that they have found a market to delude and lie, for profit. :(
Rating: 4 Votes
Avatar
ristlin
86 months ago

But the content was horrible. I cancelled my subscription after their "Hillary drinks a lot" article. That was horrible.

They found pictures of her drinking alcohol over the course of a few years and made it look like she was an alcoholic. No matter what your political leanings, that was BS "journalism".


Indeed.
Rating: 3 Votes
[ Read All Comments ]