The New York Times made an interesting acquisition. They bought The Wirecutter (an online product review site) and Sweethome ($30 million). The Times is also working harder to grow its digital revenues, and hopes to double them by 2020. The slowdown in print has had an impact on their print revenues but they have seen great success with the online subscription model. They are planning to expand their website content to reach a larger audience in the coming years.
The Wirecutter
The Wirecutter has been hired by The New York Times to help them compete with Amazon's tech-related offerings. The New York Times doesn't have many digital units. And standalone apps haven't always been successful. The Times is barely able to maintain its head above the water, with both digital advertising and print revenue on the decline. The company is looking at reducing staff due to a shrinking newsroom, fewer articles paid for and other factors.
The Sweethome
The Wirecutter, a product recommendation site that dates back five years, has been purchased by The New York Times. The website also includes The Sweethome. It is a well-run company with a strong revenue model and great service journalism. Recode reported that the deal was closed Monday and that $30 million was paid for the new business. The New York Times wants to double its digital revenue, and it is making great progress with its online subscribe model.
New York Times
The New York Times has no fear of the latest gadgets and publishes tech reviews. Even the paper has a reporter who embraces tech. One reporter even brought his iPad to work with him to show his colleagues. The reporter also uses Twitter for news and updates. A recent article about an iPad app received a glowing review. Here are his three favorites. All of them are worthy of a read.
Paywall to view Wirecutter posts
The New York Times is now imposing a paywall upon some Wirecutter articles. The basic-digital access subscription is unchanged, although subscription prices are on the rise. A digital-media consultant indicated that the Times strategy made sense to use a paywall. He also said that he would continue Wirecutter articles and would keep them behind the Times' metered feewall.
Personal
New York Times staff members often do other work outside work. The New Year has placed the spotlight on this issue. While NYT encourages heated debate about the Services, personal attacks are prohibited. Read on for details about how to report these types of comments on the NYT. Also, don't forget the New York Times staff tech reviews. These reviews were written and edited by journalists. These reviews are written by editors and journalists based on their experiences. They may not reflect the views of the Times editorial board.