America’s Next CTO (i.e. Google’s Eric Schmidt) Wants to Save the Newspaper Industry

By Kyle Austin

Google’s Eric Schmidt doesn’t own the “news” yet, nor is he America’s CTO, yet; but like Rupert, he would like to save the newspaper industry

Are newspapers vital to America’s future? If you answer yes, would Eric Schmidt be better suited in his current role as Google’s CEO or as America’s first CTO-  to better assist the newspaper industry in integrating with the Web?

It’s an interesting question to raise, and although Adam Lashinsky didn’t ask Eric (Google’s PR folks wouldn’t let that fly), when he recently sat down with him , he did get some interesting answers from the Google CEO on why he and Google want newspapers to survive.

In fact, this specific quote he got from Schmidt, illustrates how important he views the newspaper industry in terms of maintaining democracy in the states and abroad:

Fortune: What if the newspaper industry does go down?

Eric Schmidt: To me this presents a real tragedy in the sense that journalism is a central part of democracy. And if it can’t be funded because of these business problems, then that’s a real loss in terms of voices and diversity.

Full Q&A over at Fortune.com.

2 comments January 7th, 2009

Forbes Breaks Down Wall with Forbes.com, Lays Off 19

By Kyle Austin

Peter Kafka, the former Silicon Alley Insider and Forbes writer, is reporting from his new digs that his former magazine is laying off 19 people from the editorial department. As part of the move, Forbes and Forbes.com will officially merge into one operation.

Forbes, has somewhat bizarrely insisted on keeping its digital and print operations separate through the years while its competitors like Fortune have embraced having its writers pen for the magazine and the Web. The move to finally bring them together makes perfect sense, as Kafka points out, as long as it is managed correctly. Steve Forbes has a long road in-front of him however, if he hopes to create a Web/print organization that functions like BusinessWeek.

In fact, in New York, Forbes has been housed at 60 Fifth Avenue, while Forbes.com is at 90 Fifth Avenue. If you’ve been on a media tour in NYC and met with folks from both operations, you know that the differences in the two locales made for great lunchtime chatter. It’s no wonder then, that Owen Thomas points out that the print staffers (not let go) are likely not too happy joining their Web counterparts at the 90 Fifth Avenue location.

Add comment January 7th, 2009