News Ltd gets ready for The Punch
News Ltd is set to launch The Punch, its biggest digital venture since it created news.com.au, within the next few weeks, Mumbrella can reveal.
The Punch will be loosely modelled on the US-based Huffington Post. Although the name of the site may yet prove to be a working title only, the domain name thepunch.com.au has been registered by News Ltd.
Mumbrella’s source says that the project – being led by former Daily Telegraph editor David Penberthy – has been pencilled in for an August launch, although a News Digital Media source this morning denied this. Blogger and commentator Stilgherrian has predicted a launch for The Punch as early as next month.
Campbell Reid, News Ltd’s editorial director is also heavily involved in The Punch, as is digital editor Paul Colgan.
Great yarn! Can’t wait to see what it will look like
Great yarn, indeed.
And an interesting idea from News. But, as I seem to argue a lot, apparently won’t add ANYTHING to the journalism space. A bunch of opinionated bloggers and work-for-nothing students. No new jobs for journalists. No original investigative reporting.
If this is News’ idea of the future of media we’re all buggered.
This is a strategy being adopted by News in the US, too. FNC’s Fox Nation follows this idea (loosely) as a more right wing, conservative force against HuffPo and other so called ‘liberal’ content providers.
Again, more about News putting their ring-wing spin than engaging audiences.
The Huffington Post is one of my favourite sites> Looking forward to the Penbo version.
I think Stil may be right about the launch date. It would make sense for them to launch it before the budget, which is next month.
But they’ve only just started to approach potential bloggers, which means they’ve got a lot to do if they want to get the whole thing launched by then.
I think Rupers comments about having to pay for online news shows that he like alot of other media businesses can support the massive costs of both tradional media assets and new. So get free journos pay them per impression ad rev share.
Why not?
With publish or die mentality old school art of Journalism has gone