News of the World, RIP
I couldn’t bring myself to buy a copy of last Sunday’s final edition of the News of the World, but here for the record is its front page. Apparently it included just a few paragraphs about the phone-hacking scandal that brought about its demise; otherwise it was a look back at the many stories, some important, it has broken over the years.
Like most people I’m relishing seeing Murdoch’s corporation wobble and cheer at the thought it might yet come crashing down. But I also share Peter Wilby’s concerns expressed in his excellent Guardian piece yesterday. The NotW at its best had a role to play in checking those in power. In classic ‘Animal Farm’ style it latterly mislaid that role and started abusing power itself. It may be a victim of its own excesses but who/what will assume that previous role?
The other thing to note is that the hugely successful NotW effectively subsidised Murdochs loss-making Times and Sunday Times newspapers. Will the Times go next? If it gets sold who would buy it?
While we await further twists I recommend a read of Adam Curtis’ excellent summary of Murdoch’s 1968 arrival in the UK to buy his first media property. Which was, of course, a newspaper called the News of the World. It’s the start of the current story in every sense.
A week in one view
Two stories accidentally become one for the Telegraph Weekly (image from the always excellent NDG).
Overmatter 29.04.11
Wallpaper* repeat their award-winning handmade cover for this August’s issue, featuring a new set of parts. Register here.
Creative Review get a preview of Stanley Donwood’s newspaper designs for Radiohead’s ‘King of Limbs’ album.
Mr Magazine interviews the editor of new US fashion/photo magazine Treats.
My wait for a copy of Carson slightly blunted by Andrew’s review; a great piece of analysis that identifies the problem when content and design don’t sync.
Overmatter 01.03.11
Michael’s Top Ten magazine lists: best independents and best music mags.
An archive of Michael’s no2 music title Select.
Hurrah! Flipboard wins the interactive category at the 2011 Brit Designs of the Year. That’s the second year running I’ve nominated a winner. Potential nominees for 2012 should start lobbying me now: exotic summer holidays and cash preferred.
Preston is My Paris publish a newspaper as part of Derby’s Format Festival.
I know little about new food mag, Three Stars but it looks great (thanks Andrew).
UK Glamour celebrates ten years with a digital version of its launch edition. Little change over the years! (thanks Tom).
Herb Lester’s latest map project: old New York.
padCulture
After several delays, tomorrow sees the launch of Rupert ‘the iPad is a game-changer’ Murdoch’s The Daily newspaper app at New York’s Guggenheim museum.
Meanwhile McSweeneys have carried out ‘a battery of tests’ on e-readers and reccommend… the newspaper…
…while TechCrunch offers app advice… ‘A digital magazine or newspaper should feel like a media app, not like a PDF viewer’ (thanks Khoi).
Hello OnSwipe, the latest browser-based (ie non-app) platform for delivering content to the iPad. Not live yet, but here soon.
‘The Book is Dead?’ is a thread on the UK’s Crafts Council site that uses Malcolm Garrett’s 1991 essay of that title as a starting point for several contributions from the likes of design writer Adrian Shaughnessy, Pick Me Up curator Claire Catterall and Eye editor John L Waters.
Ben Hammersley provides nostalgia for the early days of the web as he considers the optimist-pessimist divide in his FT review of new books about the web.
padCulture
Zine publisher Nieves recently launched an iPad app, and it’s already matching paper sales of their publications. I like the plastic wrapper effect on the individual zine images; less convinced by the page turns.
Anyone remember a company called Quark? They’ve just launched a plug-in for creating iPad apps (thanks Patrick).
A first, slight, glimpse at Murdoch’s delayed Daily news app. Unconvinced by the logo.
Meanwhile the New York Times app approaches 1.5m downloads.
Other app news: fashion mag Post Matter is out, a bespoke job with plenty of video. Read an interview with the people behind it here.
UPDATE: one other app to mention –BBC Good Food.
D&AD 2011 Awards launched
This year’s D&AD Awards launched today. Chair of the Magazine and Newspaper jury is US art director Ruth Ansell, with other judges tbc. Details here.
Die Zeit hard-sell
Having your cake and eating it: the promotion works hard but leaves the logo legible on this newspaper front page caught at Koln airport.
Speaking, contributing
I’m speaking at the following two events in Europe next month. If you’re at either (or both!) come and say hello.
First up I’ll be joining my Colophon colleague Mike Koedinger at the Belvedere Festival in Rome on Thursday 21 October. Then the following week I’ll be joining the OK Festival team as guests at Rotterdam’s annual Image Festival. The theme is music so I’ll be talking about music magazines on Friday 29 October.
September 16, 2010
Before and after
Magazine stores
Magazines
Newspapers
Online publishing
The Big iPhone
Overmatter
David Hepworth describes the first months with an iPad, suggests it’s not good for pictures. Read comments too.
The Spectator has been redesigned by Kuchar Swara.
More on the end of browsing in magazine stores – Jean reports from Japan.
New York: SPD have a great line up for their Paper to Pixels iPad discussion on September 22. Creatives from Time, Glamour and Popular Mechanics join consultant Joe Zeff and chair Josh Klenart.
Rumours persist that Rupert Murdoch’s News International will soon launch standalone newspaper apps.
Condé Nast affirms it place alongside News International as the main cheerleaders for editorial iPad apps, announcing November launches for UK Wired and UK Vogue. Wired is being developed by the print team while Vogue has been outsourced to SIXcreative. CN managing director Nicholas Coleridge believes app sales could account for 40% of the company’s sales by 2025.
Apple are rumoured to be planning a subscription service for online newspaper apps.
