Breaking (THE) News

Osberg's consumers will drive the bus.

by Bruce Schimmel

Precise word choice matters, especially in the news biz. So what struck me about Greg Osberg — new CEO of the Inquirer, Daily News and philly.com — were the words he didn't say.

During a recent hourlong interview with WHYY-FM's Marty Moss-Coane, Osberg may have used the word "news" once, and the word "journalism" never. (Listen for yourself: bit.ly/whyy_osberg.)

Instead, what Osberg talked about was "proprietary content," "platforms" and especially "consumers." Osberg was previously the publisher of Newsweek magazine, and most recently headed Buzzwire, which delivers content to mobile phones.

This was Osberg's first long interview after being asked to head the bankrupt papers in mid-May. I suspect WHYY was chosen as a friendly venue, since the two news organizations occasionally collaborate. But even the mild-mannered Moss-Coane practically gagged on Osberg's new-media newspeak. At one point, the radio host even offered what seemed to be an ironic apology for using words like "newspaper" and "reader."

And when one caller tried to remind Osberg that newspapers are not read for content, but for news, his point was ignored. It's as if, for Osberg, this thing called "news" no longer exists. Instead, he said his newspapers will offer "relevant proprietary content" in "an appetizing way." And he expects his "consumers" to pay.

Of course, the problem is that journalism is now essentially free. And by its transitory and public nature, news is even harder to keep behind a pay-wall than genuine "proprietary" products like music or movies. (And we all know how well that's going.)

So while Osberg may proclaim that it "starts with content," he quickly adds that "the consumer will determine where we go." Unlike paper publishers of yore, who balanced what readers wanted with what was needed, Osberg's consumers will drive the bus.

This is a problem. And one of Osberg's excellent journalists in the White Tower of Truth might remind him that playing primarily to consumers will make a mash of journalistic ethics. But for Osberg — at least from what I've gleaned so far — the barrier between telling the truth and seducing consumers seems to be disappearing, along with the primacy of print.

Indeed, Osberg previously issued a warning — through an April 30 Inquirer story — to journalists unwilling to embrace new methods of delivery. "That type of person doesn't fit well into where our overall strategy will be." Specifically, he wants editors to think about how their stories will play on other "platforms." Given his recent mobile background, Osberg is particularly enamored of smart phones, where he says the most eyeballs are headed.

So you have to wonder what will become of long, involved investigative stories. Would, for instance, the Inquirer's fine series on disorder in Common Pleas courts, or the DN's Pulitzer Prize series on police corruption, make the cut?

Inquiring readers want to know, Mr. Osberg. And since you've said you're eager to collaborate and listen to other local media, please know that our lines are open. We're waiting for your call.

(bruce@schimmel.com)

"A Vicious Cycle," a UArts documentary on the future of local newspapers, featuring Inquirer editor Bill Marimow, columnist Karen Heller and Schimmel, was shot around the time that Osberg arrived. Watch at vimeo.com/11893796.