The New York Times keeps moving

If one compares the Washington Post and the New York Times, one can see the staggering difference between a daily which is successfully moving from print to web, the Times and another one which has let Politico pick up its best journalists and its top customers, the Post. It is hard to figure what Jeff Bezos is going to do to repair a fairly hopeless situation.

In the Guardian of Monday 14, Jill Abramson, the executive editor of the Times, explains what her vibrant newsroom is doing. It is playing the best card to boost the digital audience and attract advertising: the development of video, motion graphics and animation. Still the 1000 journalists newsroom keeps investigating on China, Apple or Bengladesh.

With 700000 thousands paying subscribers (one third out of the US) and 59 millions unique visitors, the Times is becoming a world global news provider. Competition will be tough for the other English speaking websites.

However, the interview hinted at a management problem which most newspapers will have to face: with the increasing importance of marketing and ambitious market research, the part played by the CEO is getting more important and perhaps, more intrusive. It is a touchy topic for Jill Abramson who has to live and work with Mark Thomson, the ex director general of the BBC.