Disclosing the Tribune Acquisition with David Greising

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David Greising shares his thoughts on the sale of Tribune, the economic future of the news business, and The Chicago Tribune’s strategy for maintaining readership.

“Zell lands Tribune,” the recent article by Chicago Tribune Chief Business Correspondent David Greising made waves. As the deal was nonselectively disclosed to the public, The Chicago Tribune relied upon Greising, a veteran business journalist of twenty years, to provide perspective.

Along with the Tribune, Greising has written for Business Week, and the Chicago Sun-Times and is 2x nonfiction author. 

SHOW NOTES:

04:15 – Greising explains his role at the Chicago Tribune and discusses the difference between writing for a news publication and writing fiction.

06:18 – Thoughts on his exclusive interview with Sam Zell.

07:42 – Fact or Fiction: Sam Zell’s reputation as the “Grave Dancer” and what this could mean for Tribune.

10:15 – How newspapers are re-inventing themselves to capture a new generation of web-savvy readers, and what that means for public relations firms. Where the Chicago Tribune stands compared to other significant mastheads and where it needs to move.

12:50 – Facing tough financial times: will Zell be a preferable option to current management as newspapers struggle to survive? Will online advertising be able to sustain news companies?

16:09 – Pros and cons of the Chandler family deal with Tribune Co. regarding the LA Times. Predictions on where the Times-Mirror company would be now had they remained in control of Los Angeles’ largest newspaper.

18:57 – The Chandler family’s longstanding economic strategy in the newspaper business and their opinion of the Sam Zell buyout.

21:46 – The New York Times and multi-media: how the nation’s largest newspaper stays ahead of the curve.

24:05 – The Chicago Tribune’s coping strategy for attracting and maintaining readership as their internet competitors have cornered the market on breaking news.

26:09 – Thoughts on collective intelligence in relation to traditional, non-participatory journalism. Response to Noam Chomsky and other thought leaders who view the mainstream media as gatekeepers.

29:44 – Hard and soft news: how to be relevant to younger audiences without sacrificing the quality of information.

34:40 – End.