A new, risky 'iPad-only newspaper'

Early next year, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation will begin publishing The Daily, an "iPad only" newspaper that can only be viewed using a tablet computer. The company has put some serious resources behind its new launch: An initial investment of $30 million and a staff of around 100 journalists. Subscriptions will cost 99 cents a week. "The News Corporation clearly sees the iPad as a way to bring consumer revenue back to the publication of news," reports David Carr in The New York Times. Could it work — and will it resurrect the fortunes of the U.S. newspaper industry in the bargain? (Watch a discussion about The Daily)

Apple and News Corp. know what people want: Say what you like about the "dreadful tabloids" Murdoch publishes, says Chris Matyszczyk at CNET, but the News Corp. chief thinks "quite deeply about what people really want to buy." And Apple does, too. Together, they're a force to be reckoned with. If enough of "Apple's engineering intelligence" is applied to this "iPad-o-newsthingy," then it might actually "be quite tempting to a significant portion of users."

"Jobs to launch iPad newspaper with Murdoch?"

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It may work... eventually: The Daily won't even have a website, says Lauren Kirchner at the Columbia Journalism Review, so its user base will be limited to "the number of people who actually own iPads or tablets" — and then further limited to those consumers who can be convinced to subscribe. But with approximately 40 million iPads expected to be sold by 2012, maybe that's not such a bad bet.

"The Daily for iPad is on its way"

There are too many obstacles: I'm "rooting for the concept," says Sam Diaz at ZDNet, but "right now, I'd have to say that it doesn't look good for The Daily." The publication will be behind a paywall, which limits its potential to be promoted via Facebook or Twitter, and I doubt that a mere 100 journalists can put out a newspaper with "the type of [quality] content worthy of that paid subscription." I'm sorry, but "I don't see The Daily making it too far."

"Murdoch's iPad newspaper: Nice try, but no chance"

A dead tree idea on a next generation device: While The Daily "will get a ton of attention for being native to the iPad," it's still a text-heavy newspaper, says Andrew Wallenstein at PaidContent.org. An iPad-only publication will need to be "something ahead of the curve" to succeed — but there's little evidence, either in the choice of journalists or proposed content, that The Daily will try anything new. "Even the name sounds old-fangled."

"News Corp. iPad venture fishing in wrong pond"