Tuesday, September 20, 2005

The Gray Lady springs some leaks

The New York Times announces a staggering staff reduction, including 45 jobs from the newroom, alone.

The New York Times may have stepped in it, big time, with their version of pay-per-view for OP/ED columnists. Editor and Publisher says that the popular columnists Dowd, Friedman, Krugman, Brooks et al have dropped out of the top five in the "Most E-mailed Articles" list from the Times which they typically dominate. When I checked just a little while ago, they were doing significantly worse than when E&P checked them. And E&P reminds us that "e-mailed" doesn't equate to "paid for and read", because the persons e-mailing the article must be subscribers and the persons receiving the e-mails must also be subscribers in order to open and read the articles. In fact, the "Select" contributors had dropped all the way to #18 (Krugman), #20 (Tierney) and #21 (Kristoff).

As of 5:30 PM EST, these were the top 25 Most E-mailed Articles for the last 24 hours.

1. NATIONAL
Many Women at Elite Colleges Set Career Path to Motherhood By LOUISE STORY

2. SCIENCE
Almost Before We Spoke, We Swore By NATALIE ANGIER

3. OPINION (free article from 9/18)
Op-Ed Columnist: Message: I Care About the Black Folks By FRANK RICH

4. SCIENCE
Challenged by Creationists, Museums Answer Back By CORNELIA DEAN

5. BUSINESS
Your Money: The 6 Percent Solution: Skip Real Estate Agents By DAMON DARLIN

6. HEALTH / MENTAL HEALTH & BEHAVIOR
Little Difference Found in Schizophrenia Drugs By BENEDICT CAREY

7. BUSINESS / BUSINESS SPECIAL
Fighting to Get in on the Next Little Thing By GARY RIVLIN

8. WASHINGTON
Ex-White House Aide Charged in Corruption Case By PHILIP SHENON and ANNE E. KORNBLUT

9. TECHNOLOGY
Doctors Join to Promote Electronic Record Keeping By MILT FREUDENHEIM

10. HEALTH / MENTAL HEALTH & BEHAVIOR
Remedy for Sleep Apnea May Lift Depression's Veil By NICHOLAS BAKALAR

11. OBITUARIES
Simon Wiesenthal, Who Helped Hunt Nazis After War, Dies at 96 By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

12. INTERNATIONAL / EUROPE
For Sale: Roadside Fixture With Wary but Loyal Patrons By SARAH LYALL

13. HEALTH / MENTAL HEALTH & BEHAVIOR
Blacks Join the Eating-Disorder Mainstream By DENISE BRODEY

14. BUSINESS / BUSINESS SPECIAL
Passions: From Google to Noodles: A Chef Strikes Out on His Own By KAREN ALEXANDER

15. OPINION (free article from 9/17)
Op-Ed Columnist: Disney on Parade By MAUREEN DOWD

16. BOOKS
'The March': Intimate Snapshots of the War Called Hell By MICHIKO KAKUTANI

17. OPINION (free article - I guess Fick is not considered a premium contributor)
Op-Ed Contributor: An Honest Victory By NATHANIEL FICK

18.OPINION
Op-Ed Columnist: Tragedy in Black and White By PAUL KRUGMAN

19. SPORTS / PRO BASKETBALL
The Beginning of the End for the Knicks By HOWARD BECK

20. OPINION
Op-Ed Columnist: From FEMA to WEMA By JOHN TIERNEY

21. OPINION Op-Ed Columnist: Lining Up to Be Raped? By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

22. THEATER / NEWS & FEATURES
Roll Over, 'Cats.' The Real Thing Is Here. By DINITIA SMITH

23. BUSINESS
Ex-Tyco Executives Get 8 to 25 Years in Prison By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN

24. INTERNATIONAL / EUROPE
Simon Wiesenthal, Nazi Hunter, Dies at 96 By RALPH BLUMENTHAL

25. TRAVEL
High & Low: Low: Napa Valley on $250 a Day By CHRISTOPHER SOLOMON

Let's compare that to the Most E-mailed Articles for the last 30 days as of about 6:00 PM, EST.

1. OPINION
United States of Shame By MAUREEN DOWD

2. OPINION
A Can't-Do Government By PAUL KRUGMAN

3. OPINION
Osama and Katrina By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

4. OPINION (not sure whether this will be "Select" content)
Editorial: Waiting for a Leader

5. OPINION
Message: I Care About the Black Folks By FRANK RICH

6. OPINION
Falluja Floods the Superdome By FRANK RICH

7. OPINION
A Failure of Leadership By BOB HERBERT

8. OPINION
Haunted by Hesitation By MAUREEN DOWD

9. OPINION
A Fatal Incuriosity By MAUREEN DOWD

10. OPINION
My Private Idaho By MAUREEN DOWD

11. NATIONAL / NATIONAL SPECIAL
The Former First Lady: Barbara Bush Calls Evacuees Better Off By THE NEW YORK TIMES

12. OPINION
Killed by Contempt By PAUL KRUGMAN

13. OPINION
The Swift Boating of Cindy Sheehan By FRANK RICH

14. OPINION
All the President's Friends By PAUL KRUGMAN

15. OPINION
Singapore and Katrina By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

16. SCIENCE
March of the Conservatives: Penguin Film as Political Fodder By JONATHAN MILLER

17. OPINION
Neigh to Cronies By MAUREEN DOWD

18. OPINION (not sure if this will be "Select" content)
Show Me the Science By DANIEL C. DENNETT

19. OPINION
Still Eating Our LunchBy THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

20. OPINION
The Larger Shame By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

21. OPINION
Disney on Parade By MAUREEN DOWD

22. NATIONAL
Scientists Speak Up on Mix of God and Science By CORNELIA DEAN

23. BUSINESS
Your Money: Some Ways to Prepare for the Absolute Worst By DAMON DARLIN

24. OPINION (not sure if this will be "Select" content)
Editorial: Destroying the National Parks

25. OPINION
The Bursting Point By DAVID BROOKS

So, in the last 30 days, the "Select Content" OP/ED columnists have dominated the e-mail list. They held positions 1 through 10, 12 through 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, and 25 with 3 "maybe's", or 19 out of the top 25 and possibly 22 out of the top 25.

Oopsie!

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