New York Times and its plans

By Thomas Lifson

Advertising Age profiles the New York Times today and reveals that the newspaper is planning to beef up its business coverage, as the Wall Street Journal moves in on the general news market:

As it happens, the Times is about to dramatically expand its business coverage online, gradually introducing a slew of pages on subjects including the economy, energy, small business, personal finance and enterprise technology, according to Vivian Schiller, senior VP-general manager of NYTimes.com. Built on the model of DealBook, Andrew Ross Sorkin's popular blog for the business section, each one will include original reporting and commentary from a dedicated staffer, news aggregated from elsewhere, relevant tools, e-mail newsletters, mobile applications and more.

Other web-friendly applications are reportedly under development as well:

The research-and-development group formed in January 2006 under Michael Zimbalist, former head of the Online Publishers Association, has stocked its lab with weird media gizmos to explore. "You need to be adjusting course as you go," Mr. Zimbalist said.

Interestingly enough, the article's friendly tone is reflected in its avoidance of the nickname "Pinch" for the paper's publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr., who is called simply "Arthur Sulzberger, Jr."

A worthwhile read for those who follow the the Times' business predicament.

Hat tip: David Paulin