Get ready: Here comes MySpace News
Steve Safran March 7th, 2007
My business partner Terry Heaton broke the story in our AR&D newsletter that MySpace is getting into the news business, and in a very social way. Terry’s sources tell him MySpace News will launch in the early Q2. From MySpace’s own sales materials:
- MySpace News takes news to a whole new level by dynamically aggregating real-time news and blogs from top sites around the Web
- (It) creates focused, topical news pages that users can interact and engage with throughout their day
- MySpace is making the news social, allowing users to rate and comment on every news item that comes through the system, and submit stories they think are cool and even author pieces from their MySpace blog.
- MySpace users previously had to leave the site to find comprehensive news, gossip, sporting news, etc. With MySpace News, we bring the news to them!
Writes Terry: “Now it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this is not good news for those of us in the news business, unless we view it as another way to get our content onto yet another platform. MySpace is currently cutting deals with content providers to do just that, and I think it’s likely the process will show us what types of ‘news’ will be of interest to young people, circa 2007. And that is something we might be able to use downstream.”
6 Comments Add your own
1. Steve | March 8th, 2007 at 8:11 am
What do you bet that a lot of the content is going to be shoveled in from Fox News? A perfect platform to try and raise the next generation of neo-cons.
2. The Tony | March 8th, 2007 at 8:33 am
Neat and all, but I’m not interested in getting my news from freaking MYSPACE.
I go there to send funny pictures to people I haven’t seen since high school…not to get perspective on major world events.
Besides…as Steve pointed out, they’re affiliated with FOX.
FOX + News = Yuck.
Good for them, I just think it’s a little beyond the scope of what MySpace is really popular for.
3. The Tony | March 8th, 2007 at 8:34 am
ALSO: Having the big “MySpace News coming soon” headline in bold at the top of the LR home page right now makes it sound like you don’t have the news yet, but will be bringing some massive revelation soon.
I didn’t parse “MySpace News” is coming soon.
4. Craig | March 8th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
You are SO misguided if you think this won’t impact you. This will. MySpace alone has generated bands from near obscurity to national power houses. It has become a cultural phenomenon. People under the age of 35 spend at least an hour a day on MySpace.
Remember, we used to poo-poo blogs, videos on the web, and color TV.
Let’s not get in the habit of taking things lightly.
I certainly won’t.
5. The Tony | March 8th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
I hate those bands. Guaranteed. Don’t even know who they are yet, and I can tell you that I truly hate them.
I never poo-poo’ed blogs. Videos on the web are still only okay to me, and I don’t remember a time without color TV.
I spend plenty of time on MySpace, and it ain’t for news. I’m annoyed with all the crap they’ve added to the thing as it is.
I’m not saying people won’t use it…but it’s not going to take over the world. People spend an hour on MySpace, sure. But outside of a few random clicks of some mildly interesting stories…
…it’s not the place I’m going to look for that sort of coverage. And I’m well under 35.
6. Steve Safran | March 9th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Let’s never get in the habit of assuming we are our own focus group.
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