Fox to Outfox themselves?

faethor

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Rupert Murdoch wants to block Google News from News Corp content. He intends to start an online pay for news only. He believes Google listing headlines, such as a redirection, will be illegal. He wants to start slowly but believes that Google can be fully blocked from all News Corp content.

Is this is a good idea? Certainly Murdoch should realize the internet is a great force in trying to get out the right wing message. Imagine if Google really was blocked from the 'Fair and Balanced' Fox media? Personally, I'd think this would hurt the right wingers even more as they lock themselves in a cave. Thoughts?
 
faethor said:
...
Is this is a good idea? Certainly Murdoch should realize the internet is a great force in trying to get out the right wing message. Imagine if Google really was blocked from the 'Fair and Balanced' Fox media? Personally, I'd think this would hurt the right wingers even more as they lock themselves in a cave. Thoughts?

I'm a little puzzled by this move to be honest. I tend to agree with your thoughts Faethor and see Murdoch having to ultimately back away from this concept at some point down the road. Still, if he wants to pay for it, it is his company...

Regards,
Ltstanfo
 
Google should comply: Block Murdoch's News Corp entirely. Then Murdoch can sit back and watch his market share dwindle to zero in a few hours. What an idiot.
 
faethor said:
Rupert Murdoch wants to block Google News from News Corp content.

Rupert Murdoch believes his own hype. He really does think he is that great, he really thinks that the stuff that people will read for free they will happily pay to read.

Actually, he probably thinks that he will make more money if 1% of people pay for his news than 100% of people don't. In this he is correct but he will undercut his influence somewhat online. Then again, I don't think that's where his influence lies. People who reaqd the news are people who READ. Most of the mind-share Rupert has in in the watching world where critical thinking skills tend not to come into play so much and the fee structure is already better established.

Maybe it's a feint. Maybe he wants to try it, announce that it's a huge success and then watch the rest of the press fall through the trap door and hang themselves.

Double bluff? Stupidity? Or a very good understanding of the suckers he calls his audience? It could even be the last one in that list.
 
Maybe it's a feint. Maybe he wants to try it, announce that it's a huge success and then watch the rest of the press fall through the trap door and hang themselves.

Wow.... That would be diabolical. And, honestly, it makes a lot of sense. He's actually risking very little.

As for Google, I think that's just a ploy. As far as I know, if you don't want to be indexed or referenced by Google, it's as easy a robots.txt or a C&D letter. But I bet a lot of the links he objects to are from liberal stories and sites that reference Fox stories and then provide a counter-point. Fox Group has no real interest in providing fodder for other sites to pick apart...

And to the core audience of Fox News, the internet is just a bunch of hippies and commies, anyhow. Who cares if the stories are available there, or not?

Interesting stance. I do wonder how it will hold up.
 
The plot thickens!

Microsoft, News Corp Weigh Online News Pact

http://www.cnbc.com/id/34102158

Microsoft has also talked with other online publishers about removing their sites from Google, according to the Financial Times, which first reported the development.

"This is all about Microsoft hurting Google's margins," the FT quoted a website publisher, who had been approached by Microsoft.
 
faethor said:
Really how bad does this break the principal of a free exchange and accessible information that the Internet was founded on?

No worries here, it will be a collosal failure if attempted.
 
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