Christopher Mims isn’t your typical Tier 1 columnist. Chris reports his theses. Coming from a science background, he surrounds his opinions with lots of evidence — much of it empirical. Given the challenges associated with pitching someone like Chris, it might be best to think of him as a proxy for all of “Tier 1.”
The following is an analysis of nine recent pieces by WSJ technology columnist Chris Mims, comprising headline and deck and experts quoted.
Here’s a look at the “soft power” in the Wall Street Journal — low-profile hires empowered by News Corp. to keep the 131-year-old newspaper viable in the 2020s. But first, a digression…
What’s notable about WSJ Noted? Let’s start with the basics. According to WSJ Young Audiences editor Dory Carr-Harris, WSJ Noted is “a digital magazine geared toward readers under 35 that will report on what it’s like to be young in today’s world.”
Dow Jones this week introduced WSJ Pro Artificial Intelligence (WSJ Pro AI), the sixth in a series of WSJ Professional Editions designed for business executives and technologists immersed in a particular field. Unlike the other WSJ Pro verticals — focused on cybersecurity, central banking, venture capital, private equity, and bankruptcy — the AI vertical is free.
How do you land coverage in WSJ Journal Reports? Pitch the beat reporters. “It’s hard to target these reports,” says senior editor Larry Rout. He explains that the best stories come from those with the domain expertise, be it in healthcare, energy or wealth management.
YOUR ACCOUNT
FRIDGE NOTES
Tomorrow at 1:05p PDT, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas will be interviewed by WSJ reporter Deepa Seetharaman as part of this year’s WSJ Tech Live event. It might be awkward, because on Monday, WSJ parent News Corp. sued Perplexity for appropriating News Corp. content. Deepa stands to land the interview of the year if Aravind shows up. His lawyers will probably advise him not to.
The Atlantic soon will publish 12 print editions a year, up from ten. “The greatness of print and especially a print magazine is that it sits still for you,” EIC Jeffrey Goldberg tells CNN. “It doesn’t beep and flash and demand that you do things.”
Here’s a true story. An Oct. 8 Adweek headline says, ‘Press Releases Have Become Way Too Hyperbolic.’ The deck says, ‘Experts Warn the Loss of Credibility Could Lead to Catastrophe.”
TechCrunch redesigned this week. Still green, less clutter. Built for the phone. Events and newsletters rank higher in the home page scroll than startups, venture and AI. No enterprise section. Parent Yahoo invested this money to build engagement. More changes due in 2025, EIC Connie Loizos says.
Adweek’s Mark Stenberg reports that Wired is getting into the awards business. The Wired 101 Awards will debut in October. Be on the lookout for the announcement.
BI’s publishing software knows what you’ve clicked on before and where you came from. Through Google Analytics, BI also knows how all readers react to certain content. Once you visit, BI knows whether to ask you to subscribe, or to register, or just to let you see everything for just that one visit. Conversions rose 75 percent this year. Digiday got the scoop (subscription required).
