News Corp To Buy Hearst’s Skiff ePublishing Platform
Posted on 15. Jun, 2010 by JD in News
News Corporation has acquired Skiff, Hearst Corporation’s ePublishing platform for an undisclosed amount.
News Corp is also investing an undisclosed sum in Journalism Online LLC, a company that helps digital magazines and newspapers collect revenue from readers.
The news speaks to News Corp’s push into the digital magazine and newspaper marketplace from both a design and experience point of view, as well as sales. Sounds like they’ll be taking on Adobe and Conde Nast.
From the release: “‘Today’s developments underscore News Corporation’s ongoing commitment to create strong business models that support journalism at a time of great change in our industry,’ said Jon Miller, Chief Digital Officer, News Corporation. ‘Both Skiff and Journalism Online serve as key building blocks in our strategy to transform the publishing industry and ensure consumers will have continued access to the highest quality journalism.’”
To lead this whole venture, Jon Housman, a News Corp staffer, has been named President of News Corporation’s digital journalism initiatives. This is a newly created position.
Jeff Bercovici notes that this acquisition does not include Skiff’s eReader platform, which Hearst will likely try to sell elsewhere.
