NY Times Writer Jumps to Blog

The Huffington Post recently poached Peter Goodman, a former New York Times business writer. The writer, whose wife was already a Huffington Post contributor, apparently was well paid for his move. The Washington Post story on Goodman's choice is worth reading.

This talent raid feels like a trend in the making. Blogs, especially those bankrolled by independently wealthy individuals such as Ms. Huffington, have well defined audiences that advertisers love. Traditional mainstream publications are having a very difficult time surviving. The Washington Post, for instance, loses money annually. It's kept afloat because the Washington Post Company owns Kaplan, the cram-course kings. The LA Times is broke, the Chicago Tribune is bankrupt, Newsweek is kaput, and The New York Times is struggling. In contrast, and much to political liberals' chagrin, the Murdoch media empire manages to make money.

Still, building a media brand remains difficult, regardless of ideology. One wonders if hiring star writers will make any impact on the reading public. How many people really follow Peter Goodman? And how many of them will follow him from the Times to a non-print venue?