Huge news: Ariana to head up national & international news at AOL & Patch

[Liberty Belle]

This is huge news!

AOL is buying Huffington Post—but wait, this sounds like GOOD news. Arianna Huffington is being put in charge of all AOL editorial content as president of a newly created media group. That includes all of AOL’s national and local news, as well as other operations such as financial news and more. This also includes Patch.com, the national network of online news sites. For those living in a cave, Patch has local news sites in small towns across America. Yes, exactly those bastions of conservatism in many areas that progressives hope to reach.

Perhaps we’ll see a return of liberal or at least unbiased media in a big way. This is going to be VERY interesting to watch!

See links below. Also, Huffington Post notes today that Keith Olbermann will be making a big announcement tomorrow. I wonder if she's bringing him on board with AOL? Maybe as a news editor, if his noncompete clause precludes him from being a commentator at a rival news outlet?)


:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
Links:


Patch Soon a Part of Huffington Post Media Group
AOL purchases HuffPo and co-founder Ariana Huffington will become president and editor-in-chief of a new AOL division that will include Patch.
Full story: http://poway.patch.com/articles/editors-note-patch-soon-a-part-of-huffington-post-media-group
Betting on News, AOL Is Buying The Huffington Post

The Huffington Post, which began in 2005 with a meager $1 million investment and has grown into one of the most heavily visited news Web sites in the country, is being acquired by AOL in a deal that creates an unlikely pairing of two online media giants.
…. The deal will allow AOL to greatly expand its news gathering and original content creation, areas that its chief executive, Tim Armstrong, views as vital to reversing a decade-long decline.
Arianna Huffington, the cable talk show pundit, author and doyenne of the political left, will take control of all of AOL’s editorial content as president and editor in chief of a newly created Huffington Post Media Group. The arrangement will give her oversight not only of AOL’s national, local and financial news operations, but also of the company’s other media enterprises like MapQuest and Moviefone.
Full story:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/07/business/media/07aol.html?_r=1&hp

When HuffPo met AOL: A merger of visions:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/huffington-post-aol_b_819373.html

Keith Olbermann announcing new venture tomorrow:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/07/keith-olbermann-new-venture_n_819810.html


:bounce:

[monmouth]

1. Long time posters there are furious about AOL, are cancelling their

accounts and going to alternet.org...

[Ian David]

2. I wonder how many AOL subscribers are canceling and going to NewsMax and NetZero? n/t

[hlthe2b]

6. does anyone still pay to subscribe? I've had a free account...

for most of the decade, though I did once pay monthly long ago.

[hlthe2b]

3. Wow.. you are really excited...

and I don't want to be a party-pooper, so I'll just mention that Arianna has not exactly promoted all progressive viewpoints, at the same time she appealed overtly for conservative participation. That is not a good thing, IMO

[inna]

4. i don't like the merger but i can't wait to hear what Keith has to say... nt

[Inuca]

5. Underwhelmed

Arianna Huffington knows how to make money and get on TV, good for her. Substance-wise, very thin.

[snappyturtle]

7. I think so too. nt

[Sonoman]

8. Take the money and run. AOL is a dead brand.

AOL has been dead for years, no one pays any attention to their Paleolithic site.

GF is heavy marketing hired gun (Arbitron, CBS, on and on) and she and her friends in the biz cannot believe that Huffpo sold to the AOL dinosaur.

Sonoman

[blogslut]

9. I'm glad you're happy

I lost faith in Ms. Huffington years ago.

EDIT ADD: I somehow doubt Mr. Olbermann will be joining forces with Ms. Huffington:

http://twitter.com/KeithOlbermann/status/34647497682976769

[Liberty Belle]

10. What are the issues where she's been non-progressive?

I haven't followed her site that closely of late, but in the past it seemed generally progressive, while allowing some dissenting views.

Are there specific policy stances she's taken that you find objectionable?

[monmouth]

11. It has become heavily censored and it would appear anything too

left or snarky towards the right probably won't get posted. Mention of AH with Darryl Issa cozily sitting in a booth together was not allowed to be posted. Many over there disgusted, including me. I doubt Keith will go with her but then again I believe he had her on his show many times so who knows?

[blogslut]

12. It's more about her business model and sloppy website

She's infamous for not paying bloggers, preferring to feature celebrities who don't need the money as opposed to shelling out paychecks for legitimate writers. As for the AOL thing, she's been dependent on them as a traffic source since almost day one. Her site is chock full of resource hogging scripts and is a navigational nightmare.