What’s the idea with U.S. News and World Report? Are they trying to become a monthly newsweekly? Have they decided that becoming an online news property is their future? Or, have they decided to become a publishing organization specializing in rating colleges andhospitals? The answer is "yes" to all three questions.
According to a recent internal memo that fell into the hands of the New York Times, written by president Bill Holiber and editor Brain Kelly, “the magazine was accelerating its plans to focus on Internet publishing and a handful of topics: national and world news and opinion, health, money and business, education and rankings and reviews.”
Try writing a branding brief on that. Have you ever tasted fruit cocktail? That sweet syrupy concoction with pears, peaches, grapes and one other mystery fruit? Every element tastes the same. One taste: syrup. Mort Zuckerman should know better. This melange of media will turn to gunk. No idea here.
