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Bezos Brings Promise of Innovation to Washington Post Bezos Brings Promise of Innovation to Washington Post
(about 17 hours later)
The big news in newspapers — that Jeffrey P. Bezos is buying The Washington Post — was not even 24 hours old when shock and wisecracks about the unexpected $250 million deal began to give way to acceptance and even envy.The big news in newspapers — that Jeffrey P. Bezos is buying The Washington Post — was not even 24 hours old when shock and wisecracks about the unexpected $250 million deal began to give way to acceptance and even envy.
What, many are asking, does Mr. Bezos, the billionaire founder and chief executive of Amazon.com, see in a 135-year-old newspaper that others do not?What, many are asking, does Mr. Bezos, the billionaire founder and chief executive of Amazon.com, see in a 135-year-old newspaper that others do not?
If Mr. Bezos’s business history is any indication, don’t expect a quick answer and don’t expect any short-term fixes for The Post, which has suffered from years of sliding revenue and circulation. While terms like disrupter and innovator are often used to describe Mr. Bezos in his years at Amazon, he has also proved to be a long-term thinker, someone willing to buck Wall Street demands for big profits in order to invest in his company’s growth.If Mr. Bezos’s business history is any indication, don’t expect a quick answer and don’t expect any short-term fixes for The Post, which has suffered from years of sliding revenue and circulation. While terms like disrupter and innovator are often used to describe Mr. Bezos in his years at Amazon, he has also proved to be a long-term thinker, someone willing to buck Wall Street demands for big profits in order to invest in his company’s growth.
Now that he is the private owner of The Post, it would not be surprising to see him worry little about turning a quick profit and instead push to upend the often ossified world of newspaper publishing, just as he did with books more than a decade ago.Now that he is the private owner of The Post, it would not be surprising to see him worry little about turning a quick profit and instead push to upend the often ossified world of newspaper publishing, just as he did with books more than a decade ago.
Indeed, Mr. Bezos, who declined a request for an interview, hinted in a letter to employees that he felt a “need to invent, which means we will need to experiment,” and that “there will, of course, be change at The Post over the coming years.”Indeed, Mr. Bezos, who declined a request for an interview, hinted in a letter to employees that he felt a “need to invent, which means we will need to experiment,” and that “there will, of course, be change at The Post over the coming years.”
But just what those experiments will be is anyone’s guess.But just what those experiments will be is anyone’s guess.
“Jeff Bezos doesn’t need The Washington Post to make money tomorrow or even in five years,” said Glenn Kelman, the founder and chief executive of Redfin, a real estate site that, like Amazon, is based in Seattle. “He’s proven that he’s able to think over a geological time scale.” “Jeff Bezos doesn’t need The Washington Post to make money tomorrow or even in five years,” said Glenn Kelman, the chief executive of Redfin, a real estate site that, like Amazon, is based in Seattle. “He’s proven that he’s able to think over a geological time scale.”
In recent years, newspapers large and small have experimented with concepts aimed at capturing elusive online revenue to make up for losses in print circulation and advertising. The Post, for example, has dabbled in some experimental news products, including the creation of a social reader for Facebook and a recommendation engine called Trove.In recent years, newspapers large and small have experimented with concepts aimed at capturing elusive online revenue to make up for losses in print circulation and advertising. The Post, for example, has dabbled in some experimental news products, including the creation of a social reader for Facebook and a recommendation engine called Trove.
Other news organizations have toyed with various strategies, most with limited success. The Daily, an iPad-only news app developed by News Corporation, shuttered after less than two years. The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The New York Times and The Post have adopted various pay models for digital readers. The Guardian started a United States-based operation in 2011 to experiment with a digitally focused newsroom.Other news organizations have toyed with various strategies, most with limited success. The Daily, an iPad-only news app developed by News Corporation, shuttered after less than two years. The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The New York Times and The Post have adopted various pay models for digital readers. The Guardian started a United States-based operation in 2011 to experiment with a digitally focused newsroom.
All of these companies have created mobile apps and made significant investments in online video, where advertising revenue is expected to grow, but no paper has cracked the code on how to replace steep declines in print advertising. Other traditional print magazines, like The New Yorker and Vogue, have digitized and sold portions of their archives.All of these companies have created mobile apps and made significant investments in online video, where advertising revenue is expected to grow, but no paper has cracked the code on how to replace steep declines in print advertising. Other traditional print magazines, like The New Yorker and Vogue, have digitized and sold portions of their archives.
They have also dabbled with new ways to make money through Amazon, particularly through the Kindle Singles, which are shorter e-books. Amazon’s biggest influence has been disrupting the economics of newspapers through millions of its Kindle mobile devices.They have also dabbled with new ways to make money through Amazon, particularly through the Kindle Singles, which are shorter e-books. Amazon’s biggest influence has been disrupting the economics of newspapers through millions of its Kindle mobile devices.
Mr. Bezos said The Post would be run separately from Amazon, but there is little doubt that he will bring what he has learned over the years to the newspaper world.Mr. Bezos said The Post would be run separately from Amazon, but there is little doubt that he will bring what he has learned over the years to the newspaper world.
“He’s done an amazing job of bringing e-books to reality,” said Matt Galligan, the co-founder of the mobile news start-up Circa. “There’s a strong likelihood that a similar transition could happen at The Post.”“He’s done an amazing job of bringing e-books to reality,” said Matt Galligan, the co-founder of the mobile news start-up Circa. “There’s a strong likelihood that a similar transition could happen at The Post.”
Though Mr. Bezos demurely noted in his letter that he had no history in newspapers, that he is an outsider not steeped in the old ways of newspaper management has excited some.Though Mr. Bezos demurely noted in his letter that he had no history in newspapers, that he is an outsider not steeped in the old ways of newspaper management has excited some.
“Washington Post to be sold to Jeff Bezos?! I’d actually return to the journalism world if I could work for him,” wrote Adrian Holovaty on Twitter after the news broke.“Washington Post to be sold to Jeff Bezos?! I’d actually return to the journalism world if I could work for him,” wrote Adrian Holovaty on Twitter after the news broke.
Six years ago, Mr. Holovaty held the title “editor for editorial innovation” at The Post, but left in 2007. The co-creator of the popular Web framework Django, he thinks Mr. Bezos will bring “fresh, baggage-less thinking.”Six years ago, Mr. Holovaty held the title “editor for editorial innovation” at The Post, but left in 2007. The co-creator of the popular Web framework Django, he thinks Mr. Bezos will bring “fresh, baggage-less thinking.”
No baggage — and deep pockets — means room to try new things. Might Mr. Bezos apply tech industry concepts like frictionless payments, e-commerce integration, recommendation engines, data analytics or improved concepts for mobile reading?No baggage — and deep pockets — means room to try new things. Might Mr. Bezos apply tech industry concepts like frictionless payments, e-commerce integration, recommendation engines, data analytics or improved concepts for mobile reading?
One of the biggest challenges for any company trying to sell goods on the Web, whether it is a crop-top shirt or a news subscription, is “creating relevance,” said Deena Varshavskaya, the founder and chief executive of Wanelo, a stylish e-commerce site popular among young women.One of the biggest challenges for any company trying to sell goods on the Web, whether it is a crop-top shirt or a news subscription, is “creating relevance,” said Deena Varshavskaya, the founder and chief executive of Wanelo, a stylish e-commerce site popular among young women.
That is an area where Mr. Bezos might be primed to flex his expertise in analyzing data to find ways to engage a younger audience. In addition, Mr. Bezos’s money could come in handy when it comes to adding to the newspaper developers, engineers, designers and others who could radically change the way the organization looks and runs.That is an area where Mr. Bezos might be primed to flex his expertise in analyzing data to find ways to engage a younger audience. In addition, Mr. Bezos’s money could come in handy when it comes to adding to the newspaper developers, engineers, designers and others who could radically change the way the organization looks and runs.
The tech industry from which Bezos has emerged certainly has offered new ways to consume news. Start-ups like Flipboard, Digg, Pocket and Feedly have long been testing and building out alternative ways to read and consume information on the Web and via mobile devices. That includes experimenting with news aggregation, recommendations and clever ways to bookmark interesting articles to read later.The tech industry from which Bezos has emerged certainly has offered new ways to consume news. Start-ups like Flipboard, Digg, Pocket and Feedly have long been testing and building out alternative ways to read and consume information on the Web and via mobile devices. That includes experimenting with news aggregation, recommendations and clever ways to bookmark interesting articles to read later.
James M. Brady, who was the executive editor of The Post’s Web site from 2004 to 2008, said that traditional news outlets had struggled to build and experiment with the digital arms of their organizations while retaining the values that built the company.James M. Brady, who was the executive editor of The Post’s Web site from 2004 to 2008, said that traditional news outlets had struggled to build and experiment with the digital arms of their organizations while retaining the values that built the company.
“We all tried to do it on the news side, but when you’re dealing with declining revenues and still trying to put out a daily news product, there’s not much money left for the developer side,” he said. “We should have done it anyway, but at the time we were trying to preserve the core product, the daily newspaper.”“We all tried to do it on the news side, but when you’re dealing with declining revenues and still trying to put out a daily news product, there’s not much money left for the developer side,” he said. “We should have done it anyway, but at the time we were trying to preserve the core product, the daily newspaper.”
In other words, the new ownership is an opportunity for a tech-oriented reboot.In other words, the new ownership is an opportunity for a tech-oriented reboot.
Mr. Kelman said that the steady flow of new ideas and the consumer reach of sites like Yahoo, Google, Facebook and Twitter meant that tech had a lot to say about the future of The Post and other newspapers. That a tech mogul is now also a newspaper mogul shouldn’t be a shock.Mr. Kelman said that the steady flow of new ideas and the consumer reach of sites like Yahoo, Google, Facebook and Twitter meant that tech had a lot to say about the future of The Post and other newspapers. That a tech mogul is now also a newspaper mogul shouldn’t be a shock.
“It used to be that in Silicon Valley we just built the platforms and someone else wrote the content,” Mr. Kelman said. “But that is changing. The lines have been blurred for a long time and this is just another step in that process.”“It used to be that in Silicon Valley we just built the platforms and someone else wrote the content,” Mr. Kelman said. “But that is changing. The lines have been blurred for a long time and this is just another step in that process.”

Nick Wingfield contributed reporting.

Nick Wingfield contributed reporting.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: August 7, 2013

An earlier version of this article misstated the title of Glenn Kelman. He is the chief executive of Redfin, not the founder.