MySpace Review & Ruperts Two Cents

It is late here in New York, but Spencer Reiss of Wired just posted his lenghty thoughts on News Corp, Mr. Murdoch, MySpace and a few personal commentaries from the media mogul himself. I recommend you will find the time to read it.

While reviewing the article I thought of a position I applied for at News Corp. For your amusement I have excerpted some of this application as I find it fitting for this particular discussion.

Late add: Om Malik on Ross Levinsohn from FOX and his Interactive venture in Business 2.0.
Even Later add: Robert Young - our favourite Social Networking specialist on Social Media.

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"To properly prepare for the future NEWS Corp require a strategic vision of the 21st century based on confluence of information across platforms, technologies, groups, borders and mediums. As the digital divide disappears and the next generation takes over innovation and consumerism and start dictating their demands to the information provider, NEWS Corp have to take a pro-active stand in the sea of change. To adopt and adapt is no longer just smart business, but vital to survival. The consumer is no longer content with getting what she wants - now she also dictates how, when and where she wants it. The increased demands on the content provider must be met and optimally anticipated - thus creating a pull effect based on known trends instead of a rush to meet changing demands. Thankfully, technology is an ally of companies willing to embrace change and has provided us with ever expanding tools of meeting and exceeding expectations. Most important of these are the internet and wireless / mobile technologies. Never has it been easier to categorize, itemize and customize information for the individual, the group or indeed the globe at large. And with emerging ideas this individualization becomes even more attractive as consumers are enabled to cherry-pick their experience from start to finish, individually selecting the content they desire, the method of digestion (delivery) and the time and place of consumption. It becomes the chief task of the provider to have the content available - and available to fit any of the requirements the consumer has as outlined in above.
The other side of individualization then is content creation. User Generated Content (UGC) has been a buzzword for months in many consumer-facing industries, but uptake has been limited to blogs and myspace web-site creation. A majority of consumers are simply not interested in spending their already limited time resources on creating amateur poetry, videos, commentary and such. That doesn't mean that UGC won't exist. As was witnessed in the blogosphere, technology has become an enabler of personal commentary, a tool for the subjective generation to be heard. For the media company this must be viewed as an opportunity to direct/control yet another source of information to be provided to the eager public. Never before has it been easier and less costly to publish content - as a media company NEWS Corp shall seek to control this flow through its existing channels while aggressively creating new channels to meet expectations and spur innovation instead of curbing it.
To properly harness this opportunity - and to pro-actively address the rising technological challenges NEWS Corp needs a VP of Digital Media & Wireless - complimentary to the call of FOX Interactive Media and FOX Mobile Entertainment and working closely with same, this position is established to enable the company to communicate across platforms, entities and borders to align a common path to success by utilizing emerging technologies; namely in internet and wireless/mobile - the latter being a medium where the true potential is just being spotted through the mist of ring-tones and other low-hanging fruits. The wireless medium will - if handled correctly - become the information channel of the next generation - challenges with screen-size, bandwidth and content-compatibility are being addressed at this very moment and will shortly no longer be barriers for a truly mobile life-style. The revenue opportunities - cross-promotional abilities and marketing aspects will lend significant power to NEWS Corp and allow pushing itself to the very top of information distribution / management. The core of the position would be to lead change - to embrace new opportunities and communicate/implement them throughout the organization. Through a global perspective this position will assemble and enhance the best strategies and technologies currently available and invite innovators to assist in paving the way for the optimal consumer experience.
With location-based services, mobile micro payments, mobile communities, the instant accessibility and flow of free information combined with total individuality, the future of technology in the hands of the knowledgeable media organization is the most powerful tool you will have next to human creativity.
NEWS Corp - because of its pro-active stance in technological application and its incredible foresight into new opportunities as directed by Mr. Murdoch himself and supported by a world-class team of innovators and executors - is not just at the forefront of the media landscape, but due to ability has the responsibility to pursue, engage and indeed instigate the change that by many industries is feared and viewed with petty suspicion."