There's a terrific angry blog about the music industry by a guy named Bob Lefsetz, a former industry executive who delights in pointing out how record companies, led by ossified management, have been totally eclipsed by the Internet and changing technology to the point where they're in danger of going out of business.
Sound familiar?
Anybody who's interested in the music business, or in changing industries, should read Lefsetz regularly. If nothing else, he's great fun–every blog should have his spirit and passion. There's nothing like a good Lefsetz rant.
But today he turns his sights on....the newspaper business. It's the view from an outsider who's a fan of quality news but understands how change can roil an industry. It's well worth a read, with a warning: Lefsetz has nice things to say about Sam Zell's Tribune crowd, including chief innovator Lee Abrams, who came from the radio industry–another business in upheaval that Lefsetz knows well.
Quoth Lefsetz: "The traditional news business is excoriating Lee Abrams. For his endless memos, complaining about his grammar. For his occasional gaffe. And for his new ideas. If those running the newspapers were so damn smart, they wouldn't be in this predicament. Lee Abrams is looking to save their business." He's got a point, similar to something I've said before. Trying something different, even if it seems nutty, is far preferable to stubbornly going down with the ship.
It's a great read, and worth pondering as an outsider's perspective on what some of us have been saying for years about the need for true fundamental change.
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