Rupert Murdoch says The Daily, the iPad newspaper, will be transformative
Rupert Murdoch chief executive of News Corp has launched The Daily – billed as the first national daily built from the ground up for the iPad.
The project, which employs 100 journalists and represents an investment of $30m, will initially only be available in the US.
“We are entering a remarkable age of innovation, a digital renaissance,” he said, “Our aim for The Daily is to be THE indispensables source for news.
“The opportunity is enormous and I am convinced that in the tablet era there is room for a robust fresh voice.
“I am immensely proud of the entire team who have worked to take full advantage if everything the iPad offers. The result is transformative. No paper, no multi-million dollar presses, no trucks and we are passing on these savings to the readers which is why we can off The Daily for just 14 cents a day.
“In exchange for these 14 cents readers will enjoy the engaging design of a magazine, the immediacy of the web and the reporting and distinctive voice of a newspaper as well as stunning photography and high definition audio.
“The Daily does not have the legacy of a brand moving from print to the digital world. We have a license to innovate. It will be the model for how stories are told and consumed.”
The launch also featured a live demonstration of the new app – which was only slightly marred by a crash. But after it was deftly restarted features including 360 degree photographs, talking presenters, animated tiles, shuffle buttons and audio capability were showcased. It also emerged the app allows users to share news stories with social media buddies, as well as pulling in live twitter streams from the celebrities featured in stories.
If anything the goodies on display were the root of concern expressed on various twitter feeds, with people expressing concern about downloads times and the chances The Daily might make a habit of crashing.
The Daily launch also marked the launch of a new Apple In-App subscription model. The company will take 30% of subscription revenue in return for facilitating sales through its platform.