Fortune magazine has a profile of Ross Levinsohn, president of Fox Internet Media, who has made some significant purchases this year in order to bring News Corp. into the Internet age.
I was drawn to the article because, like most people, I'm wondering if Murdoch and News Corp. really understand the Internet, or if they're just scrambling around spending cash without a clear strategy.
In reading this Q&A, I was pretty surprised, taken aback really, by two quotes from Levinsohn. Tell me if they seem really strange to you as well.
Earlier this year you were running one website, Foxsports.com. This summer you were put in charge of Rupert Murdoch’s web strategy. How does that feel?
I know this is going to sound like bullshit, but I really mean it. For me to be able to sit and listen to Rupert and Peter and Roger Ailes (CEO of the Fox News Channel), as well as Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman (co-chairmen of the Fox film studio), it's like I'm going to school every day with these industry leaders. Not that I ever really learned anything at school.
It's one thing to be humble. This is quite strange to see a company president proclaim in public that he never learned anything at school.
Then later on Levinsohn was asked:
How do you plan to make to make Fox Interactive Media work with the rest of News Corp.?
So that it doesn't seem like we're buying all these idiotic, disparate businesses, here's the thing that sort of runs throughout what we're doing: We've bought audience, youth and communities that play to the sweet spots of News Corp.’s strengths.
Huh? "idiotic, disparate businesses"? Did he really say that? What did he mean to say?
RUPERT'S WEB RULES Q&A: Murdoch's Web Czar [fortune.com]
Technorati Tags: Fox Internet Media, Myspace, Murdoch
I did not read the entire article, but applying some basic logic to the first quote, if he did not learn anything at school, and if chilling with Rupe and Pete and Roger and Jim and Tom is like going to school...then he is spending countless hours of countless days learning nothing from those five guys - perhaps this was what he meant?
Quote #1, Not that I ever really learned anything in school.
Typical interview-speak. A psuedo-humble statement meant to promote closeness to target groups. In this case people who feel the education system in the US is poor and inadequate. Also places the speaker alongside other well known figures who have said similar things (You heard what Jobs said at the Stanford Commencment this year right?). Of course few people will catch on to the fact that your local gas station attendant will likely say the same thing. Sounds like interview fodder kept in his Secret Marketing Techniques Manual.
As for Quote #2, So that it doesn't seem like we're buying all these idiotic, disparate businesses
I'd guess (hope) that this was a misspeak. I'm thinking he wanted to say something like "So it doesn't seem we're buying like idiots all these disparate business", but coudn't quite force the words out calling himself an idiot. Either that or he just wanted to demoralize those working in the purchsed businesses (and those he will later try to aquire). Actually I guess that kinda works too.
In fact a lot of people who have money allow themselves excentric behaviour. Probably it's just the way to attract attention?