Although we can’t always shake the nasty habit of writing in the royal we, occasionally one of our editors decides to shake off the cloak of anonymity to write a short, pithy statement long, rambling diatribe about a topic of their choice. Today, Debbie Newman is that editor.
After a long and somewhat confusing morning – spent predominantly browsing the internets while under the (still negligible) influence of non-drowsy cold medication – I stumbled onto an amazingly informative article in which WaPo's Howie "Story Stealer" Kurtz interviews Mediabistro founder Laurel "Suck It, I'm Rich" Touby about her extraordinary success. In the course of their discussion, Kurtz helpfully explains that Touby's website utilizes a newfangled technology called "blogging," which are, in Touby's case, "short real-time scooplets" written by media insiders, for media insiders, about media insiders.
Needless to say, my head is still spinning.*
Mediabistro founder, Laurel Touby pauses on the eve of the media site's 10th anniversary to take a long look back and nostalgically reflect on her ginormous $21 million windfall the vast number of life-altering moments and burning questions she's faced over the years.
Shall we add a job board or just have bulletin boards?
Do I work from home or raise capital so I can rent an office and hire people?
How do we ever get back to work after 9/11?
Charmin in the bathroom or the 100% recycled kind?
Decisions, decisions!! Meanwhile, Touby muses, "How could an innocent little cocktail party evolve into a web site and a business where hundreds of thousands of people find daily delight?" Oh, Laurel, if we knew the answer to that, we'd be out somewhere eating greasy food and talking about last night's boozefest strategizing at an important breakfast meeting with some hungover drinking buddies highly reputable business associates over a couple of Irish Coffees energy drinks.
Picked up a copy of the Village Voice lately? Based on their latest circulation estimates, we're guessing not. But you should! Lest you miss out on this wordy (and surprisingly entertaining) profile on Laurel Touby, sometimes-drunk and founder of the suddenly lucrative website, Mediabistro.com.
So, sit back, read and watch as Touby transforms from geek to almost-chic before your eyes. Marvel in her gradual transition from uninvited wannabe-journalist to frizzy-haired, boa-wearing sort-of journalist. Smile as Touby's own friends describe her as "not cool" and make fun of her snorting, chortle-laugh and Sally Jessy Raphael spectacles.
And cry as you realize that, even if you ditch your colored contacts for coke-bottle glasses, cultivate a Steve Urkel inspired laugh and start prancing around in a feathered boa, no one will ever turn around and offer you a check for $23 million.
"Please join me at Michael's Restaurant on Wednesday, July 25, in raising a toast to TVNewser's Brian Stelter, as he sets out to leave the confines of the blogosphere for the print world," writes Mediabistro.com founder Laurel Touby, who's not exactly having a bad week herself.
"But," Laurel continues, "every ending is a new beginning, and I've got some very exciting news to share. I'll be unveiling the next TVNewser - who will be taking the blog in new and exciting directions. Stay tuned — you'll have to be at the party to find out who it is (I'm inviting only 100 people, so you'll be among the first)!'
All of which would ordinarily be pretty damn exciting except for one small thing: we already know who the next TVNewser is.
Ever wondered how exactly to go from being borderline alchy to rich and semi-famous? Just do what Mediabistro.com founder Laurel Touby did: surround yourself with semi-successful media professionals who enjoy drunken benders as much as you do (we suggest the New York Post's Steve Dunleavy, or one of those perma-tipsy Rush & Molloy assistants) and then find a way to turn your appreciation for all things hard liquor into a profitable online venture!
Laurel Touby turned her popular cocktail parties into a high-traffic Web site for job-seeking media and creative professionals. Yesterday, she sold mediabistro.com, the company that sprang from those mixers, for $23 million. The Jupitermedia Corporation, an Internet research company that also sells photos and art, agreed to pay $20 million in cash and an additional $3 million over two years for the company.
As for our own career plans, we've got two wine coolers in the fridge and a half-empty (or is it half-full?) bottle of Absolut vodka in the freezer, and a six-pack of Rolling Rock. Which means, it's time to play 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire!'
We really hope she's sitting down, because we have just found Laurel Touby's online haven. The press release we were just sent was obviously meant for her, but we can share it with you guys, too.
Blinking boas are five feet long and available in purple feathers and pink and lavender feathers. Both include 10 LED red flashing lights that can be turned on and off. Boas come with replaceable watch batteries.
Boas with lights! Blinking lights! Laurel, do you hear us? The full release, as ridiculous as can be, is after the jump.
CONTINUED »
The rumors started a while back … and now Ad Age confirms the whispers. Media news staple Mediabistro is officially on the block. The job searching, news feeding, fishbowling site is asking for 3-4 times its revenue … though, nobody knows exactly what that revenue is. (We're guessing closer to the $5 million range than the $8 mil. $32 million just seems a tad high.)
While we, too, would like to more about who's thinking of buying the site — guesses were Haymarket Media (of PRWeek), Monster.com or Vault. (Ad Age points out that Crain was browsing, but wasn't really feelin' it. The entire article, instead, is about Mediabistro founder and CEO Laurel Touby.
… the site is probably best known for founder-CEO Laurel Touby — or at least the brightly-colored boas she wears to Mediabistro's frequent networking parties across the country.
Thanks in no small part to journalists' insatiable desire to mix, mingle and consume news about their own, Ms. Touby has become a fixture in the blogging world, even if the digerati's glare hasn't always been kind. In floating a rumor of a potential sale in June, it wrote: "Honestly, who would be dumb enough to buy Mediabistro? It's all a big mystery; if you've heard anything, let us know."
Well, sounds like whoever is wrapping this September deal is smart enough not to make business decisions based on a Gawker dis of Laurel Touby. All that remains to be seen is who these new folks are, and if they keep the 'bistro's chef on board. (Oh, and PS: "Digerati??" Nat, you're killing us.)
For Sale: Mediabistro [Nat Ives, Matthew Creamer, Ad Age]
If you know nothing about Mediabistro, you at least know this: First, you will find at least one job through the site; second, their "How to Pitch" series is code for "How to Keep Mediabistro Afloat"; and third, Laurel Touby loves her boas.
What you may not know, however, is how they're producing any content on their own.
Sure, they've got their underpaid bloggers at the Fishbowl twins, GalleyCat, and a couple other cutesy titled streams of consciousness. But their features – like David Hirschman's "Don't Bother Writing For Print" and Greg Lindsay's "Credit Where It's Due: Online" – aren't exactly paid items.
Turns out it's $49 Avant Guild memberships and health insurance that are the real commodity. We hear from inside the 'bistro, writers like Lindsay are under contract to meet a specific annual word count (say, 30,000?) in order to receive comp'd health benefits. Turns out that in the case of Greg, he hasn't been holding up his end of the bargain, which is why you're currently seeing him spit on FishbowlNY after he and honcho Touby agreed the ex-WWDer's blog items would contribute to his feature word count. Now Greg can continue plucking around town on assignment for Business 2.0 without worrying about being hit by a cab (just Nick Denton).
Meanwhile, other writers aren't being paid even $.20/word for their feature items — they're being compensated with $49 annual AvantGuild logins, which means unlimited Revolving Door access!
As you'd imagine, nobody (including incoming editorial director Dorian Benkoil as well as Lindsay) was willing to speak on the record about the matter, and Laurel Touby has yet to respond to inquiries.
So why such a big deal? Don't get us wrong: free health insurance rocks our socks off. In fact, we're quite certain our own writers would enjoy the possibilities. But isn't Mediabistro the biggest cheerleader for writers getting paid with actual cash? Why yes, yes it is. (Unless you're Liz Spiers.)
Editorial Director
