The Satiric iPad App Punch Wants You To Laugh, Play, Pay

Despite a cheeky promotional claim that profitability is "not something we think about," Punch has a grand vision of becoming a lucrative tablet publishing platform. But first, a quiz: hedge fund or organic farm?David Bennahum is the CEO of Punch, a news and entertainment app that launched last week for the iPad. Pulling up Punch on your iPad brings shelves filled with various items; tapping on these loads miniature in-app apps that feature topical, interactive content. (Want to dress a digital Rick Santorum doll? You came to the right place.) Fast Company spoke with Bennahum about Punch’s antecedents--including the historical British satire publication of the same name--as well as its future; Punch has a grand vision of becoming a publishing platform. Despite the claims made around the 0:45 mark in Punch's self-satirizing promo video (below), the company very much has thought about profitability--perhaps more deeply than most iPad publishers.The tagline for Punch is “Make Fun.” How does that motto inform the core of Punch?The idea emerged between [Punch founding editor, Radar magazine founder] Maer Roshan and myself about two years ago. Both of us, I think, first of all, appreciate the commercial value of satire and comedy as a way into journalism and the news. Secondly we felt the emergence of the tablet was creating a hunger for topical original content that could only exist on a tablet and nowhere else. We had a sense even back then that it was going to be a huge... Continue reading at 'Fast Company'

[ Fast Company | 2012-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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‘I’m afraid of repercussions’: Publishing industry members question Google’s motives in paying off News Corp

Google's News Corp deal may pacify Australian lawmakers, but publishing industry members worry about repercussions for smaller publishers. The post ‘I’m afraid of repercussions’: Publishing industry members question Google’s motives in paying off News Corp appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2021-02-18 05:01:00 UTC ]
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Google will pay News Corp outlets for using their content

Google has signed a three-year agreement to carry content from News Corp publications. In the US, UK and Australia, Google’s News Showcase will now feature stories from The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch and other outlets. The financial terms of th... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-02-17 18:42:24 UTC ]
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True Born Englishman: did the BBC ban this Buckingham Palace play?

Peter Barnes’ monologue about a royal footman was commissioned for radio but never broadcast until now. Director Philip Franks and others unravel its mysteryThe most celebrated set of dramatic monologues for broadcasting and theatre are Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads, first performed in the 1980s.... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-02-12 13:00:44 UTC ]
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Indie Bookstores Embrace E-Commerce...and It Pays Off

After a year spent pivoting out of necessirty, booksellers now see online sales as a permanent part of their business model. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-02-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Exclusive: Reese Witherspoon’s wildly popular book club is now an app

Fans can find the actress’s book recommendations, special merch, and pop-up events on the new mobile platform. Actress and Hello Sunshine founder Reese Witherspoon is seeking to broaden the reach of her popular book club, built largely on Instagram, with a new mobile app that will allow in-app... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2021-02-03 10:00:34 UTC ]
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Hachette 'moving in the right direction' as it cuts gender pay gap

Hachette UK has released its latest gender pay gap report, revealing that the mean gender pay gap for Hachette UK Ltd dropped by four percentage points from 25.9% in 2019 to 21.9% in 2020. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-26 18:43:45 UTC ]
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W H Smith delays Cowling pay rise after shareholders object

W H Smith has delayed a £25,000 pay increase for c.e.o. Carl Cowling after 33% of voting shareholders opposed the company's remuneration plans at this week's annual general meeting. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-20 17:11:37 UTC ]
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Audiobook Apps for Bilingual Readers and Language Learners

Whether you're practicing a language, or want to read a book in its original language, try these audiobook apps for language learning. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-01-20 11:39:00 UTC ]
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‘A force to be reckoned with’– fantasy world pays tribute to Storm Constantine

A pioneering novelist, she was also a passionate publisher, highlighting voices neglected by the mainstream. My life was one of many changed by her enthusiasmStorm Constantine, the fantasy author and book publisher who has died at the age of 64, was a prolific novelist and short-story writer.... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-01-19 11:41:44 UTC ]
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'Bridgerton's' author doesn't want you to pay $800 for her books

Since the Netflix adaptation of the revisionist Regency drama "Bridgerton" premiered on Christmas, Julia Quinn's original book series is in very high demand. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-01-12 18:36:35 UTC ]
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Black Futures Co-Creators to Guest-Curate Facebook App’s Lift Black Voices Section

Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham, co-authors of visual anthology Black Futures, will become the first-ever guest curators of the Lift Black Voices section in its flagship mobile applications. Starting Monday and lasting for three weeks, they will personally select collections of dialogues, essays... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2021-01-11 18:55:42 UTC ]
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Manage Your 2021 TBR With These Reading List Apps

These eight reading list apps can help you stay organized and focused on your reading goals throughout 2021. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-01-08 11:40:00 UTC ]
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Jean Valentine, Minimalist Poet With Maximum Punch, Dies at 86

A former New York State Poet, she won the National Book Award and was a Pulitzer finalist for poems in which small details could accrue great power. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-01-07 17:27:38 UTC ]
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Child's Play picks up two more from Romani author Richard O’Neill

Independent publisher Child's Play will publish two more picture books by Romani author Richard O’Neill, as part of his Romani Tales series.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-06 20:26:51 UTC ]
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Apple removes more unlicensed games from the App Store in China

The App Store is reportedly looking a little different in China today. According to Reuters, Apple has removed roughly 39,000 games owned by developers and publishers that don’t have an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) from the Chinese gover... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2020-12-31 13:01:44 UTC ]
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Indies report slowing sales as nervous shoppers play safe

Indie bookshops in Tiers 2 and 3—which, unlike Tier 4 shops, can still open their doors to customers—have reported a change in customer behaviour this week, with reduced footfall since the government's warnings and further restrictions at the weekend.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-23 07:59:52 UTC ]
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Grove Atlantic Raises Entry-Level Pay, Forms Exec Committee

Grove Atlantic has created a six-person executive committee to help CEO Morgan Entrekin run the publisher and increased the entry-level salary to $40,000. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-12-15 05:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S pre-empts 'laugh-out-loud' graphic novel series

Simon & Schuster Children’s Books has pre-empted full-colour graphic novel series Kitty Quest by cartoonist Phil Corbett. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-09 21:07:48 UTC ]
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Happy 10th Birthday, Google Play Books!

Reading books is for nerds, right? Well, that depends on your definition of "nerd," I suppose. While I must confess to not being a regular reader, I greatly admire those that are. Reading is surely a better way to spend time than mindlessly watching sports on TV -- something I am quite guilty of... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2020-12-09 18:41:58 UTC ]
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Jeremy O. Harris is donating a collection of plays by Black writers to libraries across the country.

On Late Night with Seth Meyers this week, Slave Play and Daddy playwright Jeremy O. Harris announced he is donating a collection of 15 plays by Black playwrights to 53 libraries and community centers across the United States—and is donating one such collection to Northwestern University in Seth... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-12-09 17:29:54 UTC ]
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