CR Today

Publisher Mort Zuckerman told the Financial Times that the "print publishing business" is an oxymoron, because it's no longer a business. It's advertiser-driven, he said, and advertisers have driven elsewhere. The CR's leading business paper, HN, has reacted to the new environment by launching a new format. It's full of color and big headlines. Karel Hvížďala of Z1 is bewildered: Why go down-market, when HN's readership is rising? Top Czech businesspeople read only in English and online, he said, so HN should be targeting middle and upper managers who need tight information and analysis. But do they really, HN seems to be asking? Its new format is similar to that of USA Today, which is quite successful in targeting business travelers. HN is betting that most Czech businesspeople are actually quite casual in their reading habits. It's not very flattering, but it's probably right on the money.