Topic: Special Interest

Dvorak provides a historical overview of PC Magazine's origins and its acquisition by Bill Ziff. He explains Ziff's theory of special interest publishing, which focused on creating highly targeted audiences for advertisers. Dvorak reveals that Popular Electronics was folded not because of low circulation, but because its audience became too broad to effectively sell to specific advertisers.

The hosts reflect on their experiences in the magazine and early podcasting industries, noting that traditional publishing was built on identifying "brand specifiers" for advertisers. They contrast this with the independent nature of podcasting, where the lack of a middleman allows for more direct communication but also leads to constant complaints about monetization.

Noam Chomsky argued that the focus on Russian collusion was a "huge gift" to Donald Trump and distracted from fundamental issues. He suggested that the real threat to American democracy is the billions of dollars spent by special interests and PACs, rather than limited Russian social media spending.

Senator Susan Collins criticized special interest groups for opposing the Kavanaugh nomination before the nominee's name was even known. She highlighted the use of "dark money" and the spread of debunked falsehoods via social media. The segment notes how these groups whipped followers into a frenzy using over-the-top rhetoric.

Donald Trump criticized the Republican National Committee (RNC) for allegedly stacking debate audiences with donors and special interests rather than supporters. During a town hall with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, Trump claimed the RNC is in default of the loyalty pledge he signed. The hosts also mock Jeb Bush's "low energy" persona and a Twitter rumor about Trump's German ancestry.

John C. Dvorak recounts his time at Ziff Davis and the publishing philosophy of Bill Ziff, who perfected the "special interest" magazine model. Ziff believed that readers of magazines like PC Magazine or Modern Bride should be "immersed" in a specific world, meaning all ads had to match the editorial content. This strategy turned the readers into a "packaged product" sold to advertisers at high rates, a concept Dvorak says still applies to modern media.

The discussion shifts to how special interests and legislation often target disruptive companies like Uber. An analogy is drawn to Napster, where the host argues that file-sharing actually boosted CD sales by helping consumers discover new music, despite the industry's perception of it as theft. Sculley uses this to illustrate how customers are assuming a larger role in market decisions.

The "value-for-value" model is contrasted with traditional podcast advertising, specifically criticizing "sneaky" underwriting and proprietary food box sponsorships. A historical perspective is provided via Bill Ziff’s theory of special interest publishing, which argued that advertisements should remain strictly relevant to the subject matter to keep the audience immersed. The modern tech "user" is described as a product being sold to advertisers.

A publishing industry contact proposes the launch of a Beer Special Interest Publication (SIP) with national distribution through retailers like Walmart. The proposal seeks to recruit "No Agenda Brewer Squad" members as freelance writers to provide content for the magazine.

The fiscal cliff law, H.R. 8, contains numerous special interest provisions, including tax deductions for auto racetrack owners and Hollywood film productions. Other subsidies include credits for Puerto Rican rum, mine rescue training, and wind energy production.

President Obama's weekly address criticized the Supreme Court's ruling on campaign finance, claiming it opens the floodgates for special interests. The hosts remain skeptical, suggesting the ruling may actually benefit the Democratic party's fundraising efforts in the upcoming election cycle.