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Overall, the company is barely managing to keep its head above water, and it is looking at what are expected to be significant cuts to the newsroom. The paper’s experiments with standalone apps haven’t really paid off in most cases, subscription growth is slowing, and both digital and print-advertising revenue are in decline. If it can do that effectively (which is obviously a question mark), the Times might be able to turn Wirecutter into the revenue engine for a growing digital unit, something it has very few of. The potential is that learning from Lam and what he’s been able to build at Wirecutter-with a tiny fraction of the number of staff the New York Times has-could help the paper learn and adapt that model to a whole range of different products and services such as food, fashion, etc.
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Best for the nightstand: Accell Power Air. And the paper already uses affiliate links in a number of places on its site, including books and theater reviews. Our pick: Tripp Lite Protect It 12-Outlet Surge Protector TLP1208TELTV.
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The appeal for the New York Times isn’t necessarily how much revenue Wirecutter and Sweethome generate, since it’s probably not going to move the needle much at a company with annual revenues of about $1.6 billion.
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