Tough times at Le Monde
Le Monde, created in 1944 on the orders of Charles de Gaulle to be the "conscience of France," has reeled from crisis to crisis, and has not made a profit in more than seven years.
- New York Times Co. posts first-quarter loss

For magazines, 'be clever or die'
With so much of the publishing industry shifting toward the Web, magazine executives are trying to use their print products as a tactical advantage.

Muted alarm over Olympics coverage
Sponsors and organizers spurn Paris conference on how foreign journalists will cover the Beijing Summer Games.

Ad buying goes digital
An online media buying venture based in London is trying to adapt the Google approach to the process of buying advertising in mainstream media. Its founder describes it as an "online stock exchange" for advertising.

Inflation in Japan sends marketing dollars online
The shock of seeing substantial price increases is making Japanese consumers ask a question - "Why should I pay more?" — that was unnecessary for much of the last two decades.

For Internet metrics firms, limits on their predictions
Technology and media leaders have long held reservations about the data provided by companies like comScore that serve as Internet traffic reporters.

Wii machines sell quickly, but games do not
Marketing its Wii video-game system at a lower price than competitors, Nintendo has caught a wider net of potential customers, but retailers are having trouble selling new games to this softer audience.

Advertisers look past Web portals to gain clicks
Increasingly, marketers are looking to ad networks, which sell display advertising across groups of Web sites.

Paramount ready to stop movie sales to Showtime
Paramount announced that it would start its own premium television channel, along with MGM and Lionsgate.

Punch line for a digital age: Take my e-mail. Please!
Until someone comes up with software that eases the burden of managing a high volume of e-mail, we can see what tips we might learn from prolific letter writers in the pre-electronic era.

Era of in-flight mobile phone use begins in Europe
Air France has begun offering voice calls on one of its jets on a trial basis, and BMI of Britain and TAP of Portugal plan to do the same.

Google earnings defy economic downturn
Google's performance, however, is not likely to ease anxiety among investors about the overall health of the online advertising business.
- IBM easily tops forecasts for quarter
- A new chief, but eBay's struggles continue