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New York Times preparing for 'impending Apple slate'

Executive editor talks to staff about challenge of delivering content to a variety of mobile platforms. But it's not clear whether the paper has inside knowledge of the rumored Apple tablet.

Jim Dalrymple Special to CNET News
Jim Dalrymple has followed Apple and the Mac industry for the last 15 years, first as part of MacCentral and then in various positions at Macworld. Jim also writes about the professional audio market, examining the best ways to record music using a Macintosh. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. He currently runs The Loop.
Jim Dalrymple
2 min read

It's no secret that newspapers in the U.S. are having their share of difficulties during this economic downturn, but New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller is looking to the future and that future includes an Apple tablet.

Keller's remarks came during a presentation earlier this month to the digital staff at The New York Times. Video of the "off-the-record" meeting was obtained by the Nieman Journalism Lab and posted on its site. At the meeting, Keller addressed some of the things the newspaper needs to do to succeed, including preparing for platforms of the future.

"We need to figure out the right journalistic product to deliver to mobile platforms and devices," said Keller. "I'm hoping we can get the newsroom more actively involved in the challenge of delivering our best journalism in the form of Times Reader, iPhone apps, WAP, or the impending Apple slate, or whatever comes after that."

It's not clear whether Keller has inside knowledge of an Apple tablet or if he was just assuming the existence of the device based on the rumors and speculation that have been around for months.

However, Keller could know more than the average person. Apple has reportedly been talking to several high-profile media companies, negotiating to get its content ready for a new device the company is preparing to launch, according to Gizmodo.

Attracting companies like The New York Times could be a win-win for both companies--Apple would have reputable content for its device and companies like The New York Times would have a new revenue source for its business.