Rupert Murdoch. $30 million. 100 journalists. Steve Jobs. News Corp's daily news iPad app, The Daily, which will be introduced to the public in early 2011, definitely has the hype. But behind the buzz, the real question everyone is asking is, "Will The Daily sink or swim?"

Ryan Tate, Gawker reporter, pieced together many arguments for why Murdoch's risky new business project looks be an utter failure, but concludes his article with several "reasons for optimism."

The Daily's description alone sounds like a potentially unwise idea - it will be distributed at the rate of a traditional daily newspaper, every morning, meaning that each day's content will inevitably feature yesterday's news. Tate writes, "That decidedly retro delivery model might sound appealing for Murdoch, a newspaper sentimentalist...but it's going to seem poky for a generation of Facebook readers who tend to want read yesterday's news yesterday, not today." In a society where many are constantly online via computer, smartphone, or iPad, we have become accustomed to reading news as it happens. So why would digital readers pay for slow news, when there are already free, high-quality alternatives?

While the app is expected to cost a mere 99 cents per week, or about $4.25 per month, why would the market purchase this subscription when they can read long-established papers on their iPads' web browsers such as The Washington Post, the Guardian, CNN, or BBC - for nothing?

And while these news companies utilize other forums such as print and television, and have websites that can be accessed through a variety of devices, The Daily is by its very nature, very limited. It only distributes its material through its iPad app, meaning that not only do you have to pay for a subscription, but you also have to first own a $500+ iPad. So while, according to Tate, "iPad sales are estimated to total roughly 15 million by the end of this year and, optimists believe, 40 million in 2011," Murdoch is taking a large risk on the explosive popularity of the iPad.

Let's even assume that of the iPad owners, there is a strong demand to digest news through the more visually engaging, better-designed news apps compared to through websites not designed specifically for the iPad. By presupposing this case, The Daily still faces an upward battle because, as Tate points out, people can download free and interesting apps such as "Reeder, Instapaper, Flipboard and Pulse." Clearly, The Daily needs to introduce an entirely new set of features to set itself apart from its competitors, and that is no easy task.

But don't discard The Daily too hastily, for Murdoch appears to have none other than Steve Jobs on his side. Not only is Jobs expected to appear with Murdoch for The Daily's official launch, but rumors have it that Apple will surprisingly include The Daily app with iPad purchases. But why would liberal-minded Jobs go out of his way to pair up with Fox News owner Murdoch on this possibly perilous business venture? According to Tate, "The app will be among the first to support a new subscription billing option from Apple's iTunes Store, meaning Jobs & Co. will get a share of subscribers' recurring fees." And as we all know, when Jobs touches something, it turns to gold.

Source: Gawker, WWD Media, Daring Fireball