Publishers fingers are crossed as they await the promise of the Apple tablet

On the eve of the unveiling of the much anticipated Apple tablet (iPad?), a lot of traditional magazine and newspaper publishers are doing their level best to put a positive spin on the new gadget's likely impact. A story in the New York Times puts it this way:

For now, at least, the technology and media industries are looking at the brighter side. “Steve believes in old media companies and wants them to do well,” said a person who has seen the device and is familiar with Apple’s marketing plan for it, but who did not want to be named because talking about it might alienate him from the company. “He believes democracy is hinged on a free press and that depends on there being a professional press.”

The article suggests that some publishers see the new technology as a way of undoing mistakes of the past -- such as giving away content that they should have charged for. Customers' willingness to spend money on and through mobile devices holds out hope for a major revenue stream.

Of course publishers have the unhappy example of the music industry, too, which, in its rush to sign up with the iPod managed to give away direct control of their audiences to Apple.

Media companies may have to swallow hard before tethering their futures to any high-tech company, let alone Apple. Many publishers believe their economic health depends on finding a direct line to their customers, and it is not clear whether Apple — and other aggregators of Internet content — will allow that.

Magazine publishers, for example, maintain sophisticated databases about their customers, which lets them cross-sell products, renew subscriptions and entice advertisers with statistics about their wealthy readers. A big part of the business is automatic renewals charged to credit cards.

But when magazine publishers sell applications through the iTunes store, they do not get credit card information or even the name of the buyer.