10. The writers’ strike ends in favor of the writers once the studios recognize that people are watching Funny or Die (Will Ferrell’s partnership with Sequoia Capital), YouTube, and almost anything on the web rather Biggest Loser 13, The Bachelor in Helsinki, or The Next Great American Band 3.

9. Apple’s stock hits $265 per share and, despite the initial lackluster response (which I don’t understand and completely disagree with), Apple TV joins the list of Apple’s blockbuster products.

8. MinnPost is deemed a success and serves as a very solid model for other communities, other journalists who have been laid off by daily newspapers, and the future of local journalism in general.

7. The Employment Guide and Monster continue to run job scam ads throughout the entire year because they desperately need the revenue to prop up their deteriorating businesses.

6. John McCain is elected President in November. (I am making this prediction despite the fact that I am a registered Democrat).

5. Despite what most are saying, 2007 will not have been the nadir for the daily newspaper industry. 2008 will be an even worse year for daily newspapers across the country and the Tribune deal will be widely regarded, with possibly even concrete confirmation, as a complete boondoggle.

4. Barry Diller and IAC will add a major jobs/employment classified company to their portfolio of online properties in 2008.

3. The U.S. economy will struggle through all of 2008 in the throes of a recession.

2. Merger & acquisition activity in the media, advertising, publishing, and job board/employment classified sectors will be just as frenzied as 2007. The difference will be a far higher percentage of deals that are characterized as distressed sales and forced consolidations. There will be a significant number of online jobs sites that close their doors due to an inability to gain traction among consumers and/or employer advertisers. Despite this general pruning within the industry, innovation will continue at an accelerating pace, and leadership at the top will continue to emerge, with one or more companies rising to join CareerBuilder, Yahoo, and Monster (which will watch its U.S. market share continue to erode), at the top.

1. A major U.S. metro market will lose its daily newspaper altogether.

Tags: Predictions for 2008, Interactive Corporation, Barry Diller, Monster, CareerBuilder, Yahoo, HotJobs, U.S. Economy, Daily Newspaper Industry, Media & Advertising Industry, John McCain, MinnPost, Apple, Steve Jobs, The Employment Guide, Fake Job Ads, Job Scams, Interstitial Ads, The Writers’ Strike, Funny or Die, Will Ferrell, Sequoia Capital, Sam Zell Stole The Tribune Company