Comments on: Journalism Online Will Make You Pay http://blog.journalistics.com/2009/journalism_online_will_make_you_pay/ A Blog About Public Relations, Journalism and Social Media Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:25:58 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Jeremy Porter http://blog.journalistics.com/2009/journalism_online_will_make_you_pay/comment-page-1/#comment-1083 Jeremy Porter Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:52:12 +0000 http://blog.journalistics.com/?p=759#comment-1083 I agree. If you read between the lines in the post, you'll see my tone is "slim chance" - but if there were a chance, it might involve some of those options. I believe it won't work. Others believe it will. That's what makes this stuff so darn interesting. I agree. If you read between the lines in the post, you’ll see my tone is “slim chance” – but if there were a chance, it might involve some of those options. I believe it won’t work. Others believe it will. That’s what makes this stuff so darn interesting.

]]> By: faseidl http://blog.journalistics.com/2009/journalism_online_will_make_you_pay/comment-page-1/#comment-1081 faseidl Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:56:34 +0000 http://blog.journalistics.com/?p=759#comment-1081 <p>@larryeiler Right after lunch, I saw this article <a href="http://bit.ly/16IjKN" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/16IjKN</a> – IMO, the first 5 of 6 ways suggested for success r not sustainable</p> <p><i>This comment was originally posted on <a href="http://twitter.com/faseidl/statuses/2442274377" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></i></p> @larryeiler Right after lunch, I saw this article http://bit.ly/16IjKN – IMO, the first 5 of 6 ways suggested for success r not sustainable

This comment was originally posted on Twitter

]]> By: PublicityGuru http://blog.journalistics.com/2009/journalism_online_will_make_you_pay/comment-page-1/#comment-1080 PublicityGuru Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:03:57 +0000 http://blog.journalistics.com/?p=759#comment-1080 <p>Journalism Online Will Make You Pay <a href="http://bit.ly/16IjKN" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/16IjKN</a></p> <p><i>This comment was originally posted on <a href="http://twitter.com/PublicityGuru/statuses/2440658412" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></i></p> Journalism Online Will Make You Pay http://bit.ly/16IjKN

This comment was originally posted on Twitter

]]> By: Jeremy Porter http://blog.journalistics.com/2009/journalism_online_will_make_you_pay/comment-page-/#comment-1078 Jeremy Porter Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:58:12 +0000 http://blog.journalistics.com/?p=759#comment-1078 Another thought I had in on the drive this morning... this approach is very similar to the bundling of channels cable and satellite providers use to limit our options. I think consumers, if given the choice, would opt to subscribe to individual channels, rather than subscribe to a bunch of stuff you're not interested in. The Journalism Online approach limits choice for consumers. Another thought I had in on the drive this morning… this approach is very similar to the bundling of channels cable and satellite providers use to limit our options. I think consumers, if given the choice, would opt to subscribe to individual channels, rather than subscribe to a bunch of stuff you’re not interested in. The Journalism Online approach limits choice for consumers.

]]> By: Ohiojournalist http://blog.journalistics.com/2009/journalism_online_will_make_you_pay/comment-page-1/#comment-1077 Ohiojournalist Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:03:50 +0000 http://blog.journalistics.com/?p=759#comment-1077 Nice post. I completely agree with your idea that paid subscriptions would outweigh lost advertising revenues that would result from less traffic. As a reader, I wouldn't be interested in paying for news content, though I am a reporter and blogger and understand the cost involved in collecting the news. At this point, it just seems ridiculous to pay for content that has been free and that can be obtained through other sources. Unfortunately, it is difficult to express these concerns to management, who are desperately trying to find a way to make up for lost advertising revenue. I keep hearing the same argument: "We can't just give away our product; it costs money to collect news." Instead of trying to come up with a workable solution, it seems newspapers are grasping at any possibility of additional revenue they can think of. I do understand that we need to find some way to monetize the news, but I am not at all convinced that paid online content is the answer. Nice post. I completely agree with your idea that paid subscriptions would outweigh lost advertising revenues that would result from less traffic. As a reader, I wouldn’t be interested in paying for news content, though I am a reporter and blogger and understand the cost involved in collecting the news. At this point, it just seems ridiculous to pay for content that has been free and that can be obtained through other sources.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to express these concerns to management, who are desperately trying to find a way to make up for lost advertising revenue. I keep hearing the same argument: “We can’t just give away our product; it costs money to collect news.” Instead of trying to come up with a workable solution, it seems newspapers are grasping at any possibility of additional revenue they can think of. I do understand that we need to find some way to monetize the news, but I am not at all convinced that paid online content is the answer.

]]> By: ValerieInRke http://blog.journalistics.com/2009/journalism_online_will_make_you_pay/comment-page-1/#comment-1076 ValerieInRke Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:42:05 +0000 http://blog.journalistics.com/?p=759#comment-1076 ESJ, I watched the discussion streaming live. Here is a link to the replay. It is worth the time. There was no consensus. As hearing go I guess "they go nowhere." http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/hear_090421.html ESJ,
I watched the discussion streaming live. Here is a link to the replay. It is worth the time. There was no consensus. As hearing go I guess “they go nowhere.”

http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/hear_090421.html

]]> By: ESJ http://blog.journalistics.com/2009/journalism_online_will_make_you_pay/comment-page-1/#comment-1072 ESJ Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:57:08 +0000 http://blog.journalistics.com/?p=759#comment-1072 As a voracious reader of news on both blogs and newspaper websites, as well as a young blogger and reporter in my own right, I know I wouldn't pay for this. I was at a panel discussion earlier this month at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and one of the panelists was Darrell West, who has researched and written extensively about the media. His suggestion for the newspaper biz? Convince Congress to suspend all antitrust laws for one day so that they could collude and create a standard. Senator Ben Cardin was also a panelist, and he quipped back that what's left of the American automakers could take the day after that. As a voracious reader of news on both blogs and newspaper websites, as well as a young blogger and reporter in my own right, I know I wouldn’t pay for this. I was at a panel discussion earlier this month at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and one of the panelists was Darrell West, who has researched and written extensively about the media. His suggestion for the newspaper biz? Convince Congress to suspend all antitrust laws for one day so that they could collude and create a standard. Senator Ben Cardin was also a panelist, and he quipped back that what’s left of the American automakers could take the day after that.

]]> By: Wendy http://blog.journalistics.com/2009/journalism_online_will_make_you_pay/comment-page-1/#comment-1064 Wendy Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:55:27 +0000 http://blog.journalistics.com/?p=759#comment-1064 Newspapers were experimenting with what, before the Web, were called "on-line" services. I worked for one of them, in the early '90s, and this videotex venture charged a flat monthly rate for basic services like local news and business stories, classifieds. Like cable, there were premium tiers for additional services, such as AP wires, state government news and the newspaper archive. Prices for these varied, sometimes per minute or by the month. I don't know how much money it made but like other ventures it did not last long. That was the time to get newspaper readers to get into the habit of paying for news and information on their computers. It's a shame that it didn't happen, because I don't see how mainstream sites can convince online readers now that they have valuable material that's worth paying for. Even though we all know that they do. Newspapers were experimenting with what, before the Web, were called “on-line” services. I worked for one of them, in the early ’90s, and this videotex venture charged a flat monthly rate for basic services like local news and business stories, classifieds.

Like cable, there were premium tiers for additional services, such as AP wires, state government news and the newspaper archive. Prices for these varied, sometimes per minute or by the month.

I don’t know how much money it made but like other ventures it did not last long. That was the time to get newspaper readers to get into the habit of paying for news and information on their computers. It’s a shame that it didn’t happen, because I don’t see how mainstream sites can convince online readers now that they have valuable material that’s worth paying for.

Even though we all know that they do.

]]> By: ValerieInRke http://blog.journalistics.com/2009/journalism_online_will_make_you_pay/comment-page-1/#comment-1066 ValerieInRke Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:11:16 +0000 http://blog.journalistics.com/?p=759#comment-1066 Every publisher would have to get onboard for it to work. The citizen journalist will be a huge leak in this boat. There are citizen journalists who don't just reword MSM copy. Speaking for myself I actually go to and write and take pictures/video. Most readers are interested in what is happening in their own city, town or state. They can get national news from any media outlet (TV - C-Span, etc) Citizen journalists pick up on the abundance of interesting and newsworthy local happenings that get left by the shrinking pool of newspaper reporters. This is especially so on weekends. The local daily newspaper office is vacant on weekends. Speaking for myself again I get calls of breaking local news because they don't trust the newspaper reporters to get it right. (I don't feel that way as I have a good personal relationship with our local news outlets and pass on info I get AFTER I post it). If newspapers want to boost the content readers are searching for then they should form a partnership with the citizen journalist. More news is better. I used to write for a weekly but week-old rehashed news was not for me. Every publisher would have to get onboard for it to work. The citizen journalist will be a huge leak in this boat.

There are citizen journalists who don’t just reword MSM copy. Speaking for myself I actually go to and write and take pictures/video.

Most readers are interested in what is happening in their own city, town or state.

They can get national news from any media outlet (TV – C-Span, etc)

Citizen journalists pick up on the abundance of interesting and newsworthy local happenings that get left by the shrinking pool of newspaper reporters.

This is especially so on weekends. The local daily newspaper office is vacant on weekends.

Speaking for myself again I get calls of breaking local news because they don’t trust the newspaper reporters to get it right. (I don’t feel that way as I have a good personal relationship with our local news outlets and pass on info I get AFTER I post it).

If newspapers want to boost the content readers are searching for then they should form a partnership with the citizen journalist. More news is better.

I used to write for a weekly but week-old rehashed news was not for me.

]]> By: Kate Bryant http://blog.journalistics.com/2009/journalism_online_will_make_you_pay/comment-page-1/#comment-1057 Kate Bryant Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:51:56 +0000 http://blog.journalistics.com/?p=759#comment-1057 Unless Journalism Online managed to get every source of content on board with their programs, I doubt they will make enough money to be profitable. In my mind, I liken free news on the internet to free news on the television. While I pay for cable, I don't specifically pay for news (and as far as I know there's no HBO-equivalent paid news channel.) I think the same way about paying for the internet, but I'm not going to pay for the news. Additionally, with the widespread ability to record televised news via TiVo or DVR systems, those seeking out one story are likely to be able to get it from a news channel on television quickly without the need to watch the entire program. Another obstacle Journalism Online will face is blog or Twitter talk about their articles. They can hardly control who publicly recaps the story or provides details, so nothing is stopping one blogger for paying for a subscription and then giving quick updates to their own readers. Unless Journalism Online managed to get every source of content on board with their programs, I doubt they will make enough money to be profitable.

In my mind, I liken free news on the internet to free news on the television. While I pay for cable, I don’t specifically pay for news (and as far as I know there’s no HBO-equivalent paid news channel.) I think the same way about paying for the internet, but I’m not going to pay for the news. Additionally, with the widespread ability to record televised news via TiVo or DVR systems, those seeking out one story are likely to be able to get it from a news channel on television quickly without the need to watch the entire program.

Another obstacle Journalism Online will face is blog or Twitter talk about their articles. They can hardly control who publicly recaps the story or provides details, so nothing is stopping one blogger for paying for a subscription and then giving quick updates to their own readers.

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