Pay Walls
Pay Walls for the Papers
My free rides are ending. The Scranton Times-Tribune, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and now the New York Times are no longer offering free, unlimited reading of their articles. I wonder how this will all work out.
I get the reasoning. Journalists at all three papers need to be paid, and the better writers can command more money. Circulation for all three papers has steadily declined. And the sad truth is, news organizations have yet to figure out a way to make internet advertising as profitable as print or broadcast advertising. Some news organizations will tell you that making money from the internet is a matter of long term survival.
I’d be disingenuous to oppose the so-called paywalls. These are my brothers and sisters who hopefully are able to stay employed and make a reasonable living if their employers can make the extra revenue streams work. I just wonder if they will.
One problem: Most people are used to getting all content free on the internet with two exceptions, pornography and gambling. The New York Times past experience shows that pay per read can cause as many problems as it solves, as their recently abandoned Times Select experiment proved. With paywall coming, top columnists and reporters worry their readership, and therefore influence will dwindle. Most musicians looking for commercial success would rather play a packed auditorium than a half-empty coffeehouse. I know I prefer working for a number one rated station. Good print journalists want everyone to read their articles and columns.
Another problem: The New York Times and the Scranton Times-Tribune will allow you a few free reads per month, then you will have to pay. Is this a good business model? It seems like the only ones paying are their best and most loyal readers. And consider human nature. Those who do not want to pay will read as many free articles as possible, then stop until the beginning of the next month, when the reads are reset. Why not simply charge for online subscriptions?
And I really have a problem with charging print subscribers. It seems to me that if you are paying good money for a subscription, you should be able to get online content for free. The news organization already has it's money. So if your paper delivery is late, or you left your paper at home and you want to catch up during your lunch break, or you are on vacation and you want to see what is going on at home, these news organizations should not charge.
I suspect this paywall system is still in a state of trial and error, and will undergo many changes as the news organizations get a better feel for consumer behavior. I wish them luck. We are all poorer, when your daily paper has to cut costs to survive.
I am very proud of our recent reporting on the problem with the designer drug legally sold as bath salts. Kudos to the “Smokes ‘r Us” chain with seven stores in NEPA, who pulled bath salts off their shelves, which cost them customers. Next month, I strongly believe these dangerous substances will be illegal in Pennsylania, as will synthetic marijuana. I will check back in more frequently.
Take a look at our recent Action 16 Investigates on bath salts.
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is my favorite non-Olympic sporting event of the year. I root for, in order, Syracuse University, the teams I picked in my brackets for office pools and on-line contests, and the underdogs. Hate the outlaw coaches (Pitino, Calipari, Calhoun, Huggins), and in doing so, I usually root against their schools, especially Connecticut. Loved watching Richmond win today, liked watching Moorehead State win (didn’t predict that one), and dug the near upset by Penn State. Tomorrow I am rooting for Syracuse, who has an excellent chance to go deep into this tournament. Kansas beats Duke in the final game, and keep an eye out for Florida. The Gators have the best coach in today’s game, and while many trash their number two seed, I have them in the final four. Someday, a #16 will beat a #1 seed, and I hope I live long enough to see that day.
My free rides are ending. The Scranton Times-Tribune, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and now the New York Times are no longer offering free, unlimited reading of their articles. I wonder how this will all work out.
I get the reasoning. Journalists at all three papers need to be paid, and the better writers can command more money. Circulation for all three papers has steadily declined. And the sad truth is, news organizations have yet to figure out a way to make internet advertising as profitable as print or broadcast advertising. Some news organizations will tell you that making money from the internet is a matter of long term survival.
I’d be disingenuous to oppose the so-called paywalls. These are my brothers and sisters who hopefully are able to stay employed and make a reasonable living if their employers can make the extra revenue streams work. I just wonder if they will.
One problem: Most people are used to getting all content free on the internet with two exceptions, pornography and gambling. The New York Times past experience shows that pay per read can cause as many problems as it solves, as their recently abandoned Times Select experiment proved. With paywall coming, top columnists and reporters worry their readership, and therefore influence will dwindle. Most musicians looking for commercial success would rather play a packed auditorium than a half-empty coffeehouse. I know I prefer working for a number one rated station. Good print journalists want everyone to read their articles and columns.
Another problem: The New York Times and the Scranton Times-Tribune will allow you a few free reads per month, then you will have to pay. Is this a good business model? It seems like the only ones paying are their best and most loyal readers. And consider human nature. Those who do not want to pay will read as many free articles as possible, then stop until the beginning of the next month, when the reads are reset. Why not simply charge for online subscriptions?
And I really have a problem with charging print subscribers. It seems to me that if you are paying good money for a subscription, you should be able to get online content for free. The news organization already has it's money. So if your paper delivery is late, or you left your paper at home and you want to catch up during your lunch break, or you are on vacation and you want to see what is going on at home, these news organizations should not charge.
I suspect this paywall system is still in a state of trial and error, and will undergo many changes as the news organizations get a better feel for consumer behavior. I wish them luck. We are all poorer, when your daily paper has to cut costs to survive.
Bath Salts
I am very proud of our recent reporting on the problem with the designer drug legally sold as bath salts. Kudos to the “Smokes ‘r Us” chain with seven stores in NEPA, who pulled bath salts off their shelves, which cost them customers. Next month, I strongly believe these dangerous substances will be illegal in Pennsylania, as will synthetic marijuana. I will check back in more frequently.
Take a look at our recent Action 16 Investigates on bath salts.
Sports
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is my favorite non-Olympic sporting event of the year. I root for, in order, Syracuse University, the teams I picked in my brackets for office pools and on-line contests, and the underdogs. Hate the outlaw coaches (Pitino, Calipari, Calhoun, Huggins), and in doing so, I usually root against their schools, especially Connecticut. Loved watching Richmond win today, liked watching Moorehead State win (didn’t predict that one), and dug the near upset by Penn State. Tomorrow I am rooting for Syracuse, who has an excellent chance to go deep into this tournament. Kansas beats Duke in the final game, and keep an eye out for Florida. The Gators have the best coach in today’s game, and while many trash their number two seed, I have them in the final four. Someday, a #16 will beat a #1 seed, and I hope I live long enough to see that day.
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