TAKEAWAY: I said it in my first blog post of 2010, it is the Show Me The Money year for the media, and it is about time. Musings about taking that credit card out of the wallet to pay for the next NYTimes story.
The New York Times gets closer to charging for online content
Soon we will be paying for NY Times content; for now Prada is probably paying a high premium to appear as the dominant element here
It was Sunday in Genoa, Italy, and I knew that for me to get my Sunday New York Times, I had to turn to my MacBook and read it there. If I am home in Florida, chances are I would be reading the Times in its printed edition. As is usually my routine, I first perused the headlines on the front page, selected a couple of stories (mostly Haiti coverage, and two Washington stories), then turned my attention to the Arts section, which I usually devour with gusto.
As usual, it was an informative Sunday edition and I enjoyed a Q&A session with theater critic Ben Brantley, reporting from London.
It offered me plenty. It cost me nothing.
I then turned my attention to Madrid’s El Pais online, my other Sunday treat, sort of a ritual to do the Times and El Pais.
Again, fabulous coverage of the Haiti earthquake, perhaps among the best I read, an insightful story under the headline: Haiti does not exist anymore.
Inside, in the culture and arts section, fascinating commentary, literary reviews, two good interviews.
It offered me plenty. It cost me nothing.
But this is not likely to last.
My Sunday reading pleasures will start costing me soon. Nothing good lasts forever, someone once told me.
I am prepared to dig out my credit card and start paying for what I read in The New York Times, and, soon, probably , in El Pais, as well.
In both cases, the content is so phenomenal, that the cost (depending on what it is) is worth it. I am ready.
And, according to the Daily Intel blog, my days of reading the Times free are counted, and I quote:
“New York Times Chairman Arthur Sulzberger Jr. appears close to announcing that the paper will begin charging for access to its website, according to people familiar with internal deliberations. After a year of sometimes fraught debate inside the paper, the choice for some time has been between a Wall Street Journal-type pay wall and the metered system adopted by the Financial Times, in which readers can sample a certain number of free articles before being asked to subscribe. The Times seems to have settled on the metered system.
“One personal friend of Sulzberger said a final decision could come within days, and a senior newsroom source agreed, adding that the plan could be announced in a matter of weeks. (Apple’s tablet computer is rumored to launch on January 27, and sources speculate that Sulzberger will strike a content partnership for the new device, which could dovetail with the paid strategy.) It will likely be months before the Times actually begins to charge for content, perhaps sometime this spring. Executive Editor Bill Keller declined to comment. Times spokesperson Diane McNulty said: “We’ll announce a decision when we believe that we have crafted the best possible business approach. No details till then.”
Read more: New York Times Ready to Charge Online Readers—Daily Intel http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/01/new_york_times_set_to_mimic_ws.html#ixzz0cykynkRD
Also of interest:
– USA: How the New York Times Should Construct Its Paywall
http://seekingalpha.com/article/182971-how-the-new-york-times-should-construct-its-paywall?source=feed
Pay and tablets may come together
Notice the quote above, which mentions that perhaps the Times’ Sulzberger will strike a content partnership for the new device, which could dovetail with the paid strategy.
It makes sense perhaps to do this, and we will be watching with great interest.
By the way, I recently mentioned here about Roger Fidler and his pioneering efforts with the type of technology that allows us to read newspapers on tablets and other such devices. I have found a great interview with Roger in the SND website. Don’t miss it.
A favorite quote from the Roger Fidler interview:
“I would advise not giving up on edited and packaged print-like products that blend editorial and advertising content. There are still lots of people who enjoy reading printed newspapers and magazines.”
http://www.snd.org/2010/01/fidler/
TheMarioBlog post #459