:: LNR Journalism ::

Can metered content save journalism? How paywalls affect the business of news

Journomel :: Today, my company launched meters in four of its markets, including mine. Starting this morning, Ottawacitizen.com is free for print subscribers, 99 cents for the first month and then $9.99/month after that for all-access subscribers. Rather than express my thoughts on metered content, which a) won’t change a thing, and b) won’t change a thing when it comes to our newsroom, I plan to take a look the long view. I’ll be watching how meters/paywalls affect the business of news – and how we practise journalism long term.

An essay by Melanie Coulson, journomel.com

"Walls may save a paper, but they won’t save journalism" -  Opposite standpoint by Mathew Ingram, gigaom.com

'Place a clear value on our content': Foliomag.com changes to metered paid access model

Folio Mag :: An announcement went out today, but if you haven't seen it, we've decided to put Foliomag.com on a metered paid-access model. Starting now, you'll have access to 8 stories a month before the meter kicks in.

[Bill Mickey:] We felt that it's very important to place a clear value on our content, and to recognize the value that our best customers see in what we do. ...

Here's why: Bill Mickey, www.foliomag.com

HT: Niemanlab, here:

RT @foliomag: The meter is now running. Foliomag.com switches to a metered paid-access model. Here's why: bit.ly/OgD7SB

— Nieman Lab (@NiemanLab) August 14, 2012

Q&A: Autosport publisher Rob Aherne on paid content

AOP | Association of Online Publishers :: If we want to continue to set the news agenda and make quality journalism our watchword (and I can assure you that we do), we have to find sources of revenue that go beyond the advertising and sponsorship model.

[Rob Aherne:] Ultimately I believe that our readers appreciate quality journalism, understand what it takes to achieve it and at least some are prepared to pay to help us carry on producing it, and that principle has driven the evolution of our paid-content strategy.

AOP Forum - Perfecting the Freemium Model, 12 Sep 2012, Southwark Street, London : details here

Interview by AOP, www.ukaop.org.uk

Dan Sabbagh: Mail Online's 69% revenue growth suggests paywalls not the answer

Guardian :: Been bored today? Chances are you logged into Mail Online. Seven clicks later, you remembered who you were. Mail Online is the biggest newspaper website in the world. Comscore says 6.5m unique browsers turn up daily, and as the parent company's trading statement showed today the money is beginning to roll in.

Dan Sabbagh on Twitter

A report by Dan Sabbagh, www.guardian.co.uk

HT: Mediagazer.com

Why the Guardian will eventually have to put up a paywall

The Wall :: Bad news again from Guardian News & Media as it announced that as many as 100 jobs are to be cut, from its staff of 650, and losses of £44m — up by £6m on last year. Amid all of this financial pain it has pushing been ahead with its digital first ‘open journalism’ strategy that has become the core of the paper’s business. Underpinning this is an old style digital land grab. A drive for the largest audience the paper can find online fuelled by expansion into the US. All this, we are told, is apparently at odds with the implementation of any kind of paywall.

We hear this even though there is mounting evidence to suggest that having a metered paywall, as that is the only variety of relevance, is the right answer for similar newspapers.

Gordon MacMillan on Twitter

A report by Gordon MacMillan, wallblog.co.uk

Why paywall journalism is changing how journalists write

mUmBRELLA :: I wonder if we’re about to see news writing being taken in a new direction as paywall journalism takes over. For the wrong reasons, the rules are being rewritten. Most publications with paywalls allow the reader to see the headline and the first paragraph or two. To read more you have to pay. So with a one fact story – Fred X has been named as the new boss of Company Y – there might be insufficient motivation for the non subscriber to subscribe – unless they can be tantalised.

Excerpt from the free July edition of the Encore magazine - (download free app here  iTunes), read more  Tim Burrowes, mumbrella.com.au

Don Graham: Why a paywall won't work for the Post

Fortune Tech | CNN Money :: When asked why the Washington Post hasn't put its content behind a paywall like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal have, CEO Don Graham explained that 90% of the Post's audience is outside of the Washington area—but that the paper itself has only local distribution—so the premise simply doesn't make sense.

A report by Jennifer Reingold, tech.fortune.cnn.com

Polish Media to launch Piano’s online national paid-content system

Piano Media :: Seven major Polish media representing 27 national and regional newspapers, 14 magazines and Poland’s national public radio will join Piano Media’s national online common-payment system on July 18, 2012. With the simplicity of Piano’s one login, one payment access to a multitude of media, Polish digital visitors will be able to view premium content and services on 42 different websites for just €4.70 per month.

This is Piano’s third national payment initiative in the past 14 months. Poland represents Piano’s largest market with a population of 38 million people and over 19 million Internet users. “Poland allows us to demonstrate how well our system works in larger markets,” said Piano’s Chief Executive Tomáš Bella. “We are already known for our innovation. Now we will prove our innovation is scalable.”

Source: David Brauchli, pianomedia.eu

 

Our-Hometown study: Half of first year’s paywall revenue comes in first three months

Poynter :: Our-Hometown, a company that handles Web publishing for small community newspapers, has published a report showing the pace of digital subscription revenue for one site over about three years. TheDerrick.com, the website for two small papers in Pennsylvania, launched its paywall in October 2009, allowing free access for the first month.

Report for download / summary of the findings here Steve Myers, www.poynter.org

Overview: Building the great newspaper paywal

Ebyline :: The beleaguered newspaper industry has finally settled on a digital revenue strategy—the metered paywall—and now everyone’s pitching in to get it built. Paywalls have their critics, their boosters, more critics and then the critics-who-also-want-to-be-boosters. Time will tell who was right but we were curious to know how this Great Paywall is getting built—which newspapers are participating and why?

So we took one list—a list of paywalls scrupulously compiled by newsandtech.com—and another list—daily newspapers with circulation and ownership data from the Audit Bureau of Circulations—and spliced them together. The result: a pretty comprehensive look at what types of newspapers are adopting paywalls.

Paywall strategies, a comprehensive look - Continue here Peter C. Beller, ebyline.biz