Comments on: A newspaper paywall done right http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2011/03/15/a-newspaper-paywall-done-right/ A slice of lime in the soda Sat, 25 May 2013 00:03:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: JonathanWold http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2011/03/15/a-newspaper-paywall-done-right/comment-page-1/#comment-25384 JonathanWold Sun, 27 Mar 2011 01:34:48 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/?p=7617#comment-25384 Felix, thank you for your insight. The "metered" concept is an interesting one and seems to have especially strong merit in the context of an already established paper where publishers are concerned about the public outcry to a paywall. We worked with a local newspaper who had not transitioned their content online and we were able to start them off, with a paywall at full price, right from the beginning with strong success. An effective strategy for transitioning a paper that has already made itself available online would require more thought and might do well to include a metered approach. You touched on the concept of your "most loyal" readers. My colleague published an article on the subject that takes a different approach - I'll include a link below and would appreciate your thoughts! http://sabramedia.com/blog/what-online-newspapers-can-learn-from-social-networks Felix, thank you for your insight. The “metered” concept is an interesting one and seems to have especially strong merit in the context of an already established paper where publishers are concerned about the public outcry to a paywall. We worked with a local newspaper who had not transitioned their content online and we were able to start them off, with a paywall at full price, right from the beginning with strong success. An effective strategy for transitioning a paper that has already made itself available online would require more thought and might do well to include a metered approach.

You touched on the concept of your “most loyal” readers. My colleague published an article on the subject that takes a different approach – I’ll include a link below and would appreciate your thoughts!

http://sabramedia.com/blog/what-online-n ewspapers-can-learn-from-social-networks

]]> By: JonathanWold http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2011/03/15/a-newspaper-paywall-done-right/comment-page-1/#comment-25383 JonathanWold Sun, 27 Mar 2011 01:34:26 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/?p=7617#comment-25383 Felix, thank you for your insight. The "metered" concept is an interesting one and seems to have especially strong merit in the context of an already established paper where publishers are concerned about the public outcry to a paywall. We worked with a local newspaper who had not transitioned their content online and we were able to start them off, with a paywall at full price, right from the beginning with strong success. An effective strategy for transitioning a paper that has already made itself available online would require more thought and might do well to include a metered approach. You touched on the concept of your "most loyal" readers. My colleague published an article on the subject that takes a different approach - I'll include a link below and would appreciate your thoughts! http://sabramedia.com/blog/what-online-newspapers-can-learn-from-social-networks Felix, thank you for your insight. The “metered” concept is an interesting one and seems to have especially strong merit in the context of an already established paper where publishers are concerned about the public outcry to a paywall. We worked with a local newspaper who had not transitioned their content online and we were able to start them off, with a paywall at full price, right from the beginning with strong success. An effective strategy for transitioning a paper that has already made itself available online would require more thought and might do well to include a metered approach.

You touched on the concept of your “most loyal” readers. My colleague published an article on the subject that takes a different approach – I’ll include a link below and would appreciate your thoughts!

http://sabramedia.com/blog/what-online-n ewspapers-can-learn-from-social-networks

]]> By: RZ0 http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2011/03/15/a-newspaper-paywall-done-right/comment-page-1/#comment-24851 RZ0 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:40:37 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/?p=7617#comment-24851 Times should charge $5 a year. That would bring $50M in subscription revenue. Smaller papers can charge more per month because the information they offer unique information. Ain't nobody but the August, GA, paper gonna tell you about Augusta, GA. The Times doesn't offer unique information. What the Times writes about is also covered by WSJ, FT, Reuters, AP and about a gazillion bloggers. The Times offers unique breadth - go through the Times front and you feel like you've gotten a comprehensive scan on the news. It also offers perspective - not just the columnists but the idea that the Times is the mouthpiece of sober establishmentarians. Those aren't as valuable as unique content, so they can't charge as much as the Augusta paper can. However, they can get so many subscribers, they will more than make up for it. Times should charge $5 a year. That would bring $50M in subscription revenue.
Smaller papers can charge more per month because the information they offer unique information. Ain’t nobody but the August, GA, paper gonna tell you about Augusta, GA.
The Times doesn’t offer unique information. What the Times writes about is also covered by WSJ, FT, Reuters, AP and about a gazillion bloggers.
The Times offers unique breadth – go through the Times front and you feel like you’ve gotten a comprehensive scan on the news.
It also offers perspective – not just the columnists but the idea that the Times is the mouthpiece of sober establishmentarians.
Those aren’t as valuable as unique content, so they can’t charge as much as the Augusta paper can. However, they can get so many subscribers, they will more than make up for it.

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