Adding Fees and Fences on Media Sites

NY Times ^ | 12/27/09 | RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA and TIM ARANGO

[Nachum]

Over more than a decade, consumers became accustomed to the sweet, steady flow of free news, pictures, videos and music on the Internet. Paying was for suckers and old fogeys. Content, like wild horses, wanted to be free.

Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation charges for access to The Wall Street Journal and could do the same on Hulu.

Now, however, there are growing signs that this free ride is drawing to a close

[Nachum]

And what of those sites that will still give it away while others charge?

[robomatik]

the time will never come when i pay the nyslimes to read an article!

[April Lexington]

I think what these communist morons will figure out is that the market will ONLY only pay for actual, objective information that is useful to the normal person. NOBODY will pay to read communist propaganda on-line. We want accurate information, not some spoiled New York trust fund kid's “opinion” of life.

[robomatik]

oops! just checked again and “it’s free to register,” meaning lots of spam in the inbox. no thanks nyslimes. go away.

[OCC]

Breaking news will always be available for free somewhere (Drudge). I will come to FR for commentary and links to reputable blogs.

[okie01]

Jay Rosen, a professor of journalism at New York University and a prominent blogger on media subjects. “People who really think we have to charge or the industry is sunk would be more persuasive if they said at the same time we have to add more value than we’ve been adding,” he said.

Rosen, at least, seems to have firm grasp of the problem.

When your product isn't worth paying for, you kinda have to give it away for nothing.

[umgud]

Now, however, there are growing signs that this free ride is drawing to a close

Wanna bet?

[FrankR]

Yeah...go ahead NYT...those advertisers are gonna love it when you claim "zero circulation"....LOL

But, but...the Constitution guarantees "FREEdom of the press", doesn't it?

[packrat35]

Been reading the same thing every single year for the last 10.

[Rodamala]

Here's a "Value Added" publication I will buy before the paying the NYT for their online "content" (read:fabrications/propaganda):

[BurbankKarl]

with Comcast buying NBC, Hulu will assuredly go behind a pay wall...but since they added so many commercials to begin with, it is nearly unwatchable.

Fox is trying to get cable and DirecTV to pay for its Over the Air signal! That would be another dollar or two increase in everyone’s bill (unless you watch with rabbit ears like me!)

[Prov1322]

oops! just checked again and “it’s free to register,” meaning lots of spam in the inbox. no thanks nyslimes. go away.

Just checked bugmenot.com for their Slimes registration and it worked perfectly...

[max americana]

I just use the e-mail address for lib sites like Huffpo to register, and bugmenot works wonders too. Just create one e-mail address which is free and use that. It’s not like I use it on FR (cough)..

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation charges for access to The Wall Street Journal and could do the same on Hulu.

A lot of people need access to the Wall Street Journal to do their jobs. That unique status does not extend to Hulu. Or Fox News. Or the New York Post. Or anything else Rupert Murdoch owns. He's in for a very rude awakening.

[piasa]

If there’s no market for it when it’s free because it’s all leftist propaganda poorly disguised as journalism, what makes them think there will be a market for leftist propaganda when they charge for it?

[freekitty]

May I remind the author we already pay a monthly fee for these services. Also, I remember when cable first came out promising no ads.

[familyop]

"Now, however, there are growing signs that this free ride is drawing to a close..."

Okay. They can do that and shut down. We peasants will fire up the RSS news feeds for the rabble. ;-)

[Vaduz]

In Los Andeles Time Warner cable has plans to drop Fox News,if the FCC can’t kill the truth networks can.one step at a time.

[MarkL]

The only shows I watch on Fox (entertainment) are Dollhouse and Fringe, and they've already canceled Dollhouse. I can wait for the series finale on Fringe and then just get (or more likely, rent) the DVDs. Heck, Fox cancels all the shows I like anyway. Firefly, anyone?

And if TWC pulls Fox News, I just won't watch it either. Amazing how one can decide not to pay for something if you don't need it, huh Rupert?

Mark