Walled off
The Daily Gazette will be moving large portions of its web site -- including full articles -- behind a pay wall starting next Monday.
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I read an interview [1] with the CEO of NPR about the recent relaunch of npr.org in which she was asked about the talk of putting up pay walls and such. Here's part of her response:
"I am a staunch believer that people will not in large numbers pay for news content online. It's almost like there's mass delusion going on in the industry—They're saying we really really need it, that we didn't put up a pay wall 15 years ago, so let's do it now. In other words, they think that wanting it so badly will automatically actually change the behavior of the audience. The world doesn't work that way." - Vivian Schiller
I completely, 100% agree with her. Who do they think they're kidding? News is a commodity (like Schiller says later in the article) and if we can't get it from the Daily Gazette we'll get it from other papers... or AOA for that matter.
1: http://www.newsweek.com/id/208703
... said Dan on Jul 28, 2009 at 1:11 PM | link
This has been tried over and over again by various newspapers, never with good results. The New York Times tried to twice, and if they can't make it work, the Gazette isn't going to.
It's sad, but the day that most newspapers and newspaper workers thought was another five or ten years out is upon us now. By next year, at least one of the five largest Capital Region papers will be no more.
What we have to do now in concentrate on how to gather, package and distribute important news in the future. It won't be by newspaper. What will it be? For the benefit of all of us, I hope we figure that out as quickly as possible.
... said Danielle on Jul 28, 2009 at 2:27 PM | link
This is a bad idea. People won't pay for a website when they can get the same information somewhere else.
The internet is not a newspaper.
... said bk on Jul 28, 2009 at 2:28 PM | link
In terms of free content the Gazette was last in ---and is now first out. Here's an amusing blast from the past: http://tinyurl.com/m9txl4
... said Rob on Jul 28, 2009 at 2:50 PM | link
The web content will be free to paper subscribers.
Redundant can be found in the dictionary under "redundant."
... said Kari on Jul 28, 2009 at 3:15 PM | link
The issue is not that information is the same somewhere else, but that the added value is not any better than free content. News is news, but what I'm looking for are insights, clever comments, talented journalists who will put in better perspective the same bit everybody had access to, even if it's local. And for that maybe one could pay (I actually do have subscriptions).
But yes, if the NYT couldn't quite do it, it's unlikely the Gazette will, maybe for lack of the above, unless their cover of local content is really *that* much better than others in the Capital District...
... said -S on Jul 28, 2009 at 3:44 PM | link
Hark! Do I hear a papery death rattle coming from the direction of Schenectady?
... said Kim on Jul 28, 2009 at 3:50 PM | link
Death is inevitable. Some bring it on more quickly. RIP Gazette.
... said Mark on Jul 28, 2009 at 5:28 PM | link