"paywall" entries

Why I’m changing my tune on paywalls

A Pew report says paywalls could yield content that justifies a price tag.

The Pew Research Center is out with its annual “State of the News Media” report. Much of it is what you’d expect: newspapers and local television are struggling, mobile is rising, digital revenue hasn’t — and can’t — replace traditional print revenue, and on and on.

But read carefully, and you’ll find hope.

For example, Pew says the embrace of paywalls might improve the quality of the content:

“The rise of digital paid content could also have a positive impact on the quality of journalism as news organizations strive to produce unique and high-quality content that the public believes is worth paying for.”

I used to criticize paywalls. I thought they could only work for specialized content or material that’s attached to a desired outcome (i.e. subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, use the insights to make money).

My concern was that publishers would slam walls around their existing content and ask people to pay for an experience that had once been free. That made no sense. Who wants to pay for slideshows and link bait and general news?

But content that’s “worth paying for” is a different thing altogether. Publishers who go this route are acknowledging that a price tag requires justification.

Will it work? Maybe. What I might pay is different than what you might pay. There’s that pesky return-on-investment thing to consider as well.

However, my bigger takeaway — and this is why I’m changing my tune on paywalls — is that value is now part of the paywall equation. That’s a good start.

Publishing News: "Hating Amazon is not a strategy"

Pragmatic responses to Amazon's Price Check, Consumer Reports hits the digital sweet spot and the Kindle Fire can be shelved.

Cooler heads respond to Amazon's latest move, Consumer Reports becomes the envy of news orgs everywhere and Peter Meyers chimes in for a New York Times Kindle Fire evaluation.

Top Stories: August 15-19, 2011

The meat-to-math ratio, Chicago embraces open government, and data science influences social science.

This week on O'Reilly: We learned how smart companies apply the "meat-to-math ratio," Chicago's commitment to open data and open government was explored, and we looked at how data science is shaping social science.

Publishing News: Amazon lands "4-Hour" author Timothy Ferriss

Amazon signs its first best-selling author, RR Donnelley acquires two companies, and what publishers can learn from the NYT paywall.

Timothy Ferriss signs with Amazon Publishing to "redefine what is possible," RR Donnelley positions itself for digital publishing success, and the NYT can teach publishers a thing or two about advertising and sponsorship.

Leaky paywalls and ads: What publishers can learn from the New York Times

How advertising and freemium apply to books.

Recent analysis of the New York Times' online paywall has put emphasis on advertising and the freemium model. Book publishers may not realize it, but those same things can also apply to their content products.

A premium layer for web-based content

ValoBox looks to make premium (and locked) content accessible.

By removing the "hoops, headaches, and hangovers" of traditional online book buying, CompletelyNovel co-founders Anna Lewis and Oliver Brooks hope their company new company, ValoBox, will streamline ebook consumption.