Comments on: I won't even *link* to NYTimes.com if they charge http://paulbalcerak.com/2010/01/20/i-wont-even-link-to-nytimes-com-if-they-charge/ ...in which I talk about how social media managers, journalists and PR pros can communicate better. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:01:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: paulbalcerak http://paulbalcerak.com/2010/01/20/i-wont-even-link-to-nytimes-com-if-they-charge/#comment-184 paulbalcerak Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:36:48 +0000 http://paulbalcerak.com/?p=1097#comment-184 <a href="http://paulbalcerak.com/2010/01/20/i-wont-even-link-to-nytimes-com-if-they-charge/#comment-368" rel="nofollow">@Greg</a> - OK, well that basically kills this post :) Seriously, though, this is an interesting detail. Basically they're incentivizing social media and penalizing non-users... well that's a whole new post in and of itself. @Greg – OK, well that basically kills this post :)

Seriously, though, this is an interesting detail. Basically they’re incentivizing social media and penalizing non-users… well that’s a whole new post in and of itself.

]]> By: Greg Linch http://paulbalcerak.com/2010/01/20/i-wont-even-link-to-nytimes-com-if-they-charge/#comment-183 Greg Linch Fri, 22 Jan 2010 03:39:23 +0000 http://paulbalcerak.com/?p=1097#comment-183 I was reading a <a href="http://paidcontent.org/article/419-nyt-execs-we-learned-a-lot-from-timesselect/" rel="nofollow">Paid Content article</a> and thought of something you mentioned above. From an NYT chat: Social media access will remain open, similar to search. “If you are coming to NYTimes.com from another Web site and it brings you to our site to view an article, you will have access to that article and it will not count toward your allotment of free ones.” I was reading a Paid Content article and thought of something you mentioned above. From an NYT chat:

Social media access will remain open, similar to search. “If you are coming to NYTimes.com from another Web site and it brings you to our site to view an article, you will have access to that article and it will not count toward your allotment of free ones.”

]]> By: paulbalcerak http://paulbalcerak.com/2010/01/20/i-wont-even-link-to-nytimes-com-if-they-charge/#comment-182 paulbalcerak Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:09:23 +0000 http://paulbalcerak.com/?p=1097#comment-182 Good point/good link. My only issue with comparing the Wall Street Journal to other news outlets is that the WSJ can get away with charging for access because it offers a tangible benefit to one's investment—namely, their business/stock tips offer an opportunity for the subscriber to make money. The same goes for <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/benefits" title="ESPN Insider" rel="nofollow">ESPN</a> and other sports journalism sites who charge for premium accounts; a person will pay for extra analysis on ESPN because it represents an opportunity to make money gambling. The fundamental problem with The New York Times or any other site that brokers exclusively in general information and wants to charge for it is that the information is freely available on thousands of other sites. WSJ/ESPN are able to charge because people can expect to <em>make</em> money off of the money they put into the sites. It's much more difficult to convince someone that there's material gain to be had in being in the know on current events. Good point/good link. My only issue with comparing the Wall Street Journal to other news outlets is that the WSJ can get away with charging for access because it offers a tangible benefit to one’s investment—namely, their business/stock tips offer an opportunity for the subscriber to make money. The same goes for ESPN and other sports journalism sites who charge for premium accounts; a person will pay for extra analysis on ESPN because it represents an opportunity to make money gambling.

The fundamental problem with The New York Times or any other site that brokers exclusively in general information and wants to charge for it is that the information is freely available on thousands of other sites. WSJ/ESPN are able to charge because people can expect to make money off of the money they put into the sites. It’s much more difficult to convince someone that there’s material gain to be had in being in the know on current events.

]]> By: Eric http://paulbalcerak.com/2010/01/20/i-wont-even-link-to-nytimes-com-if-they-charge/#comment-181 Eric Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:59:27 +0000 http://paulbalcerak.com/?p=1097#comment-181 True. They are taking a big risk. Some interesting information from VentureBeat on how the paywalled WSJ site compares to the current NYT site in terms of attracting traffic from Facebook, blogs, and Twitter. The WSJ may not have as many social-media-savvy subscribers, but the numbers are still pretty telling. http://venturebeat.com/2010/01/20/will-the-new-york-times-meter-kill-traffic-from-social-media/ True. They are taking a big risk. Some interesting information from VentureBeat on how the paywalled WSJ site compares to the current NYT site in terms of attracting traffic from Facebook, blogs, and Twitter. The WSJ may not have as many social-media-savvy subscribers, but the numbers are still pretty telling.

http://venturebeat.com/2010/01/20/will-the-new-york-times-meter-kill-traffic-from-social-media/

]]> By: paulbalcerak http://paulbalcerak.com/2010/01/20/i-wont-even-link-to-nytimes-com-if-they-charge/#comment-180 paulbalcerak Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:12:03 +0000 http://paulbalcerak.com/?p=1097#comment-180 I think it's smart to look for multiple sources of revenue; I just think, like Jay Rosen said, it's a huge gamble to make one of those sources customer subscriptions. I also wonder whether these ideas are based in principle or in the reasoning of sound business practices. I think it’s smart to look for multiple sources of revenue; I just think, like Jay Rosen said, it’s a huge gamble to make one of those sources customer subscriptions. I also wonder whether these ideas are based in principle or in the reasoning of sound business practices.

]]> By: Eric http://paulbalcerak.com/2010/01/20/i-wont-even-link-to-nytimes-com-if-they-charge/#comment-179 Eric Thu, 21 Jan 2010 04:15:26 +0000 http://paulbalcerak.com/?p=1097#comment-179 I appreciate the NYT's desire to make money, but you're right about what a paywall will do to the paper's inbound links and ability to influence public conversations. I appreciate the NYT’s desire to make money, but you’re right about what a paywall will do to the paper’s inbound links and ability to influence public conversations.

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