It was less than a month ago that I talked about the whole question of on-line ads, subscription services and pay walls as the mainstream print media try to figure out how to stay afloat in the new electronic media age. And I've talked before about the need for all of us to realize that we're going to have to start paying if we want to see the content continue. All of it very academic and intellectual. Till last week.
I grew up just outside Pittsburgh PA and even after 25 very happy years here in southwestern New York I'm a Pittsburgh boy at heart. So I regularly check the Pittsburgh Post Gazette web site. Especially for sports news. By far my favorite team are the sad and pitiful baseball Pirates. Post Gazette beat writer Dejan Kovacevic does a great job covering them and has a wonderful blog at the newspaper. Which in less than a month will move behind the pay wall at the PG. And yes my first reaction was negative.
Upon further review I realize that I need to grow up and face the facts. When the announcement was made lots of folks complained about having to pay for "free stuff". Let's get something straight, the stuff on the world wide web isn't free. Someone is paying for it. If they don't ask you pay that's their choice, not your right. For a business like the Post Gazette they need to make sure that the on-line content pays its own way. That's Business 101. Given that you get access to everything behind the pay wall for the low price of approximately 11 cents a day (less than $40 a year) that strikes me as a bargain.
In fact I rather like the approach that the Post Gazette is taking. With the PG+ service you get the extra sports stuff, news commentary, economics, some lifestyle stuff, interactive forums and some member bonus stuff. That's things like discounts with local Pittsburgh businesses, shows, dining, golf and more. Knowing that they would have to sell the concept the newspaper is trying their best to offer value. The business model isn't perfect (folks with subscriptions to the hard copy version still have to pay more for the on-line and they're not happy about that) but it's an intriguing place to start.
As of yet none of our local papers have moved toward the pay wall experiment. This question is still very much open as to how newspapers will be able to make money AND provide the level of coverage we expect. The only question for me is where I'll find the $35.88 it costs to stay plugged in to my home town.
Call that the View From the Phlipside.
"The View From the Phlipside" airs on WRFA-LP Jamestown NY. You can listen to WRFA online HERE
Copyright - Jay Phillippi 2010
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