Last week, we wondered aloud whether or not the Press-Telegram would be among the many newspapers who are looking into charging readers to view their online content – based on a rumor that the Contra Costa Times would soon begin to charge, our logic being that MediaNews Group owns both the CCT and the P-T.
Well, it turns out that we didn’t have to go to all that trouble because the Press-Telegram practically came out and announced it themselves in a May 26 article. The article is written by Michael Liedtke of the Associated Press (we’ll discuss that in a second) but reveals some interesting news about MediaNews’ plans:
MediaNews Group, which owns the Daily Breeze and 53 other daily newspapers, has decided to charge for the online versions but hasn’t said when.
That’s news to us, and it probably means that you’ll be paying to read the Press-Telegram online sooner rather than later.
Would you? An overwhelming majority of our commentors last week said “No thanks,” but the newspaper industry is banking on the hopes that most readers wouldn’t mind. Their argument is that it doesn’t make sense to give away their product for free, which certainly makes business sense. And readers may be willing to pay online to read local coverage that they can’t find anywhere else. But here’s the big roadblock in that plan:
Liedtke’s article, printed by the P-T, was an Associated Press article that you can find pretty much anywhere. Likewise, the top story on presstelegram.com is an AP piece about the Air France jet that crashed in Brazil. Few would argue that the Press-Telegram has used an increased amount of AP stories in recent years, so why would people be willing to pay for content that they could find on any number of news websites? For free?
We still haven’t received word back from Press-Telegram representatives, but sooner or later their plan will be rolled out and readers will decide whether or not it’s worth the price (whatever that may be). It will be interesting to see exactly how the system works. Will they charge a flat fee for viewing all of the day’s stories? Or use an iTunes-style format where readers pay for each individual article they read? The Wall Street Journal has had success charging readers $1.99 per week to access their site.
We’re at a crossroads in American journalism. This plan has needed to happen for some time, but will need to be done correctly or readers will simply look elsewhere. Which is what’s likely to happen if the P-T doesn’t cut down on its use of AP stories that readers can find for free. Independent, exclusive reporting is the golden ticket if they want to convince people that their product is worth paying for. It’s just too bad that MediaNews has spent the last two years laying off most of their writers.
By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor