Greg Horowitz at the Digitalists raises an often-overlooked question about the impact of micropayments on the journalists who write the stories. He fears that news companies, armed with data about which articles brought in the most revenue, will increasingly adapt their coverage based on what sells. Journalists themselves may be rewarded or let go based on their ability to spur micropayments, and they may start to couch their pieces in more attention-grabbing styles. All of these developments, Horowitz argues, would be bad for journalism. Read the Digitalist post — May 13, 2009. ……
Day: May 13, 2009
Skepticism over micropayments as a business model
Not everyone is convinced the Wall Street Journal's announcement that it will start charging micropayments will prove successful. Mike Mansick at TechDirt argues that charging micropayments actually decreases the value of the content for its users: These days, many people value content for the ability to engage with it, comment on it and share it with others. Micropayments take away that ability, and thus decrease the value of the content, Mansick says. You can read Mansick's argument at TechDirt here…….
Geffen’s offer to buy newspaper may be civic-minded
Business Week discusses why David Geffen, the Hollywood billionaire who once chaired the Dreamsworks studio, would make an offer to buy a stake in the New York Times. It is, after all, no secret that the paper is in financial trouble. Geffen certainly understands this, and therefore likely sees his offer as a civic investment rather than a business venture. Geffen tried to buy the Los Angeles Times in 2006. You can read the article in Business Week here…….
Wash State supports newspapers with tax break
Washington state has agreed to provide its newspapers with a tax break, granting the industry a 40 percent reduction in the state's main business tax. The cut is similar to ones bestowed upon Boeing Co. and the timber industry in the past. The tax reduction plan is receiving a mixed reaction. The Business Insider, for one, remains critical. You can read the opposing viewpoints in the article in the Seattle Times and also theblog post on the Business Insider's website…….
MarketWatch seeks to keep the news free
MarketWatch, a financial website published by Dow Jones, has redesigned its website. Along with adding new features and emphasizing original content, MarketWatch launched the new site in an effort to boost online advertising sales. Even as its competitors like Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal require subscriptions for content, and as its parent company NewsCorp looks into charging for online content, MarketWatch is hoping that the redesign will allow them to keep providing business news for free. You can read the Reuters article here…….
Social network sites boost Telegraph traffic
Through innovation and newsroom changes, Britain's Telegraph receives 8 percent of its traffic, translating into 75,000 daily unique visitors, from news aggregators and social networking sites. The Telegraph cites a variety of changes — instituting a new technology lab, merging the print and digital operations — with strengthening its traffic. The Telegraph relies on its readers to recommend their articles to others via Digg, Delicious, Reddit and others. You can read the post on the Editors' Weblog here…….