Opinions about online newspaper access fees

As a former newspaper reporter and a current Ph.D. student studying mass communication, I'm very interested in the opinions that both journalists and news consumers have about online newspaper access fees.

Do you feel newspapers will be able to generate revenue through access fees? Do you think more newspapers will implement access fee plans in the next year? Are newspapers trying to measure their readers' opinions about this?

I'm conducting a quick, anonymous survey about this. I've posted the link below for anyone who would like to take it. Also, feel free to share the link with your listeners, viewers and readers. Even if you don't want to take it, share your thoughts here.

Here is the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/newspapers

 

No. Yes. Some do.

Why pay when you can get most news free, especially national and major metro news?

 

That suggests a local online publication could do well by charging a fee for content that may not otherwise be available to the masses.

 

Let me rephrase that. General newspapers won't be successful in charging for online content. How many are successful at it now?

 

I'm sure the number is very, very small.

I was just thinking out loud, as a guy living in a small community who is looking for something to do and who may not necessarily be done with daily journalism......

 

Not sure about online newspaper fees being much of a revenue source. I can see them as a way to protect content. I can also see them as a way to alienate readers. If newspapers can overcome the stigma that online content is supposed to be free, they might have a chance.

 

We don't know how to go about charging for online content. But this much we do know: giving it away for free has been disastrous.

 

The problem is generating information that's WORTH the fees, that is, information you can't get anywhere else. Creating that kind of news is very expensive due to the time and labor involved. And it's rare even when you work at it.

 

Do you think newspapers have been conducting reader surveys like this one? Are they actively trying to find out whether readers will pay and/or what could convince readers to pay? It would seem like those would be important steps to take.

 

Reader surveys are worthless. They say they want more hard news, and then complain that there isn't enough good news. You put more features to please them, and they say they paper is full of fluff pieces.

 

This is the bottom line. You've got to have value to charge a price. The value must exceed the price. It's that simple.

 

I'll find out whether editors know about that bottom line when I start driving from newsroom to newsroom next month. Should be interesting!