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NYT to begin charging for digital subscriptions
Shelley Cryan, Photographer
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New England | CT | USA | Posted: 1:00 PM on 03.17.11 |
->> Notice on page one of the digital edition:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/opinion/l18times.html
A lot of people will be looking to see how well this works, and if it's more successful than a prior attempt by the NYT. I'm happy to pay for quality journalism, and I plan to subscribe when it's available in the US later this month.
But their pricing plans seem odd; why charge more depending on your device (tablet/smartphone)? I imagine they're trying to recoup costs of maintaining different apps, but really, to the consumer, content is content, right? Odd.
And, as yet, no gift subscriptions available for the digital edition. I've got to think gift subscriptions have the absolute lowest bad-pay rates, and a healthy renewal rate. Why not have that ready on day one?
If this strategy helps keep journalism on its feet, I'm all for it. I just hope missing the mark on the details doesn't drag it down. |
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Paul Hayes, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Littleton | NH | USA | Posted: 1:27 PM on 03.17.11 |
| ->> The move from free to pay models is going to be a long and painful process. The gimme everything free and gimme it now crowd will not be happy. |
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Robert Seale, Photographer
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Houston | TX | USA | Posted: 1:43 PM on 03.17.11 |
->> Captain obvious here....but I'll say it anyway.
If you care about the future of publication photography (and quality journalism in general), sign up early and often and pay for electronic subscriptions whenever they are available. You can't have it both ways, complaining about low rates, the demise of journalism, papers and magazines going out of business, etc. if you're not doing your part to support your own industry. |
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Nic Coury, Photographer
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Monterey | CA | | Posted: 1:57 PM on 03.17.11 |
->> the "free-mium" model is a good model and doesn't force any drastic changes.
Have a base that is free with limited feature sets and pay upgrades from there. |
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Matthew Sauk, Photographer
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Sandy | UT | United States | Posted: 1:59 PM on 03.17.11 |
->> I am willing to pay for just about anything, but the price has to make sense.
And sorry but their pricing just doesn't make sense. IMHO |
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Matthew Sauk, Photographer
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George Bridges, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Washington | DC | USA | Posted: 2:20 PM on 03.17.11 |
->> Matthew,
I know the pricing seems odd but I'm going to bet that each product requires a different design and delivery method and gives a different user experience.
Computer: Regular web view we are used to where reader sees a lot of content and clicks on what they want.
iPhone/Smartphone: More just quick headlines that the reader has to click on what they want and then the content loads since data connectivity is guaranteed through cell connection if wi-fi not present.
iPad: More of a "newspaper" experience where the reader flips through full pages of content and then can select specific items to be viewed. This could possibly be downloaded in full each day so that a wi-fi only version of the iPad could still be read on the bus, subway, airplane etc.
In this scenario the iPad would offer the reader the better "newspaper experience" over the iPhone and also would be a different design and delivery, costing the producer of the content more to get to the reader.
I don't have any digital subscriptions yet, but with my iPad order receiving a shipping notice today I will probably go for the Times or Washington Post soon and give them a shot. I wish I could transfer my Sports Illustrated subscription over to iPad only and stop getting the print edition, but they don't offer that yet and you must buy per copy. Since I get that one in the mail I won't be paying extra for a digital copy any time soon. |
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Israel Shirk, Photographer, Assistant
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Boise | ID | US | Posted: 2:25 PM on 03.17.11 |
| ->> If I pay for the access, do articles suddenly get written at a college reading level? I'm not going to pay anything for something targeted at a 3rd to, at most, 8th grade reading level. That's just how it goes. |
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Michael Fischer, Photographer
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Spencer | Ia | USA | Posted: 2:37 PM on 03.17.11 |
->> Israel,
I gather that you don't plan on subscribing?
We don't agree about the level of writing evidently.
Not much changes. I subscribed the first time, and I'll do it again. At least that way I will be entitled to bitch and moan ; which appears to be commonplace in a subset.
What Mr. Seale said goes if you care about journalism. The only loser on this should be the Goss salesman and the newsprint salesperson.
The costs of gathering and writing/producing news goes on. Hopefully with enough of a revenue stream this will work.
Changing human behavior...NEVER easy. |
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Matthew Sauk, Photographer
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Sandy | UT | United States | Posted: 3:06 PM on 03.17.11 |
->> George,
I completely understand what you are saying. I will say this, charging for different areas though I think will lose customers. Plus I also believe what they are charging is very expensive.
I think it costs less again to get the actual paper (I might be wrong on that one).
I just feel that especially with iphone/ipad that it should be one payment, not split into two.
Lower their subscription model and they will probably have another customer (me) |
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David Harpe, Photographer
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Denver | CO | USA | Posted: 3:08 PM on 03.17.11 |
->> http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1926/local-news-going-mobile-but-few-use-apps-t...
"23% of survey respondents say they would pay $5 a month to get full access to local newspaper content online. When asked if they would pay $10 per month, 18% of adults say yes. Both figures are substantially higher than the percentage of adults (5%) who currently pay for online local news content. Nonetheless, roughly three-quarters say they would not pay anything."
More disturbing for the newspaper biz:
"28% of Americans say the loss of the local newspaper would have a major impact on their ability to keep up with local information.
30% say it would have a minor impact
39% say the loss of the newspaper would have no impact."
2/3rds of the population would not have any major issues with newspapers going away. |
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George Bridges, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Washington | DC | USA | Posted: 3:13 PM on 03.17.11 |
->> Matthew,
Can't remember the last subscription offer I got from the Times for home delivery, but I think it was about the same per week just for Thurs-Sunday. Buying the Sunday paper alone at the store sets you back around $5.
David,
2/3 of the population may say they don't care now, but wait until there is some major corruption and they all start whining "why didn't anyone warn us of this?" |
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Eric Canha, Photographer
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Brockton | MA | United States | Posted: 3:16 PM on 03.17.11 |
->> In my opinion this will just be another huge fail. Even once you get beyond the idea that the pricing was setup by Charlie Sheen you'd still have to get past the idea the 80% or more of what will be in that NYT app will also be available on the AP or Reuters apps free of charge. Pile on the plethora of local coverage feeding in from the local TV station apps and you are left asking $455/yr for what.
Seriously what will be on or in THIS app that won't be in or on 12 other feeds that are delivered in the various feeds that we are all already plugged into? |
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Butch Miller, Photographer
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Lock Haven | PA | USA | Posted: 3:36 PM on 03.17.11 |
->> The complaints about the pricing are a direct reflection of so many content creators offering free content online in the first place ... unfortunately, I don't think we can ever go back to where things were before ... the toothpaste is out of the tube ...
I was both pleased and a little bit shocked when I heard the pricing structure for The Daily ... 14 cents a day (99 cents a week) or $40 a year is a bargain, even if you are not a fan of the content, the price is affordable and reasonable in the current climate ... considering what the price of a good cup of coffee is these days ...
More than ever, digital publication is going to have to depend upon advertising revenue to survive ... even in the past, cover price and/or subscription price, while an important source of income, was just a token revenue compared to the overall accounting side of the equation.
The next couple of years will be both interesting and intriguing as to how things will transpire for pay to play online/digital delivery endeavors ... |
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Matthew Sauk, Photographer
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Sandy | UT | United States | Posted: 3:54 PM on 03.17.11 |
| ->> To me the Daily is priced perfectly. I would even play 2 dollars a week (8 a month). |
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Scott A. Schneider, Photographer
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Minneapolis | MN | USA | Posted: 5:43 PM on 03.17.11 |
| ->> I get the Times delivered seven days a week so I'll have access to the online edition too. But I find if you really want to read the Times, the actual newspaper is the only way to do it. When you turn the page and visually scan the headlines, photos, and graphics, you get a much fuller experience as opposed to reading it online. I think a lot is missed online. In fact, on a few occasions I've read something in the paper edition and then went online to e-mail it to a friend and I have trouble finding it. And, of course, I want to read and support the best (in my opinion) newspaper available. |
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Israel Shirk, Photographer, Assistant
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Boise | ID | US | Posted: 9:12 PM on 03.17.11 |
->> Michael-
I am specifically saying that I won't purchase or read it in the first place, even if it's free. Scan it? Maybe.
It doesn't have any value because it's dumbed-down. If it's to target a wider audience, just write it in lawlz and copy the viral epidemic that's always going around.
I don't subscribe to any because everyone is focused on the bottom line rather than excellence. There are obvious exceptions, but they're obviously exceptions. |
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Karsten Moran, Photographer, Photo Editor
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New York | NY | United States of America | Posted: 9:56 PM on 03.17.11 |
->> "I think it costs less again to get the actual paper (I might be wrong on that one)."
Current cost of having a hard copy New York Times subscription delivered to your door every day of the week (after the introductory pricing ends) is $46.80 per week.
As for the $15...
I like to put these things in perspective.
$15 is a fraction of what I pay for... my phone OR my internet OR even my Photoshelter account per month.
That is the same cost as buying one movie ticket and a small popcorn at most theaters. Sometimes the popcorn and ticket are more.
That's also less than what most New Yorkers will pay for two standard beers + tip at a Manhattan bar.
I do wonder, however, why there isn't at least a modest price break for ipad + iphone + web subscribers (assuming I understood the macrumor forums post correctly, and that it is accurate).
I'd like to think this is a step in the right direction for our industry (for those of us in media). Whether it's the correct step or not, we'll have to wait and see. |
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Michael Fischer, Photographer
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Spencer | Ia | USA | Posted: 1:45 AM on 03.18.11 |
->> Israel,
I'm a big fan of Tom Friedman. And a couple of other columnists. (David Brooks is the kind of conservative this country needs... he gets it..).. then there's Maureen.. what a friggin kill she is.
That's the political side of me. I think most Americans don't get foriegn policy or the reality of politics. If they read Friedman, they might.
So, I'll pay for that just because those folks. Can't get them anywhere else. Worth their weight in gold to me. Cheaper than the Economist... :D ( which I love but don't have time to read cover to cover...)
Michael |
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Richard Uhlhorn, Photographer
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Chelan Falls | WA | USA | Posted: 2:35 PM on 03.18.11 |
->> In my notice from the NYT's they said this:
This is how it will work, and what it means for you:
On NYTimes.com, you can view 20 articles each month at no charge (including slide shows, videos and other features). After 20 articles, we will ask you to become a digital subscriber, with full access to our site.
On our smartphone and tablet apps, the Top News section will remain free of charge. For access to all other sections within the apps, we will ask you to become a digital subscriber.
I scan the site every morning with my coffee, but 20 articles a month... I can deal with that. Depending on price, I would also be willing to subscribe, but we'll see.
A lot of newspapers out there are still struggling with subscription based websites. I still think they need to charge up for advertising to cover their costs, but that is me, and that comes from helping with a website that depends on advertising to make a living. http://golakechelan.com |
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Richard Uhlhorn, Photographer
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Chelan Falls | WA | USA | Posted: 2:38 PM on 03.18.11 |
->> Isreal... Really, do you want to read articles written at the college level? Most professional writers, including the likes of Hemmingway write or wrote at the 5th and 6th grade level.
Cheers Rich |
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Andrew Spear, Photographer, Assistant
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Athens | OH | United States | Posted: 7:58 PM on 03.18.11 |
| ->> Not to mention newspaper journalism is about reporting the story, not about writing a magazine feature story. |
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Butch Miller, Photographer
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Lock Haven | PA | USA | Posted: 8:53 PM on 03.18.11 |
->> AP Style has always been based on an eighth grade reading and comprehension level ... not necessarily because it is an effort to "dumb down" the content for adults with sub standard abilities ... but because reportage should be able to include the broadest possible spectrum of potential readers ... as in eighth graders (and younger) themselves ... why deter younger folks from reading the paper who have not yet attained a higher reading level?
NYT and other dailies would do themselves, and their readership, a massive disservice by writing at a level that would be substantially above their potential readership's capability ...
Heck, look at the number of college students who are not aware of who the sitting vice president is ... or how many justices there are in the Supreme Court ... not a good indication of the success of our education system ... or that a college degree places you at an elite reading comprehension level ...
http://tinyurl.com/2akoqzl |
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Robert Caplin, Photographer
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New York | NY | USA | Posted: 11:54 PM on 03.18.11 |
->> I think charging for their content is important....I also like that you're allowed 20 articles per month for free.
I'm sure I'll get the subscription because The Times is my local paper, I also shoot a lot for them, and I share my work through social media. At first I was worried about the new payment system until I read that anyone can view a linked article from a blog or social media, without it affecting one's 20 article/month limit. That way I, as a subscriber, can share articles I've worked on with my Twitter and Facebook followers and friends.
Pretty clever how they thought this through, in my opinion.
As for the writing level, Isreal, I just look at the pictures. :) |
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John Korduner, Photographer
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Baton Rouge | LA | United States | Posted: 2:33 AM on 03.19.11 |
->> I think Israel presents a valid argument. What makes the NYT special? Why will people with average IQs pay for something written for middle schoolers? If the AP wants to set their intelligence ceiling at the 8th grade, they should be comfortable turning a profit by selling subscriptions to those who don't think high school is important.
I doubt anyone has issues with entrepreneurs marketing TVs to the blind, or radios to the deaf. But it seems strange watching a business trying to sell a product made for middle schoolers that expects to be funded by altruistic college grads. |
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Scott A. Schneider, Photographer
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Minneapolis | MN | USA | Posted: 11:29 AM on 03.19.11 |
| ->> John: Your logic baffles me. Furthermore, I'm not sure that we are talking about the same newspaper. |
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Richard Uhlhorn, Photographer
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Chelan Falls | WA | USA | Posted: 12:40 PM on 03.19.11 |
->> Sorry John, most high school graduates never learn the art of writing in school, so I'm not sure where you are coming from. Ask any corporation about the writing ability of new hires and they'll just shake their head and say,"We have to teach them."
In my experience, there is nothing drier than college level writing. It takes a rare person to be able to write well, especially right out of school; high school and/or college.
Journalists who graduate from journalism schools generally write better than most. The same can be said for attorneys.
Cheers |
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John Korduner, Photographer
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Baton Rouge | LA | United States | Posted: 1:45 PM on 03.19.11 |
| ->> Im not sure what makes my logic baffling. Netflix is the only subscription the average person will pay for. Most the people I see each day have never been outside my state...they surely will not pay a fee to read things, let alone things that occur more than fifty miles away. I think a pay for news model needs to target those who value information, and will pay for professional journals, books, etc....and those people generally don't want their information simplified so that the average person can understand it. |
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Robert Seale, Photographer
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Houston | TX | USA | Posted: 5:47 PM on 03.19.11 |
->> It seems rather odd that what started out as a , "hey, support our business" thread turned into a debate about what grade level the NYT writers are targeting.
Personally, I find the writing excellent, especially the magazine and columnists, and I've never given a consideration to what reading level it may or may not be.
This message board, on the other hand, seems to be chock full of folks who don't know the difference between your and you're.
THE MESSAGE HERE IS: Once again....support your newspaper of choice, buy magazine subscriptions online or on the ipad when they become available, pay for your music downloads, and rent/watch movies instead of pirating them. Support journalism, media, IP rights, and creativity in general. We need to change the culture of "everything is free", or there will be nothing left....nothing to read but hearsay on someone's blog, TMZ videos, and certainly no clients left to commission photography.
Onward and upward. |
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Matt Cashore, Photographer
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South Bend | IN | USA | Posted: 6:37 PM on 03.19.11 |
->> Robert Seale, your exactly right! (wink)
In all seriousness, well put. |
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George Bridges, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Washington | DC | USA | Posted: 6:57 PM on 03.19.11 |
->> ----What makes the NYT special?-----
Because it is one of the few news organizations left that will send reporters and photographers out to get their own account of what is happening and not rely on others to do so -- especially not "iReporters" with unknown credibility and agendas.
Yes newspapers shot themselves in the foot long ago by acting like the web was just a plaything and not an important product.
Perhaps too late they are making the change and, like Robert, I'm for supporting keeping independent reporting alive.
Too often these days readers turn only to publications (print and web) that offer their own viewpoint and merely get confirmation of what they believe and don't care to look at the other side. Newspapers still go out and make an effort to present both sides to the story and try to do good in their community highlighting the wrongs and the goods.
I'm sure I'll give one of the pay subscriptions to the Times and maybe others when I get an iPad. Do I read every story in the Times or Washington Post or Houston Chronicle or any of the 30+ papers in the chains my companies owners have? No. Do I like to browse through and look for interesting stuff that catches my eye and teaches me something? Darn right I do. Will I pay them a subscription fee to help them do that work? Yup. |
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Richard Uhlhorn, Photographer
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Chelan Falls | WA | USA | Posted: 7:43 PM on 03.19.11 |
->> If not the NYTs what other newspapers out there are other photographers reading, and why?
I scroll the NYTs every morning because it hits my inbox. I also read the Christian Science Monitor, the Seattle Times, the Seattle PI, the Wenatchee World and our local weekly that I worked at as a reporter/photographer for 15 years.
I would like to know which newspapers, print or on-line others feel are of excellent quality for reporting/writing and,of course, photography. |
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Butch Miller, Photographer
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Lock Haven | PA | USA | Posted: 12:26 PM on 03.23.11 |
->> Looks like the pay-to-play efforts are not as easy to set up as one would hope ... The NYT pay wall was circumvented in 20 minutes with fourlines of code ... After investing $40-$50 million to set it up ... One would hope it would have been a little more difficult to hack into ...
http://tinyurl.com/4uvmtdb |
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Matthew Hinton, Photographer, Assistant
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New Orleans | LA | USA | Posted: 1:16 AM on 03.26.11 |
->> You can apparently learn a lot with an eighth grade reading level.
"It is estimated that a week's worth of the New York Times has more information than a person was likely to come across in his or her lifetime in the 18th century."
http://www.omg-facts.com/view/Facts/18856 |
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Michael Fischer, Photographer
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Spencer | Ia | USA | Posted: 8:55 PM on 03.27.11 |
->> What Mr. Seale said :)
Some of this cocktail chatter crap pisses me off.
For those of you that don't feel the NYT is worth the investment; do me a favor and read Tom Friedman for one month - that's a total of 8 columns. At the end of the month, if you can look me in the eye and tell me you haven't learned something about the world and how it fits together, then I will buy the argument that the eighth grade level is obviously true .. at least in some cases. (Or read Tom's book " The World is Flat" - which really connected the dots...)
Friedman's won the Pulitzer ... hell, he sits on the Pulitzer Board. His area is foreign affairs and if you don't think that makes a difference in your life then where the hell have you been for the last 25 years or so?
Tom Friedman is a big picture kinda guy. Want to know why many of the middle east despots are doomed? If you'd have been reading Tom's columns for a while you'd know the answer. (Hint: half the population in many of those countries are under 25, unemployed and have internet access....)
Tom doesn't have a liberal or conservative agenda - the guy has a WORLD agenda. He's worth the price of admission just by himself - I get everything else in the NYT as a bonus. Some of you can sit there and argue about the level of writing - or on a whim - do what I suggest. Who knows, you might LEARN something you didn't know. And you might learn it from someone who has traveled the world for over 20 years, and goes to places and talks to people who I for one would think it impossible to talk to.
So, roll the dice - take a chance and read the guy for a month. Eighth grade level or not, you might learn something instead of getting fed pablum from the talking heads on the left and right on the idiot box. Eighth grade writing level? That would still make it six levels higher than Fox or MSNBC.
Whats the worst thing that could happen...you might learn something...And that, my friends, would be a win-win don't you think?
I'll get off the soap box and go sit in the corner now... but I have to say, some of you folks would chop off your nose.... |
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Corey Perrine, Photographer
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Jim Colburn, Photo Editor, Photographer
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McAllen | TX | USA | Posted: 3:17 PM on 03.28.11 |
->> "...it [the New York Times] is one of the few news organizations left that will send reporters and photographers out to get their own account of what is happening and not rely on others to do so"
NPR being another. |
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Louis Lopez, Photographer
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Fontana | CA | USA | Posted: 2:47 AM on 04.04.11 |
->> "The NYT pay wall was circumvented in 20 minutes with fourlines of code ... After investing $40-$50 million to set it up ... One would hope it would have been a little more"
Guess all those eighth graders have been busy... |
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James Clark, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Melbourne | FL | USA | Posted: 11:01 AM on 04.06.11 |
->> I think the the newspapers need to take a page from Apple and use their App Store model. Instead of a subscription model, they should base it on the article but price it according to the value and timeliness of the article.
Say, start off at $.25 per article and using algorithms to calculate the interest of the article if there is a high demand for an article, after a few hours, increase the price incrementally until demand falls off . As demand falls off, let the price slide down to $.10 or less for archival purposes. This is what we have computers for.
The average news consuming person reads a dozen articles a day and they will easily pass the cost of a formidable annual subscription in a year. If you hit them with a large upfront investment most people will go else where. Prices and time can vary, the essential part is to market by the article versus a subscription. Look at iTunes, people are looking for single songs not albums. The subscription method is as antiquated as the paper that they are printing on.
note, this hare-brained idea is not completely thought through so be free to argue the merits of this idea. |
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David A. Cantor, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Toledo | OH | USA | Posted: 11:08 AM on 04.26.11 |
| ->> Since the newspaper industry has spent the last few years telling too many visual journalists and their editors that they are nothing more than expendable budget items (getting by with a good enough image captured on a reporter's cell phone camera) I have redirected my newspaper subscription monies to crowd funding long term photography projects. Seriously, look at your annual newspaper subscription rate and think about the possibilities if tens of thousands of persons sent that amount to just one project on Kickstarter or Emphas.is |
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