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Workshop Registration
The Reynolds Center has announced its 2009-10 free workshop schedule.
Select a workshop and register from the drop-down menu below.
Online Seminars
The Reynolds Center registration for Fall 2009 free online seminars.
Covering Values is Not Where Business Journalism Excels
By Tim McGuire
A New Model
By Chris Roush
Preaching Financial Fitness
By Kelly Carr
Wall Street in Crisis: Coverage Highlights
By Anita Malik, Travis Grabow and Carol Legg
WSJ.com's New Look
By Anita Malik, Travis Grabow and Carol Legg
A New Model
By Chris Roush
September 22, 2008
Business news should be the first to revolt against the traditional news business model.
I’m talking about the hundreds of newspapers, magazines and other media that give away content for free on the Internet, even though they charge consumers money to get that same content in print or on the air.
Given what’s happening in journalism these days, with virtually all media forms reporting declines in subscribers or viewers, it’s obvious that our consumers are smarter than we are. They know that they can get the same information on the Web without paying a dime.
So, here’s my plan:
First, we’ll start with the newspapers. I say every newspaper that’s not charging to read content online – and that’s 99 percent of you – needs to put their business news behind a pay wall. That’s the information readers are most likely to be willing to pay for because it’s information they use to make money, or avoid losing money.
I’m not saying charge a lot. Let’s start off with around $10 a month and see where we get. And once we build up a base of online subscribers, then put sports, news and the rest behind the firewall, all for a price. Once the readers have developed the habit of paying for business news, they’ll fork over more money for the rest.
Second, let’s move then to the magazines and the TV web sites. Honestly, I’m not going to start subscribing to Fortune, Forbes and BusinessWeek until I can’t get the same stuff online. I understand that all of them have much more content on their Web sites than they do in the print publication. What I can’t understand is why they’re not charging for that access. Same goes for you, CNBC.com and FoxBusiness.com.
And finally, I want to see all of the business news sites that currently allow readers to peruse any story they want to start charging for access. Let’s start with 50 cents an article and see what happens. I’m looking at you, Marketwatch, CNET, PaidContent.org and others.
Look no further than what’s happening at The Wall Street Journal and TheStreet.com. Both have robust Web sites where the best stuff is behind a subscription wall. And both continue to boost readers.
Journalism has made a mistake in giving away content for free for too long. And generating revenue from online ads isn’t going to compensate, at least not anytime soon. It’s time to reverse the trend. And I say the buck stops with business news.
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Copyright © 2008 Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism
The Reynolds Center has announced its 2009-10 free workshop schedule.
Select a workshop and register from the drop-down menu below.
The Reynolds Center registration for Fall 2009 free online seminars.
By Tim McGuire
A New Model
By Chris Roush
Preaching Financial Fitness
By Kelly Carr
Wall Street in Crisis: Coverage Highlights
By Anita Malik, Travis Grabow and Carol Legg
WSJ.com's New Look
By Anita Malik, Travis Grabow and Carol Legg
A New Model
By Chris Roush
September 22, 2008
Business news should be the first to revolt against the traditional news business model.
I’m talking about the hundreds of newspapers, magazines and other media that give away content for free on the Internet, even though they charge consumers money to get that same content in print or on the air.
Given what’s happening in journalism these days, with virtually all media forms reporting declines in subscribers or viewers, it’s obvious that our consumers are smarter than we are. They know that they can get the same information on the Web without paying a dime.
So, here’s my plan:
First, we’ll start with the newspapers. I say every newspaper that’s not charging to read content online – and that’s 99 percent of you – needs to put their business news behind a pay wall. That’s the information readers are most likely to be willing to pay for because it’s information they use to make money, or avoid losing money.
I’m not saying charge a lot. Let’s start off with around $10 a month and see where we get. And once we build up a base of online subscribers, then put sports, news and the rest behind the firewall, all for a price. Once the readers have developed the habit of paying for business news, they’ll fork over more money for the rest.
Second, let’s move then to the magazines and the TV web sites. Honestly, I’m not going to start subscribing to Fortune, Forbes and BusinessWeek until I can’t get the same stuff online. I understand that all of them have much more content on their Web sites than they do in the print publication. What I can’t understand is why they’re not charging for that access. Same goes for you, CNBC.com and FoxBusiness.com.
And finally, I want to see all of the business news sites that currently allow readers to peruse any story they want to start charging for access. Let’s start with 50 cents an article and see what happens. I’m looking at you, Marketwatch, CNET, PaidContent.org and others.
Look no further than what’s happening at The Wall Street Journal and TheStreet.com. Both have robust Web sites where the best stuff is behind a subscription wall. And both continue to boost readers.
Journalism has made a mistake in giving away content for free for too long. And generating revenue from online ads isn’t going to compensate, at least not anytime soon. It’s time to reverse the trend. And I say the buck stops with business news.
Copyright © 2008 Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism