When the television show "Dexter" ended its third season a couple of months ago, we canceled out subscription to Showtime in what has become an all too often cost saving measure.
And now that we don't have access to Showtime on demand, I recently visited Showtime's Web site expecting to be able to watch back episodes.
But they are only available on demand through the cable company to paying subscribers and I was a little mad.
Have I been programed to expect things for free online?
If newspaper content was cable TV, I want to be Showtime.
As a local news organization, I have premium content that can't be found anywhere else, and I want to charge for it and put it behind a firewall.
In a move to put some value on its content, the Star-Tribune plans to hold some stories for print only. Top content to print readers first was the headline in today's edition. The paper, in a great move forward to preserve its product, will show some favoritism to the people who subscribe.
It is a great for a news company — most of which are capitalist enterprises last time I checked — to create a revenue stream from its content.
What is so wrong with monetizing content?
Showing posts with label newspaper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label newspaper. Show all posts
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
It's in the numbers
As if you needed more evidence of the disintegration of local news, I have the numbers to prove there is less local content distributed through the newspaper.
A quick check of what was published the last four months of February in the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune (a 10k circ Gannett paper in central Wisconsin where I was city editor until last month) shows a dramatic drop in content.
Bylines (stories locally written) for the month dropped from a high of 245 in 2007 to 186 this year. Pages and average number of sections are down from 2006's high of 434 and 2.88 (there was a great deal of three and four section newspapers in 2006 and all but a couple of days had more than two sections.) to 326 and 1.54 this year, which is an incredible decrease. For 24 days (the study did not include Sunday's newspaper or leap day), there were 108 fewer pages this year from 2006.
Feb.
Year / Bylines / Pages / Sections (daily average)
2009 / 186 / 326 / 1.54
2008 / 235 / 408 / 2.29
2007 / 245 / 414 / 2.29
2006 / 194 / 434 / 2.88
These numbers show how a large media company without any local ties can rip information from the hands of those in the area who need it the most. As Gannett loses money and its stock price plummets, the company cuts from the newspapers it owns.
So who's impacted by less information from the newspaper? Everyone. A democracy relies on a free press to engage citizens. People who live in the area now have less information about the local government; less information about the community.
And people are leading less informed lives.
A quick check of what was published the last four months of February in the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune (a 10k circ Gannett paper in central Wisconsin where I was city editor until last month) shows a dramatic drop in content.
Bylines (stories locally written) for the month dropped from a high of 245 in 2007 to 186 this year. Pages and average number of sections are down from 2006's high of 434 and 2.88 (there was a great deal of three and four section newspapers in 2006 and all but a couple of days had more than two sections.) to 326 and 1.54 this year, which is an incredible decrease. For 24 days (the study did not include Sunday's newspaper or leap day), there were 108 fewer pages this year from 2006.
Feb.
Year / Bylines / Pages / Sections (daily average)
2009 / 186 / 326 / 1.54
2008 / 235 / 408 / 2.29
2007 / 245 / 414 / 2.29
2006 / 194 / 434 / 2.88
These numbers show how a large media company without any local ties can rip information from the hands of those in the area who need it the most. As Gannett loses money and its stock price plummets, the company cuts from the newspapers it owns.
So who's impacted by less information from the newspaper? Everyone. A democracy relies on a free press to engage citizens. People who live in the area now have less information about the local government; less information about the community.
And people are leading less informed lives.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Boldness, courage and change
The Knight Foundation seminar wrapped up with talk of boldness and courage; civic catalysts and change.
I heard people talk about responsibility of news organizations and the gaps in local news that exist across the country.
And there was a lot of discussion about solutions. (Here is the Knight blog with video from the breakout sessions.)
One issue discussed by a couple of people is the lack of broadband coverage. Most of the projects funded by the Knight Foundation center on Web-based dissemination of information (here is a list of the projects). More than one person called access to broadband the divide in America's two-class system.
I think more access to broadband internet in Wisconsin Rapids can better educate, inform, and connect the folks in the area. It is something that needs to be a priority, simple as that. (the FCC has an outreach program.)
We also have to provide more information and connect with more people. During a session this morning, the group was studying The Forum from New Hampshire. This little, home-brewed start up has filled gaps in local news coverage with volunteers: moms and dads, friends, and family. After the first year, they reported an huge increase in contested elections. Considering the number of uncontested races in Wood County, we have a lot of work to do.
There are hurdles; yet there are people willing to make the leap.
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